Griffin chuckled, the sound reverberating in his chest. “I guess sometimes it comes in handy to be tall. She thinks I can scare all the bad guys away.”

I released my hold on Griffin and forced myself to step back. “Thank you. For everything. I’ll never be able to repay—”

He scowled at me. “Quit it. You don’t owe me anything.”

I bit my lip to keep from laughing at the sternness in his expression. “Okay. No owing. But I can still thank you.”

“If you have to.”

“I do.” I reached out and patted Griffin’s chest, the planes of muscle a physical manifestation of how steady and strong he was. “So, you’re just going to have to figure out a way to endure it.”

Griffin’s lips twitched. “I’ll endure it.” His hand captured mine, and he gave me a gentle tug. “Come on. I need to show you a few things.”

Instead of releasing me when I began to follow, Griffin linked his fingers with mine, weaving them together so we were one force moving through the house. I’d wanted the feeling for so long. The deep knowledge that someone had my back. A partner who would face all the trials that life brought alongside me. I tried to shake it off. Because Griffin was my friend, not my boyfriend or partner or lover. He was simply a man with the kindest of souls.

Griffin came to a stop outside his office. “How good is your memory?”

My brows drew together. “Like can I remember what year JFK was assassinated or can I remember where I left my car keys?”

He grinned. “How are you with passwords?”

“Pretty good, I guess.” There was no need for me to admit that all of my passwords were variations of the same thing.

Griffin nodded slowly as if unsure I was telling the truth. “You’ve already got the alarm system down, but I need to give you a couple of others.” He crossed to his desk, releasing my hand as he went. I was suddenly colder and felt so very alone.

Griffin tapped a few keys on the keyboard. “It’s be7mo3da26. That will get you into the system.”

“I don’t need to use your computer. Everything I need is on my phone.” I didn’t even have a computer at home. Will had a secondhand laptop he used for school, but that was it.

“I want you to be able to bring up the cameras. Come here.” Griffin motioned me over next to him. “Here’s the app.” With a few clicks, we were suddenly looking at various views of the property. “They’re equipped for night vision so you can see whatever you need to at any time.”