love put a gun in my hand.

@varkatzas

Grayson couldn’t have ever imagined the shit show that she had gotten herself into. When she agreed to help Micro track down Frank Castle, she wasn’t aware of just how much that simple agreement was going to change her life. She wanted nothing more than to help the ex-marine turned vigilante succeed in his mission of bringing down everyone who had killed his family, but, she didn’t want to have any of the feelings that she did for him.

To make matters worse, Frank Castle couldn’t fucking stand Grayson.

No matter what she did, the hardened shell of a man belittled her and put her down; Grayson was growing more tired of it with each passing day. Grayson wasn’t an idiot, she had her master’s degree in computer sciences, she knew what she was doing when it came to the tasks that were asked of her. Yet, Frank always had some stupid shit to say.

---

Grayson was running late, her morning had been just shy of a pure hell. When she walked into the bunker and got to the computer room, both Frank and Micro turned to look at her.
“Glad you finally decided to show up,” Micro chastised her.

“Listen, I had a rough morning, Liberman.” Grayson began to explain. “Besides, this isn’t a fucking paid nine-to-five day job that I am working and getting paid for.” She dropped her bag and made her way over to the pair of them. “I’ll get started and looking at all the cameras from last night, see if we can’t find where that agent snuck off to and who they met up with.”

There had only ever been one person that Frank had learned how to be patient with and seeing as Grayson was not her, all he found himself was getting more and more annoyed while he sat beside Micro waiting on the aforementioned female. He sat, silent as he stared at the computer screen that Micro was working away at. He didn't care for the technical side of his work, so long as it landed him the results that he wanted. And he wanted the results now.

His eyes flicked to Grayson when she finally appeared. Flexing his jaw, he raised an eyebrow. "It's about to get a whole lot rougher if shit doesn't get done," he said, rolling his neck until there was an audible 'pop'. Frank turned back toward the computer screen. He didn't care whatsoever about the morning that Grayson had or did not have, so long that she was here to do her job now. He didn't understand why she had started making little gripes about how the work wasn't paid.

Of course it wasn't fucking paid but at least she was doing some good in the world. That was so much more to him than any amount of money. Frank didn't care about very much that was left in the world, other than making the people pay who had taken his family from him.

Frank's eyes found their way to Grayson when she sat in the chair that Micro had just vacated for her. He eyed her for a moment before turning his attention back to the screen, trying to ignore the aggravation that only seemed to grow the longer that he sat beside Grayson. She had just completely disrespected him and his work, as far as he was concerned and it pissed him right the hell off. Exhaling, Frank shoved to his feet and stalked toward the mini fridge to grab a bottle of water out of it.

“You don’t always have to talk to me like that,” Grayson mumbled as she sat down. “I probably would get shit done a whole hell of a lot faster if I felt like my efforts and my accomplishments meant something to someone.”

Grayson rolled her eyes as she watched the brooding man shove out of his chair and walk away. At times Grayson wasn’t quite sure what it was that she saw in Frank Castle. He had always come off harsh and broken, pissed off at the drop of a hat. But Grayson also knew that Frank had a heart of fucking gold, and he wanted to do what was right. Even if his ideas of right were slightly skewed compared to the rest of the world.

Frank’s presence when he sat back down was overwhelming. He always exuded this air of tense, pure rage and it didn’t always settle very well with Grayson. Her eyes were scouring the traffic cams that were in downtown, looking for a few select member of the Irish Mafia that Frank wanted to go after. Grayson didn’t give a shit who sold drugs and brought them in or took them out, she wasn’t going to be using any of them. But there would be hell to pay if Frank didn’t catch them.

Grayson cleared her throat and reached out and grabbed Frank gently by the wrist, directing his attention towards the monitor. She ignored the warmth and spark that was ignited through her body as her skin made contact with his, blinking away the feelings before speaking. “I think I just found two of the guys you were looking for,” She explained. “There was this car at 43rd Avenue at 3AM this morning—looked like it was headed away from that warehouse in the old district. You know which one I’m talking about, we’ve scouted the location before.”

Grayson turned her body to look at him, “That means they’re officially back in town.”

"Girl, if you want appreciation you have the wrong fuckin' guy," Frank spat the words before he even thought about them, letting his mouth do all the talking for him. He always did, he always spoke and threw punches before he even considered any potential consequences. There weren't very many things that Frank Castle stood to lose other than the revenge that he was seeking out with every fiber of his being.

