“I’m not going anywhere with you. Not to the Seelie court or Unseelie, or whatever they are. I’m not going and I’m not marrying anyone!”
I turn and reach for the door when Finn burst in.
“What’s going on in here? I heard yelling…” Finn looks around the room to see the King hunched against the wall, trying to regain his footing.
“Uh uhm. You’re not going anywhere.”
Finn blocks the door. I shift to the left, away from Finn, and out the door. I look in both directions, not sure which is the better choice. I opt for the left and run down the hallway. As I am working my way to the end of the hall, I see the flickering lights from the back entrance I had walked through when Finn brought me to his home.
I am steps away from the outside, when the house rocks in an explosion. I fall to the ground and bits of the walls collapse all around me.
Another explosion which must have come from the back of the house shakes me back to the ground. I try to crawl my way to the back door to get outside when the door blows open.
There in the entryway stood Grant. Dressed in black pants and a black-armored vest, he stands and looks around until our eyes met. “Kelly!”
Chapter 23
Grant
Vampires storm in from every direction. “God, I wasn’t sure if I would find you in time.” I pull Kelly into an embrace and squeeze tight.
“Grant, I can’t breathe.” She gasps.
“I’m sorry, mo chroi! Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”
“Not so fast, Cooper.” Finn stands with a gun pointed at Kelly’s head. “She’s not going anywhere with you.”
Finn falls to the ground in pain. Nick hit him over the head with the butt of his gun. “Yeah, I don’t think so, buddy. You’re coming with me.” Nick pulls Finn to his feet as Tony throws silver handcuffs on him, causing Finn to hiss in pain.
They usher the king out of the hallway toward us. Kelly steps behind me to avoid any contact with him.
“Kellia, you must come back with me. We must help me prevent a war with the Unseelie.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” She looks up at me. “Please, take me home.”
“Of course, mo chroi. With pleasure. I lean down and brush my lips against hers. It turns into more. Someone clears their throat getting my attention.
“Hey boss, what do you want me to do with the king here?” Nick smiles.
“Send him back through the portal and then destroy it.”
“I will be back for you, Kellia. You are fae and belong to the Seelie court.” Jareia tries pulling away from Tony but he is unable to break loose.
“Hey, Tony. Catch!” Nick tosses another pair of cuffs at Tony.
“Iron?” Tony holds the metal bracelet.
“Yeah, it’s like kryptonite to fae.”
“I’ll be back for you, Kellia.” Kelly’s grandfather raises his voice at her. “You can say whatever you want, but I don’t have any intention of going to your world. I like mine just fine, thank you.” She hugs her arms around my waist. “I’m tired of being ushered around and told what to do. I am no longer interested in listening to you or what you have to say about my mother. If she really is fae, then it means nothing to me. She’s gone. You left me with a horrible man who raised me and took advantage of me my entire childhood.”
Kelly is shaking. I pull her close again. “Shh, mo choir. I’ve got you.” I cup her neck with my hand and pull her into my chest. “Let’s go home.”
“Mark my words Princess, I will be back. You will not ignore your family obligations.”
Tony drags him down the hallway to the portal. “Come on old man, it’s time for you to go.” Tony forces him into the small room and shoves him into the swirling light. Jareia disappears and Tony closes up an invisible seam in the portal wall. Once it is closed, he takes his pocketknife and slashes the portal wall into sparks of light until it has completely disintegrated. Wiping the blade against the couch fabric removing the portal residue, he slips the knife back into this pocket. “That should do it.”
Nick is working his way out the door with Finn. “Give me a hand here, Tony?”
“Sure thing.” Tony takes the other arm and drags Finn to one of the waiting SUVs.
“What will you do with him, Grant?” She watches as the two vampires push Finn into the back seat.
“We will hold him prisoner until Alex deals with him. Alex is responsible for all vampires. It will be his decision what will happen to him.” I lean down and kiss the top of her head. She is safe. She is mine.
“I worried I would never see you again, mo chroi. I...” I squeeze her. “I don’t think I can ever let you go.”
“I was afraid Finn would kill me to get back at you but then Jareia shows up. He said he is my grandfather. He tells me that my mother Asrae is the princess of the Seelie court. She ran away when Jareia was going to make her marry the Prince from the Unseelie court. I thought fae were just a mythical creature in children’s books. How is this possible?”
“Well, remember you live in a different world now, mo chroi. There are different beings, creatures that exist in the shadows of the human world. If what Jareia said is true, then you are the daughter of the missing princess Asrae.”
“So, what if I am? I am not going back there. I am not marrying someone I don’t know just to save a world I don’t belong in.”
“Maybe we can resolve that issue ourselves, hmm?” I smirk and wink at her. “Let’s go home. You can rest and relax.”
“Okay. Hey, Nick isn’t in trouble, is he? I mean what happened, isn’t his fault. We were outnumbered and…”
I press a finger over her lips. “Nick is not in trouble. He did everything he was supposed to. I’m the one at fault. I didn’t believe that Finn would go to so much trouble.”
I lead her out the door with my hand wrapped around her waist. We step over some rubble as we make our way out, guiding her back to the first SUV.
