Page 26 of Wrong Number, Right Grumpy Biker

I set the champagne down.

Grim had shown up at the cabin Friday around ten. Everett had called me at eight-thirty to say he couldn't come and Grim was coming instead. Which meant Everett had called Grim before eight-thirty Friday morning.

I pulled out my phone. Scrolled back to the thread I'd thought was my brother's all weekend. Found the message I sent Thursday night, and Grim's reply.

What time do you need me?

Sent at 10:03 PM Thursday.

Fourteen hours before Everett called him.

The blood left my face.

Grim hadn't come because Everett asked. Grim had already said yes — to messages he knew weren't meant for him — fourteen hours before Everett made the call.

I scrolled up. The drunk-crying line. The murder line. Wear the black suit, you look good in that one.

He'd read all of it. He'd known.

You're sure? Yes. Knowing everything.

Not knowing everything. He'd let me say that.

"Hannah."

I looked up. Grim was crouched beside my chair, his hand hovering like he hadn't decided whether to touch me.

"When did you know?" I asked. My voice was very steady, which surprised me. "Really."

He went still.

"Thursday night."

"Immediately?"

"Yes."

"You told me yesterday you suspected. You said you figured it out."

"I know."

"That wasn't true."

"It was partly true."

"Partly." I turned the phone face-up on the table, the thread still visible. "You knew when I sent the first message. You knew driving out to the cabin Friday morning. You knew when you handed me water. You knew when you put your hand on my back in front of James. You knew when you said I notice you. You knew last night when I told you I wanted this knowing everything."

His jaw worked. He didn't look away.

"Yes."

"You said it in the barn yesterday. You should have asked instead of deciding." My throat was tight. Colder than tears, colder than shouting. "I told you, you were going to have to get better at that. And you already knew, while I was saying it, that you were doing it right then."

"Yeah." His voice had gone quiet. "I knew."

"I told you last night I wanted you knowing everything."

"Yeah."