Dropping back down onto his vacated chair, Frank unscrewed the cap on his water bottle and took several long swigs of the liquid. He wasn't thirsty but it kept him from talking at least and even he knew that sometimes it was better if he stayed silent.

Frank jolted when a hand wrapped around his wrist, jerking away from it before he even thought as his free hand came up to knock the hand away from him. Fear, it rose in his eyes and just as quickly as it was there, it was gone only to be replaced with a burning rage. Who the hell did Grayson think she was, putting her hands on him like that? Even as innocent as the touch had been, she should have known better. Opening her mouth to tell her as such, Frank only fell silent when the woman started pointing out something that had piqued her interest.

Standing, Frank adjusted the sleeves on his jacket as he studied the cameras. "Atta girl," he muttered, turning to head right back out. If they were in town, Frank was long overdue on a hunting trip. Frank paused by the door, glancing behind him with a small smirk. "Hope that's enough to not get your panties all in a twist, girl." Frank damn well knew Grayson's name but he'd started calling her 'girl' so long ago that it just sort of stuck for him.

Atta girl. It had taken almost nine months for Grayson to figure out that was the way that Frank said thank you. Nonetheless it would have been nice to her the latter two words every once in a while. Grayson sunk down in her chair as her eyes still roamed over the street cameras. Was it really that hard to say thanks every once in a while? Was it really that hard for either one of those men to show a little appreciation? Grayson, an incredibly smart graduate, had left a nearly $75,000 a year job to help these two out. Right now, she was living off credit cards and her savings account. She easily could have said no, she easily could have told them to find someone else to do the job. But Grayson wanted to help. The more Grayson did along side Micro, the less likely it was going to be figured out that he was alive—again.

Tears welled in the girls eyes as the thought roamed around her mind. How on earth was she going to prove her worth? That she wasn’t just a pretty face who knew her way around a computer? With a huff, Grayson shot out of her chair and was headed back to the armory.

“What are you doing?” David exclaimed as he watched her.

“Mind your business, Liberman.”

Grayson grabbed one of the .380 pistols and a clip, flipping the safety of the gun on and shoving it in her waist band. She knew that Frank hadn’t made it out of the compound yet, but she only had a few moments to spare. She sprinted though the halls, making it to the garage faster than she ever had before. She yanked open the passenger side to the vehicle Frank was taking. He was looking down at his phone marking the location that he was going to, he hadn’t even bothered to look at her. Grayson climbed into the seat, buckling herself in with out glancing to the man whose eyes were now on her.

“I’m going with. I want to help.” Grayson stated simply. “Don’t fight me on this, Castle. I. Want. To. Help.”

double post

Frank never liked to waste time, he always liked to have something to do. Something to keep his mind occupied from the flashbacks and ultimately, the guilt that had led him to leave the Cerberus Squad. There wasn't a single day in his life that he didn't wonder if he had never decided to do that, if he would still have his wife and children by his side. If they wouldn't have had to suffer because he couldn't handle being a man. Frank, he knew it was wrong what the Squad had done but if he had just manned the fuck up...

Shaking his head as he stormed into the garage, Frank slid into his favourite car. It was an older mustang, a bit beat up but he was working on bringing it back to life. He had poured literal hours of work into it, God help the person who ever damaged his vehicle.

His eyes trained on the phone in his hand, Frank didn't bother to look up when the passenger side door opened. He knew it was one of two people and unfortunately, the answer came all too quickly. Huffing as he looked up to her, Frank gave a shake of his head as he leaned toward her.

Frank wordlessly unbuckled her seatbelt before leaning even further, reaching out to push open her door. "No. You're not. You'll get hurt," he said, his tone taking on a harder edge.

"Get out. This isn't fuckin' child's play. It's the mafia, you have no clue what the hell you're going into. You'll only be a liability," Frank argued with a huff, pointing out of the car.

"Girl, get out. I have things to do, remember?" Frank said, relaxing into his seat. He gave Grayson a pointed look, his irritation only seeming to grow the longer he was forced to just sit there when he could be leaving.

Grayson squared her shoulders and sat as straight as she could to make herself seem larger than what she was. She ignored Frank’s request and buckled her seatbelt back in. She wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Grayson was on a mission to prove herself, prove that she was more than what was thought of her. She also knew that she was probably severely pissing Frank Castle off at the moment; but she didn’t care, she had one goal in mind.

