Page 51 of Her Honorable Hero

“Kenna’s pregnant. We can’t do that to her,” Miranda objected.

“Yes we can, they’ve been buying all the baby shit. I gave them her diaper bag, they’re good. Now I’m taking you home.” He was like granite. She was going to have to proceed carefully to get her way. She cut her eyes to Susan who rushed out of the office.

“Honey, this meeting is critical.”

“You passed out.”

“I didn’t pass out. I was awake, just really out of it.”

“Susan called me from your phone. Do you remember that?”

She looked him straight in the eye. “Yes.”

His hands clamped down on the arms of her chair and boxed her in. “You’re lying,” he growled.

She glared at him. “Prove it.”

He continued to stare at her.

“Griff, this is one of the most important meetings of the project,” she enunciated clearly. It was her way of admitting that she’d lied, and trying to get him to come around to her way of thinking.

He blew out a breath through gritted teeth.

“Miranda, these migraines are serious,” he said in a choked whisper. “We’ve been to the doctor. You know because you have migraines with auras you’re more susceptible to having a stroke. Don’t do this to me. Don’t do this to Livvie.”

She put her hand on his cheek. “I haven’t had a migraine in six months. I’ve even been doing yoga. I’m going to be fine.”

“This project is a lot of pressure,” he said softly. His concern was so clear. Miranda couldn’t tell him what the real reason was. She just wanted that to go away, and she was going to make it go away. For all everyone knew, there was nobody named Roger Heinrich, and he was going to remain a dead nobody.

“You can wait for me here in the office, I’ll keep the meeting to just three hours. How’s that?”

Griff got a mutinous expression on his face.

Shit, she wasn’t going to win.

Then it came to her. “You trust Riya, don’t you?”

“Huh? What does Riya have to do with anything?”

“Move,” Miranda pushed him out of her way so she could reach for her cell phone. She punched in Riya’s number.

“Riya, I need a favor. I know you’re not working on the Helios project, but you have a top secret clearance, and Griff trusts you. Can you come to my office as soon as possible and sit in on a meeting with me?”

Riya paused on the other end. “What’s the dress code?”

“Anything you want, just get here,” Miranda answered.

Riya hung up.

Miranda was too wiped out to laugh, otherwise she would. That was her friend the scientist. She had her question answered and was on her way, no need for chit chat. Riya Patel was one of the most brilliant minds on the planet, but she had almost no social skills. Miranda absolutely adored the woman, and was thankful every day that she was part of her team.

“As soon as Riya gets here, we’ll tell her about the migraine and what to monitor me for, and she can sit in on the meeting. How does that sound? I’d have you come in, but you’re not cleared for it.”

Griff opened his mouth.

“Please, Griff.” If he disagreed, she’d acquiesce. He’d never asked her to make a choice like this before. He really had a good reason to ask for it in his opinion, and unless she came clean as to what the real stressor was, she was stuck.

“Do you promise to bail if Riya so much as raises an eyebrow?” he eventually asked.

“Hell, knowing her, once we explain the situation, she’ll stop the meeting and drag my ass out if she thinks there’s an issue.”

He cocked his head. “Good point.”