Rise (Rise & Fall Duet #1) - Grahame Claire Page 0,54

my watch. It was after midnight.

Reluctantly, I carefully untangled from Lexie. She let out a sigh but didn’t wake when I repositioned her on the sofa.

I pointed to the kitchen.

Beau tossed her purse on the counter. “Aren’t you supposed to ask me for permission to sleep with my best friend?” She grinned.

“Keep your voice down. Eric is asleep in my study,” I whispered.

Beau’s smile widened. “This just gets better and better.”

I scowled. How could I have temporarily forgotten she lived with me?

Muffy trotted into the kitchen.

Beau looked at the dog as if she were hallucinating. “Is that—”

“A greyhound. Yes. If you want specifics, speak to your brother.”

“I am speaking to my brother.” She squatted and rubbed Muffy behind his ears. He leaned against her.

“Your other one.”

Beau straightened and Muffy moved over to me. Absently, I patted his head. He sat on my foot.

“Am I in the right apartment?” She looked around as if she were seeing the space for the first time.

“Would you keep your voice down?” I whisper-hissed.

“Oh, it is you.” She elbowed me in the side. “For a second, I thought you’d replaced my grumpy brother.”

“Where have you been?”

“Yep. Definitely the right apartment.” She opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. “Working. I see now why I couldn’t find you in your office.”

I’d check the cameras to see if she had indeed been at work. I gripped the counter. No. That was something our father would do. If Beau said she’d been at work, I’d trust her word.

When she was prepared to tell me where she was really going, I had to accept she’d do it on her own time.

My knuckles turned white.

Was I in the right apartment? Because I didn’t recognize myself.

Muffy pawed my leg.

“I think he wants you to pet him.” Beau pointed at him with her water bottle.

I looked at him, at a loss. “It’s been a while since he’s been outside.”

He shot toward the front door and circled impatiently when I didn’t immediately follow.

“Do I have time to change my shoes?” Beau asked.

He stamped his feet.

Where is the leash?

In the chaos from before, I couldn’t recall exactly when I’d last seen him with it on. I felt certain I hadn’t put it with his things. Maybe Eric had taken it off of him. I hated to potentially disturb him while he slept.

Beau appeared from the foyer, now wearing slip-on sneakers. “Looking for this?” The leash dangled from her fingers.

Muffy bumped it with his nose. She looped it around his neck, and he pulled to the door hard enough that Beau stumbled.

I pushed the cart out into the elevator lobby behind them.

“I can’t believe you let a dog in your apartment,” she said as Muffy jerked her into the waiting elevator.

I couldn’t either, but I wouldn’t admit that to her.

“It’s only for a few days.”

Muffy gave me a look like I don’t think so, pal. Beau had a matching expression.

Once we were on ground level, I returned the cart to the storage space.

Muffy led us straight across the street to Central Park. I wasn’t keen on going deep into the park at this time of night, but he lifted his leg on the first tree he found.

“Turns out you were right,” Beau said while we waited for him to finish. “He had to go.”

“Lucky guess,” I brushed off. I hadn’t been around enough animals to know their signals.

“What’s happening on the investigation front?”

We hadn’t seen each other much in the past few days so I’d been able to avoid an inquisition.

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Lincoln, how can you be so casual about this? You need to take it seriously.”

“I can’t be much more serious than spending an entire day and then some with attorneys.” Not to mention the hours upon hours I wasted digging up old files.

“Can they stop this?”

I’d come to the conclusion the answer lay in who had more power: the federal government or our family. Unfortunately, that was to be determined.

“I don’t know.”

“How are you not freaking out?” She threw her hand up.

Muffy paused for a minute to check she was okay, then resumed his bathroom break for the record books. If he kept at it, Central Park would be flooded.

“I only concern myself with the things I can control.”

“Defending yourself is something you can control,” she cried.

“Come what may.”

She shook my shoulder. “Do you want to go to jail?”

“My feelings on the matter are irrelevant.”

“What about mine?” She planted herself in front of me.

I sighed. “No. They aren’t.”

Muffy lowered his leg