Still ignoring the mercenary sitting next to her, she casually pulled her phone out of her pocket. With a few taps of her fingers and a few swipes, she had the street camera across from the warehouse pulled up. “There’s still three cars parked outside,” She informed him casually. “You take this,” she shoved an ear piece at him. “And I’ll have the other one.” She reached passed Frank and into the back seat, pulling out one of the spare Kevlar vests that were kept there. “When we get down the street, I’ll slip this bad boy on. I’ll keep an eye on the cameras for you and see if I can’t tap into the security cams from the bar next door.”

Grayson looked over at him to see if she was still following along with him. When he didn’t reply, she continued. “I’ll be an eye in the sky. You won’t even know I’m there.” She licked her bottom lip and study his face to see if he was going to give in. “I’ll only come if you absolutely need help, but you are Frank Castle, so that doesn’t happen very often.”

The girl looked back down towards her phone, seeing that yet another car had pulled into the parking lot. “Plus, I grabbed the .380 you forced me to train with in case of a life or death situation,
Grayson smirked at him. “I learned from the best, Frank. Just let me prove to you that I’m helpful.”

Frank exhaled through his nose, the noise loud and aggravated when Grayson simply buckled her seat for a second time. He gave a roll of his eyes, already half deciding to ignore whatever she said. But instinct kicked in and he listened just as intently as he had when she pointed out the Mafia's men were back in town. It both pissed him off to no end and made him happy in an odd sense because now, he could exact just a bit more revenge. One more notch on his totem pole.

Huffing, Frank stared at the ear piece that she had shoved unceremoniously into his hand. He grumbled under his breathe but obliged, placing it in his ear before he eyed her again. He was silent, not having a single thing that he wanted to say to Grayson at the moment. She was doing a damn good job at aggravating the shit out of him.

"Fine. But I swear to fucking god, you get into trouble while I'm dealing with shut, I can't promise I'll get to you in time. Keep your head fucking down and don't get into trouble that you can't get out of because I'm not having your blood on my damn hands," Frank hissed from between gritted teeth as he revved the engine, deciding that he'd listen to her on the way to the warehouse. He was sure that Grayson had more to say, she always seemed to.

"You stay in the fuckin' car. I don't give a shit what you fuckin' hear, girl. Got me? You even think about stepping out, you'll never fuckin' come with me again," Frank declared as he pulled up to the warehouse, glancing toward her. "Am I crystal fuckin' clear, girl?"

Grayson didn’t even have time to spit out a I have a fucking name! before Frank was slamming the door and stalking off. She sunk down into the seat, trying her best to stay out of view of anyone walking by. Her eyes were trained intently on the cameras in front of her as she hacked her way into a few more. Another source opened up for her to view, and it was a clear shot of the camera inside of the warehouse.

“Frank,” Grayson whispered, “I got cams inside. You are going to have three men on the room to your left, they are seriously armed. After that you are gonna have another four in the bigger room. All I am counting right now is those seven.”

Grayson knew he wouldn’t reply or else it would give him away. Instead she continued to watch as he began slaughtering the men that were inside of that warehouse. Whenever she would see more of the coming, entering in through backways or through the front, she noted them out loud to him so he would have more time in advanced. Grayson was always amazed when she watched Frank “work.” He was so swift, every move thoughtfully calculated out even though it took him milliseconds to react. Frank worked and fought with a purpose, leaving every once of his energy and effort with his opponents.

What was seven turned into fourteen. Grayson continually updating Frank with each new face. After all was said and done, Frank had gotten them all down and out. Grayson switched the phone off and sat back up in her seat as she saw Frank starting to walk out. Out of nowhere, a man came from behind Frank, catching him in a secure head lock that he was struggling to get out og. Gracelyn counted to ten and watched as Frank’s face began to turn blue from the lack of oxygen. With out thinking, Grayson jumped out of the car, gun locked and loaded and aimed at the man’s head. She fired one shot off, hitting the man square between the eyes.

“Frank!” Grayson exhaled, running over to get him back onto his feet. “Shit, Frank, are you okay?”

Frank was thankful that he had chosen the path in life that he had taken. It led him down the path that meant he had lost his family but at least he had the skillset that meant he was able to exact revenge. With each man that he took down, a little piece of Frank felt that much better about everything. He would never fully, completely be satisfied but it at least gave his life purpose. With each breathe that Frank took, he knew what his reason for living was now.

