“That’s all there is to it. We’re doing each other a favor. I needed to look more committed. She needed the money. All there is to it,” I huff as I take another sip of coffee.
“Sure.”
I study Griffin as he drinks.
“Do you know what she needs the extra money for?”
“The therapy she will need after living with you?” he quips.
I shake my head. “Come on. You knew about the honey trapping. And you and I both know you can be ruthless at times, but you pay your staff well. So what is it? Is she in trouble?” My chest tightens at the thought of Harley having some shady loan shark chasing her, or a jerk of an ex she might owe money.
“She’s not in trouble.” Griffin holds my gaze.
“You bastard, you know, don’t you?” I stare at him, willing him to give me an insight into what’s going on in Harley’s personal life. I know it’s none of my business, but I have a sister, and the thought of any woman being in a situation where she needs help… it claws at my soul.
He places his cup down on the desk without breaking eye contact. “I do, yes. So does Maria. Harley told us a while ago.”
I drop my head into my hands and let out a frustrated groan.
“She’s fine, Reed. You can see that. You live with her. She isn’t in any trouble, I promise you.”
“But you’ll not tell me why she wants four fucking grand a month on top of her salary?”
If I didn’t live with her, I might be inclined to think it was a shopping addiction or a weakness for designer shoes. But she’d rather spend all her time in those fluffy pink monstrosities than in heels. The only thing I have learned about Harley since living with her is that she likes to be warm and comfortable. She names her plants and talks to them like they’re babies, and she smells fucking incredible. I walk past her room when that coconut shower cloud comes out in the mornings and it makes my dick spring to attention like a fucking soldier.
“It’s not for me to tell. I’m sure she’ll share it with you when she’s ready.”
I look at Griffin, then shake my head and look away. He’s right. It’s not for me to know unless she chooses to tell me. Who am I to her? I’m just her boss’s best friend. I’m the guy she jokes with but never takes seriously because she thinks I’m only after one thing. And I’ve given her no reason to think otherwise. She’s right. It is who I am.
“How’s the campaigning going?” Griffin asks, steering our conversation back to work.
“Yeah, good. Great. Harley came along to a question-and-answer session that was filmed the other evening and hit it off with Stuart. So now I have both of them bossing me around.”
I chuckle as I recall how excited Harley was to go to the news studio and visit a real green room. When we got back to the apartment, she emptied her purse out, and inside were the wrapped snacks they’d been handing out in there. She brought them for me, saying I would have missed out otherwise.
“You’re getting good reception about your policies, I see?” Griffin lifts a newspaper from the edge of his desk and drops it down in front of me. It’s open to a page about me, titled‘Walker wants you to walk home safely at night.’
“Yeah.” I run a hand around the back of my neck and clear my throat. “It’s important to people. A city like New York has a higher number of sexual assaults than suburban areas. People want to be able to catch the subway home late or get a drink and not worry about who might put something in their drink or might follow them.” I glance up and Griffin’s eyes are trained on me. They soften as he gives the slightest nod of understanding.
“How’s Riley doing?”
“Really well. Busting balls and getting promoted over her male colleagues.” My shoulders loosen and I grin with pride as I think of my twin sister.
“I’d expect nothing less,” Griffin says. “She was always the best at winning an argument, even when we were kids.”
I chuckle. “Yep, she was. Stubborn ass.”
Her chosen career as a prosecution lawyer suits her personality perfectly. She’s always been one to fight injustice and stand up for what she believes in. One honest voice is louder than a crowd, or so she reminds me on a regular basis. I’m so proud of her. I think she would have always found law as her career, even if it wasn’t for what happened that day. But I guess we’ll never know. That one event shaped her entire future. You never know when you wake up in the morning just how the day might end. How it might scar you for the rest of your life or make you uncover a strength in yourself you never even knew you had because it’s either that or let yourself be destroyed.
And Walkers don’t give in. We fight back.
“What’s the rest of your week looking like?” Griffin asks.
I blow out a breath. “More strategy meetings with Stuart. A couple of interviews, some on the street candidate meet-and-greet. Then this weekend is Paige’s party.”
“A whole yard full of five-year-olds high on sugar and excitement? Good luck.”
“Thanks,” I mutter with a smile. “Although I think Harley’s more excited about the petting zoo than the kids.”