Give Me Grace by Kate McCarthy Page A

” Grace shot me a glare, her narrowed eyes darkening to rival the deep blue depths of the ocean. “Who the hell do you think you are? Batman? I hate to be the one to disillusion you, but this is not Gotham City, and no one appreciates your misguided vigilante type justice, least of all me. I am not carrying drugs, you idiot. You can search my bags if you don’t believe me. Hell, you can have my bags. I’m so freaking done with this day I don’t even care anymore!”
    Travis appeared beside me, scratching the back of his head as he assessed the situation.
    Nostrils flaring in anger, Grace cast him a quick glance and her brow arched sardonically. “Robin, I presume?”
    I shook my head, cursing at myself. I should have been prepared for this, despite my day starting off none too badly.
    I’d only just arrived at Jared and Evie’s house earlier for their Sunday barbecue before I was back in the car with Travis and on our way here to the airport. Frog, the bass guitarist with Evie’s band, had been in a car accident that morning. The outcome was a broken arm. With the band playing at the awards ceremony later tonight, it wasn’t looking good for them. Mac had been frothing at the mouth from stress, Quinn looked ready to pass out, and Evie was greener than she was yesterday.
    Arriving to the chaos had come as no surprise. The Jamieson and Valentine clan might have been my family, and don’t get me wrong, when everything was good with them, it was like the stars aligned and shimmery fairy dust fell from the heavens, but when it went to shit, it went there via the seventh circle of Hell.
    Taking that into consideration, offering to collect their replacement guitarist from the airport with Travis had seemed like a good idea, until Travis opened his mouth about last night.
    “You and Morgan?”
    I shook my head in answer, focusing my attention on driving rather than explaining myself.
    “Was she the one that went home with you on Friday night? You’re seeing her now?”
    “Calm the fuck down, Trav.” Stopping at a red light, I turned to face him. “If we’re going to have a gossip session about my night out, maybe we should start with the outfit I chose first before discussing whether I put out or not.”
    The light turned green and I accelerated, satisfied when the small burst of speed left the traffic behind me scrambling to catch up. The deflection would only work for so long. Travis and Coby had seen Morgan last night when I answered the door. The suggestive gleam in her eye and the overexposure of skin left no doubt to her intentions. Between that and the damn sex shop bag on the counter, it was obvious I’d been on board with those intentions.
    “So?” Travis waved his hand. “What did you wear then?”
    Smug sonofabitch.
    “Fine.” My hands tightened on the steering wheel as I hit Sydney’s M1 freeway and opened the car up. “I fucked her, okay? I may plan on doing it again. Do I need to check every potential fuck with you first and get your approval in duplicate?”
    “You know what?” Travis turned in his seat to glare at me. “Yes. You fucking do if you’re gonna pull shit like this. We have contracts with the government that includes the damn Sydney police. Our firm doesn’t need you going and poking your cock into the middle of all that. There is no doubt we will be dealing with her in an official capacity at some stage, and if she gets your customary brush-off, how are we supposed to trust her to have our backs? What is it, Casey, you like her that much she’s worth that kind of hit?”
    Travis took a deep breath. He sat there fuming in the passenger seat, waiting for my ans wer as I navigated through traffic and took the airport exit off the motorway. I didn’t have one. Well, not one that wouldn’t give away my intentions, so I kept my mouth shut.
    “If you’re just looking to get laid, find so meone else,” he added, unwilling to leave it alone.
    Reaching the domestic terminal of