Clearing out the warehouse, Frank left the building and started for the car that was parked safely hidden within the shadows. If you were walking down the alley, you'd notice it but from afar, no one would notice it was there. He hadn't even been expecting a man to walk up behind him, completely taken off guard. He was pissed at that, not ever liking to have someone get the best of him. Frank twisted, throwing a few punches in an attempt to get free but it wasn't doing anything. With each punch he gave, he took energy away from him and it was becoming a struggle to breathe.

Frank reached up, trying to catch purchase with the man's eyes to gouge them but it was no good, the man's arms held his own back just enough that he couldn't reach them. His anger only grew, his frustration booming when the headlock was broken. Frank dropped to his knee, gasping for air as he rubbed at his throat. Frank wheezed for a moment, ripping his arm away from Grayson when she reached out to help him.

"Keep a better fuckin' eye on your cameras next time, girl," Frank hissed as he finally rose to his feet. He wouldn't admit but deep down, Frank knew that Grayson had likely just saved his life. Even if the man didn't end up killing him, he would have ended up tortured for days on end for information that he would never give up. He'd never give up Grayson or Micro, no matter how badly they both irritated him. Slamming the car door, Frank peeled away from the warehouse the moment that her ass had hit her seat, not bothering to even wait for her to close the door.

Grayson had paled, and the wind was knocked out of her as soon as Frank ripped his arm from her gentle grasp. She felt sick to her stomach. Grayson knew that this was an argument that wasn’t going to end very well. She watched him storm off to the car, standing there taking in ragged breaths. Hadn’t she just saved him? Hadn’t she done the best that she could? Hell, the guy was hidden in a blind spot and must have been there the entire time because Grayson had her eyes peeled and was taking in everything around her, everything that was playing out on those cameras the entire time!

Grayson had failed Frank, again.

She contemplated not even getting back into that car with him and letting him speed off and head back to the bunker by himself. She coulda walked home. She was locked and loaded and strapped down with a bullet proof vest, nothing would have happened to her. Nothing but the wrath that was Frank Castle the next time he got a hold of her.

So, instead of continuing to stand there, Grayson drug her feet back to the vehicle. She struggled to get the door closed seeing as Frank decided to peel off but she didn’t let that faze her. Grayson didn’t bother to buckle in. She ripped off her hoodie and bundled it in her lap before unstrapping the vest and tossing it in the back seat. She produced the gun once more and emptied it, tossing the clip and the gun in the back seat as well. She could feel the hot, stingy tears of anger pressing at her eyelids, but she would be damned if she allowed Frank Castle to see her cry.

Grayson stayed quiet for a few moments, staring out of the window. She was trying to think of something to say or something to do. But even she wasn’t so stupid to think that Frank was going to calm down. “I’m sorry, Frank.” Her soft, quiet voice cut through the brick of silence. She was still staring out the window, refusing to look at him. “I guess I fucked up. I swear I didn’t see him, I was watching everything on the screen and everything outside, I don’t know how he could have slipped. But I know one things for sure, I wasn’t going to let that fuck get the better of you. But again, I’m sorry.”

Frank's muscles tensed and relaxed, tensed and relaxed as he drove back to the bunker. He didn't say a thing to break the tension inside of his car, wishing more than goddamn anything that Grayson wasn't sitting beside him right now. He wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake the ever living shit out of her. Did she not understand this was why he worked alone? God forbid the man had decided to take her out first, instead of waiting in the shadows? She could have gotten herself killed and there was not a single damn thing that he would have been able to do about it.

His stomach churned at the thought. When Grayson finally broke the silence, he all but growled as he shifted in his seat, sitting up a bit straighter. "No. This isn't fuckin' about me, girl. You know that could have gone south, real goddamn quick. Coulda ended with you dead if that bastard had decided that he wanted to take you the hell out. There wouldn't have been a single fuckin' thing I coulda done because you were too damn far away from me."

Frank sneered, punching the steering wheel. "Shit like that, it gets people killed. This isn't some fuckin' game where we get a new life if we die. We die, we get buried. We don't come back to life like some fuckin' perverse God," Frank hissed, his anger only seeming to grow the longer he thought about the situation.