I open the door and help her into the back seat, then walk around to the other side of the SUV and climb in behind the driver.
She leans over and places her head on my shoulder and closes her eyes. “I’m exhausted.”
I wrap my arm around her once again and lean down and whispered. “Sleep mo chroi. I’ve got you now.”
Chapter 24
Kelly
I lay in bed and stretch, feeling the aches in my muscles. Opening my eyes, I find myself back in my bedroom, wrapped in a cocoon of blankets. I am home. Yes, this is home. For the first time in my life I feel like I belong somewhere. I never believed Joe wanted or loved me, but here I feel like I belong to a family. Grant has taken me in, offered me love and it was a lot to digest. I went from no real home life to living in luxury.
I push myself up and lean against the headboard. Staying here with Grant indefinitely was growing on me. Brushing the hair out of my face, I move and lift the covers off. I don’t remember coming back to my room last night let alone changing into a nightgown.
Grant had better not have changed my clothes himself. I shake my head at his high-handed way of getting what he wants, though I believe he has my best interest at heart. I step onto the cushy carpeting and walk toward the bathroom; the shower is calling my name.
Leaning into the shower stall, I twist the lever and steam rose from the heated water. Pulling the nightgown over my head, I step into the water flow. Warm spray falls over my face and over my shoulders, down my back, refreshing my mind and body. Two days have passed since I enjoyed the solitude of a shower.
I lather my hair with the honey scented shampoo I love. Then added conditioner after I rinsed the shampoo from my hair. Finishing up, I take a deep breath and shut the water off. Opening the shower door just enough to reach out for a towel, knowing the towel rail is just outside of the shower door. Nothing is there. I thought there had been a towel hanging on the rack.
“Here you go mo chroi.”
“Grant! What are you doing?” I slam the
glass door shut trying to hide from him.
“I’ve seen everything, mo chroi, let me dry you off.”
“No, get out. Now!”
The smoked glass hides me from being exposed to his perusal.
“Oh, mo chroi. Come now.” There is a mischievous lilt in his voice.
“Get. Out. Now.”
“All right, if you say so.” Grant turns away and heads back out of the ensuite with my towel.
“Leave the towel on the counter, don’t play games with me Grant. I’ve had enough games from the last twenty-four hours.”
“All right, it’s on the counter. I’ll wait for you back in your room.”
I wait and count to ten before I peek out of the shower stall. Grant has left me alone. The coast is clear, so I reach out and wrap myself in the towel.
“Why are you here?” I yell to him.
“What mo chroi? I can’t hear you. I’ll come back in so we can talk.”
“NO. Stay right where you are.”
I hear him laugh out loud.
“I know you can hear every word. You’re a vampire who can hear a pin drop a mile away. So, you listen to me, Grant Cooper, you stay in there and do not move.”
“As you wish.”
“Wear something comfortable mo chroi, we will stay in today.”
The mirror reflects the dark circles under my eyes, my hair is wet and needs to be combed out. I look exhausted and feel it. Heading for the walk-in closet, the light flickers on and I drop the towel. Looking for some panties and a bra from the built-in dresser drawers, finding a matching pink set. I snap the bra, slip into the panties, and look through t-shirts for something big. I go with the old standard, white shirt and black yoga pants.
After dressing, I stand in the bathroom's doorway and see Grant smiling through the reflection of the window.
“Oh, my god, you watched me get dressed.”
“I did what you told me to do, I left the room and sat down, out of the way.” He Smirked. “You never told me not to watch.”
I am angry with myself and need to stay two steps ahead of him. “Yes, you are right, I told you to leave and stay out of the bathroom.” I look at him. “I suppose I cannot imply anything with you. I will need to be clearer with my wants.”
Grant stood up and stalks across the room toward me like a panther seeking his prey. “Do you plan to stay here with me, mo chroi?”
I debate if I should be honest with him about what I want, or if I drag it out and irritate him.
“Mo chroi,” He wraps his hands around my arms. He motions for me to take the chair he has just been sitting in and then sits in the chair across from me. “Tell me mo chroi, what are you thinking’? Grant’s accent is making an appearance, it seems to happen when he is under stress or angry.
I could drag this out, but I knew he was stressing out. I wouldn’t do that to him, even though he may deserve a little payback.
“I’m thinking of staying here, if that’s all right.”
I watch his lips lift into a smile. “It’s all right, you can stay as long as ya like, mo chroi.” He leans closer to me. “What makes you want to stay?” Eyebrows raised.
I lean back in the chair and cross my legs over each other. “I’ve never had a home before, not a real one.” I began. “It was one reason I wanted to get away from Joe. You know, I would find a place of my own, start a life that I carved out for myself.”
“I never had friends before, Joe would push them away. Looking back, I understand now he didn’t want anybody interfering in his,” I look out the window searching for the right words. “enterprise.”
“So, ya believe you’re at home now?”
“Yes, I do. I mean, Nick is like a big brother, Sofia and I have become friends and I don’t want to leave either of them.” The expression on Grant’s face falls.
He crosses his arms over his chest. “There’s no other reason?”