Grayson wasn't his favourite person in the world, he wasn't trying to deny that but she was one of the few people in this world that he could count on that didn't want his ass dead. She was a valuable asset, he couldn't afford to lose her. "You stay where the fuck you belong from now on. You stay back with Micro, so you don't end up with your ass dead because you're fuckin' tryna prove yourself. Understand?"

“I don’t get you, Frank Castle.” Grayson murmured as they parked in the garage. “I either shut up and do my job and you still have a problem with it, I find out information for you—but oh shit, not fast enough! I try to learn more, go with you places to get intel, but somehow I always fucking do something wrong.”

Grayson unbuckled and jumped out of the vehicle. She slammed the door shut so hard she was surprised the damn thing didn’t fall off. “Reality check, Castle. Do you even know my last name? Have you ever even asked? Reed! My last name is Reed! Does the name Jason Reed ring a bell to you?”

Grayson was red faced and a few tears were starting to slip. She walked around the side of the vehicle and right up to Frank. She definitely was invading his space now. “Jason Reed—or you might have known him as Private First-Class Reed.” Grayson was biting her lip now, staring up at the man. “He was one of your troops, Castle, and he got killed over there!”

If this were any other circumstance, Grayson would have been terrified from speaking to Frank the way she was. But she was screaming, waving her hands, and choking back sobs. But she was sick and tired of Frank’s shit. Grayson deserved a little more respect and now she was demanding it.

“The last letter I got from Jay, he told me about you. How good you were to your troops, how great of a fucking supervisor you were, how you were gonna get my brother home safe. Was guess what? I got a fucking folded flag and a pair of boots in my apartment that says otherwise. But I am not blind to what went on over there,” Grayson was quieting down, her chest heaving with each breath she took. “I decided to help because of the man my brother said you were. But I don’t see that man in you, Frank.”

"I don't give a flying fuck what yo-" Frank started to interrupt Grayson to tell her exactly what he thought about her last name. He didn't give a shit. He didn't care what her story was, he didn't give a fuck why she was helping him out. All he really cared about was that she was doing her job and she did it right. If she didn't, she could get herself killed. Could get him killed. But at the moment, he was more than a little confused. Reed? Reed. Frank whispered the name to himself a few times, his brows pulling together in confusion. Until it hit him all at once, like a freight train. He felt like he'd been punched right in the gut, his breathe being ripped right out from his lungs.

Frank sat with one leg out of the car, half turned to stand but he couldn't. For the first time in a very long time, Frank Castle was at a loss for words. The same look adorned his features, brows pulled together and a frown on his lips. He looked up to Grayson, blinking slowly. What the hell did he say to her? "I... didn't.." he trailed off, having no fucking clue what he was supposed to say. Was there a right or wrong thing?

Frank swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as he listened to her rant about her brother. The guilt that haunted him day in and day out was washing over him in violent, ten foot tall waves as he eased into his seat. He knew that he had gotten people killed, that weren't just his family. But for it to smack him in the face like this, he hadn't been prepared for it. Dragging in a deep breathe, Frank shrugged his shoulders as he looked away from her.

"People fuckin' change, Grayson," Frank finally spoke, his voice gruff as he tried to fight back the emotions swirling in his chest. It wasn't often that he used her first name. "When you go through what I been through, you don't fuckin' come out the same. If you can't accept that, you know where the fuckin' door is and I won't stop you."

Grayson stared at Frank for a long moment as she caught her breath and tried to will her heart to stop pounding so violently. Grayson didn’t have any words left, she had said all she could. It was starting to sink in that maybe Frank really didn’t give a flying fuck about anyone but himself. He wanted people around him who could benefit him and help him get his job done. Nothing more, nothing less. There were times that Grayson thought that Frank might have a little decency left in him. Times when he would just barely smirk at something she said or offer to grab something heavy down, so she didn’t hurt herself—but in all actuality, Grayson believed Frank didn’t give two shits.

“What would you care if I got myself killed, Frank?” Grayson raised her eyebrows and grimaced at him. “I don’t mean shit to you, I just work for you. You’ve made that fucking abundantly clear.”

Grayson crossed her arms and looked away from the brooding man. Was she supposed to leave? Things would probably bet better off. The only reason she had been contacted was because David and she had graduated together, and she used to be good friends with his wife. After graduation, David and Grayson had fallen out of contact. Until Frank Castle.

“You act like you’re the only person who has ever been through shit,” Grayson mumbled as her gaze shifted to her feet. She shook her head and looked up and away. “But it’s always on Castle Time, ain’t?”

Grayson began to walk away as several different thoughts raced through her mind. She looked over her shoulder and Frank was still sitting there in that damn car. “I’ll help Micro find someone else, until then, you won’t even know I’m around.”

Frank would never admit to Grayson that she was more valuable to him than just an employee that made his life a whole helluva lot easier. She was one of the few people out there that thought he had a just cause. That thought he wasn't what Orange had painted him as, what the system had painted him as despite having nothing to lead her on but the letter that her dead brother had written to her in a letter halfway across the world. But she couldn't know that because then she would be more attached to him and if she was, she would end up hurt when he inevitably eventually got himself killed or she would end up getting herself killed trying to save him. Neither of those things were good.

Not budging from his car for what felt like hours, when Frank finally did enter the bunker, he headed straight for the refrigerator. He pulled out a beer, popping the lid off before he even thought about it. He took a swig before pointing in Grayson's direction.

"If you're going, go. Micro and me, we'll do what we've always done. We'll figure shit out and do shit that needs doing. There's not a fuckin' soul left in this world that I'd trust knowin' I'm not fuckin' dead so you tryna find a suitable goddamn replacement is not gonna fuckin' happen," Frank spoke, his tone harsh as he turned to face a confused Micro and Grayson.

"She's decided she's done with my 'Frank Castle' bullshit. She wants out, she's out but I'm not tryna find someone else that will do what she's capable of doing. It's you and me now," Frank told Lieberman, already acting as if Grayson had left because it was easier that way. Rip it off like a bandaid instead of trying to make it hurt less by taking his damn time.

Grayson had been sitting on the sofa watching Frank as he strolled through. She could tell by the way his shoulders were so tensed up and the way he was stomping more than usual that he definitely had something he was going to say. Grayson licked her lip as her eyes trained on his figure, waiting for him to open her mouth. When he did she stayed silent; her whole body was wanting to scream and yell once more, but she forced herself to bite back every single remark that was threatening to come off the tip of her tongue.

When Frank decided that he was just going to say that it was him and Micro now, Grayson began to get up. David stopped her, placing a hand on her thigh and shaking his head. He was silently pleading with the girl to sit down and keep her damn mouth shut. But Grayson wasn’t having any of it. She remained in her seat for a moment as David began to speak.

“Why don’t we, why don’t we all take a breather, yeah?” David chuckled nervously, the tech genius not knowing anything else to say. David wanted to diffuse the situation and let it blow over, but by the way that Grayson and Frank were now staring each other down, he wasn’t so sure that was going to be happening any time soon.

“No,” Grayson said smoothly. “I don’t need a breather. All I need is for the both of you,” Grayson made sure to cast David a hard-pointed look, “To start treating me with a little bit of respect. I want to be spoken to like a human being, I want to be treated like I have feelings, and I want to know that someone other than my fucking self appreciates what I have been doing. Frank, you give Micro the ‘good job pal, don’t know where I would be with out ya,’ all the damn time. And fucking David, when is the last time you said thank you to me?”

Grayson fell silent know that there were two pairs of eyes on her waiting for her to speak again. She shook her head and looked down at her lap. “That’s all I ask.”

Frank scoffed at the end of Grayson's speech, giving a visible roll of his eyes as he slammed his beer down on the table he stood beside. "Atta girl. Good job, pal. It's the same fuckin' thing, girl. What do you want me to start doing? Thanking you for pissing in the toilet like an adult and rinsing your goddamn plate off before putting it in the sink? 'Cause shit, girl, that ain't going to happen. Not now, not ever. If you think I'm suddenly going to change to please your fucking need for my gratitude, you have gotta 'nother thing coming," he said with a dry laugh, his gaze hardening.

He took a deep breathe, looking up to the ceiling with a huff. "Look. You either believe in what we're doin' here or you don't. If you do, great. But I'm not going to tip toe around your feelings. You're a grown ass woman, Grayson. So pull your big girl panties on and know that you're doing something worth while here."

Frank looked back down to her, his gaze softening just slightly. "The world ain't goin' to thank us, girl. We have to know that we're doing the right thing. Saving the world from shitty ass people who would rather it burn to the damn ground." His voice wasn't as hard this time around but it was probably as nice as he would get with her. He cleared his throat, turning away from her as he reached for his beer. Giving a shake of his head, Frank took a swig of the beer and yanked a chair out to drop down into it.