“Well, I know I am safe here. You rescued me from the bad guys, twice.” I thought about what Joe had done, leaving me with Finn. “But thanks to you, I am safe.”
“I see.” Grant stands and heads to the door. “Well you are welcome to stay here as long as you like. You are a part of this family and very much loved.” I stand up and race to his side. “Grant.” I lift my arms around his waist. “I…”
Grant leans down and takes control of my lips before I can speak. He kisses me with such passion, it takes my breath away. And, as quick as he took me in his arms, he releases me.
“Mo chroi, I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For taking advantage of ya like that. I love ya mo chroi. I don’t know another way to show it.” He hangs his head. “I’m glad you’re stayin’. I don’t know what I would have done if you had left.”
“Grant, would you shut up long enough to listen to what I have to say? I love you too.” I whisper. “I don’t see how I could leave you even if I wanted too. I’m pulled to you and can’t imagine not being near you.”
He draws me close into a tight embrace and whispers. “You’ve made me very happy.”
“You realize, this is the first time in my life I’ve thought I belonged, thank you for that.”
He pushes away just enough so he could see my face. “You need not thank me, mo chroi, I wasn’t happy until I found you.”
I smile up at him. “Now what happens? I really don’t want to become a vampire, but at some point, I will look older than you, right? Can we wait a while before we go that far?”
Grant chuckles. “Mo chroi, you don’t have to become anything you don’t want to become. Because of your blood bond with me, you will never age.”
“What do you mean, I will live forever because we are bonded? Why didn’t you tell me? I thought it was a loyalty ceremony, not a commitment for all of eternity. Why is it you never tell me everything? I only learn what you want me to find out, is this how it will be?” I cross my arms, taking a warrior's stance. “This will not work.”
I turn and only make it three steps toward the door. “Stop, mo chroi.”
Grant holds my waist from behind.
“Let. Me. Go. Grant.”
“I like you at my mercy.” He chuckles and turns me around cupping my cheek with his hand. “I will tell you everything. Though sometimes there will be things I will not share with you for your own safety. You will have to accept this for what it is, mo chroi. But I promise I will not hold back anything of importance.”
I glare at him. “How am I supposed to trust you?”
He withdraws his hand from my cheek. “I guess you must trust me, mo chroi. Yes?” He leans in and whispers in my ear. “You know you want to.”
“You can be so infuriating. One moment you are so kind, the next minute you are so… so arrogant.” I blow out a huff and try to move away again. Unfortunately, he still has a hold on me.
“Ah, but you love me, ya even said so mo chroi.” His face displays genuine contentment. “You just can’t help yourself.” He laughs and releases his hold on me.
“Thank you.” I turn and head for the door again. Grant moves instantly and I didn’t have a moment to adjust to his position.
He pulls me closer and leans his back against the door. “I’m sorry, forgive me?”
I twist my head and sighed. “This is how it will be right? You will be high handed, telling me what to do?”
“Well now, I wouldn’t say high-handed. I mean, I am the man and knows what’s best for his woman.” He chuckles again.
I stand still. Expressionless.
“Ah, okay. I’ve gone too far.” He brushes back the hair from my face and pushes it behind one ear. “I’m sorry.” He leans down and places a kiss on my forehead.
I narrow my eyes at him. “Fine.”
“Wait. Nick told me what FINE means, you’re not FINE, right?” He pushes himself up from the door. “I really didn’t mean to upset you.”
He waits for me to answer him. I stared at him for a long moment and sigh.
“I’m okay. You’re okay. We’re okay.” I roll my eyes. “I will reserve the word FINE, for a time when it is more appropriate.”
“Thank you, mo chroi. Come. Nick is waiting for us in my office to discuss our next move.”
“What do you mean next move? I assume all of this is over.”
“Don’t worry, mo chroi.”
“I figured because you have Finn and holding him prisoner meant this was over, what else could happen?”
“Well, there is your grandfather to consider.”
“He’s not my grandfather.”
“It seems to me it is most likely true, mo chroi. He will make a claim for ya, and we need to be prepared.”
“This is absurd, Grant. I would recognize if he was my grandfather or not, wouldn’t I? I’ve never met him before. And even if it were true, I want nothing to do with him. He plans to force me to marry someone just to resolve some ongoing war he’s in with the Unseelie Court.”
He pulls me back into his arms. “I don’t want to alarm you, but I need you to understand something. We have been trying to figure out what your ability is and how to use it, yeah?”
I nod without looking up.
“It is very possible that the power surges you have are from your fae heritage. Fae are magical beings and can manipulate energy with a flick of the wrist. Do not discount the possibility that you really are the Seelie Princess.”
Grant’s phone rings. He looks down at the caller ID and sees that it’s Nick, “Hello”.
I can hear his voice, but I can’t make out what Nick is saying. He speaks quickly to Grant and waits for him to answer.
“All right, tell him we are on our way.” He presses the red circle icon on his phone and slips it back into his pocket.
“Is everything okay?”
“Alex is here, and we need to go.” He grabs my hand and leads me out the door.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
Paid in Full: Kelly Kennedy Series (Book One) Page 20
