“You all tire me so,” Dad said, shaking his head. “So very, very tired.”
25
Twenty-Five
Griffin ate lunch and dinner in bed, and then Jerry, Aidan and I joined him for a rousing showing of The Avengers. Everyone was in a superhero mood after the previous evening. Once I saw Griffin’s energy level lagging, I kicked Jerry and Aidan out – much to Jerry’s disdain – and closed the door so we could have some privacy.
Griffin hadn’t mentioned his conversation with my father. I hoped he would take pity on me and let it go, but it wasn’t in the cards.
“You’ve taken your pills and I put a bottle of water on the nightstand for you,” I said. “Do you need anything else before I turn out the lights?”
“No.”
I climbed off the mattress and hit the switch on the wall and then raced back to the bed, taking a flying leap and landing next to Griffin before I realized how incredibly stupid my actions were.
Griffin barked out a hoarse laugh as he tilted his head in my direction. I left the bathroom light on and shut the door to the point where only a thin line of illumination remained visible. I didn’t want Griffin to accidentally trip and hit his head again on my watch.
“Did you just jump on the bed so the monsters beneath it wouldn’t grab your foot?” Griffin asked, his voice full of mirth.
“How did you know?”
“I used to do it, too,” Griffin admitted. “When I was five.”
“It’s this bed,” I said. “I’ve always thought it was too big and that more than one monster could hide under it. Old habits are hard to break.”
“Well, I won’t let the monsters get you,” Griffin said, resting his thumb against my cheek. I couldn’t see his expression, only his eyes shining in the limited light, but I knew he was about to get serious.
“You should go to sleep,” I prodded. “You’ll be even stronger tomorrow. Goodnight.” I pressed a kiss to his cheek and slipped beneath the covers.
“Yeah, I know what you’re doing,” Griffin said. “We’re going to have a talk first.”
“Oh, man,” I grumbled. “My father shouldn’t have told you any of that stuff I said to him last night. I was tired and … weak. I didn’t mean it.”
“I think you did mean it,” Griffin countered. “I think you’re brave and strong and you were willing to sacrifice your own happiness if it meant keeping me safe. You need to know I won’t let that happen.”
“I … wait, are you saying you’re going to chase me around like a crazy stalker if I break up with you?”
“Yes.” Griffin was unruffled by my tone. “I love you. I won’t lose you. I know we’ve got some obstacles, but they’re all external. I don’t want internal obstacles where you’re concerned, so if you need to talk something out, now is the time.”
“Okay, let’s talk,” I said, surprising myself with my fortitude. “Do you ever worry I’ll get you killed?”
“No. I worry you’ll get yourself killed and shatter my life.”
His answer was so simple and loving I almost melted. I didn’t give in to the urge. “How do you know you won’t grow to resent me and the horrors I’m bringing into your world?”
“You’re not bringing horrors into my world,” Griffin argued. “Yes, the wraiths are a pain to deal with, and we’ll have to come up with a plan where we’re both armed to take them on from here on out.
“Your mother’s return is tragic and horrible, and we have to deal with it,” he continued. “You have brought a lot more than horror to my life. You’ve brought laughter and a love I never imagined. I will always love you.”
I licked my lips. “What about my family? You know they’ll always be around bugging us, right?”
“I like your family,” Griffin said. “Sure, they’re a pain. All families are, though. Your family is an added bonus. You’re the big prize, but they’re … little prizes … too.”
“Like booby prizes?”
“Exactly.” Griffin chuckled as he leaned over and brushed his lips against my temple. “I love you, baby. That’s never going to change. I didn’t decide to move in with you on a whim. You’re my heart and you’re my life. Don’t ever think you’re getting rid of me.”
I gave in and let go of my fear. There was nothing else I could do. “Okay.” I rolled to snuggle against him and rest my head on his chest. “I love you, too.”
“I know you do,” Griffin said. “That’s why you tied yourself up in knots over this. No matter what – from here on out – I need you to promise me that you’re not going to consider breaking up with me to protect me. We’re in this together.”
“I promise.”
“Good,” Griffin said, pressing three quick kisses to my forehead before settling his head back against the pillow. “Now, go to sleep. I think I’m going to feel up for a real round of dirty nurse tomorrow. I need my rest.”
“I really do love you.”
“I really love you, too,” Griffin said. “I’m going to love you the most I’ve ever loved you when you’re giving me a sponge bath, though.”
“That should make my father happy.”
“Leave him to me. He’s putty in my hands.”
I SLEPT heavily for several hours, but something woke me from a dreamless sleep. Griffin was zonked out beside me, his breathing deep and regular. I tried to relax and drift off again, but something niggled the back of my brain and I couldn’t escape it.
I left Griffin in bed, making sure the covers were tucked tightly around him, and padded out of my bedroom. I glanced down the hallway and wasn’t surprised to find it empty. Grimlock Manor is huge, and Aidan and I are the only ones with rooms in this section of the house.
I moved toward the stairs, frowning when I saw a dark figure standing near the railing. Broad shoulders tapering down to a narrow waist told me it was a man. My heart rate increased as I strode forward and grabbed the figure’s arm, forcing him to turn in my direction.
“Who are you?”
“Oh, Bug!” Jerry slapped my arm. “You scared the crap out me.”
I took a step back and frowned, fixing Jerry with a dark look. Thanks to the nearby window I could see his features illuminated from the streetlight, and he looked ticked. “What are you doing skulking around? You almost gave me a heart attack.”
“You’re the one who grabbed me … and not in a fun away.”
I made a disgusted sound in the back of my throat. “I was sound asleep and you woke me up.”
“I did not.”
“You did so.”
“I did not.”
“You did so.”
“Did not, did not, did not.”
The conversation was juvenile and I had no intention of continuing it. “Did so, did so, did so,” I snapped, slapping Jerry’s arm. What? I’m horrible at follow-through sometimes. “I was out like a rock. You could’ve woken up Griffin. He needs his rest.”
“I did not make one peep,” Jerry argued.
“Did you open my bedroom door and stare at us like you did the night we were fighting?” I challenged. “You woke me up that night and I was dead drunk.”
“I didn’t open your door,” Jerry shot back. “I know Griffin needs his sleep. I wouldn’t risk waking him.”
I faltered. “Then what woke me up?”
“I have no idea, Bug,” Jerry said, shaking his head. “I’m not in your head to see the crazy stuff floating through there. Did you and Griffin talk about your issues?”
“My father has the biggest mouth in the world,” I complained. “I can’t believe he gossiped with you.”
“Your father didn’t gossip with me,” Jerry scoffed. “I just happen to know you, and saw you were struggling. I was going to talk to you last night but your father blew a gasket about you and Braden sneaking out so I didn’t get a chance.”
“Oh.”
“So, are you two happy and in love again?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Yes.”
; “Good,” Jerry said, slinging an arm over my shoulders. “And now, since you’re up, you can go down to the kitchen with me to get a snack.”
“Why can’t you go alone?”
“I’m afraid.”
I stilled. “What? You’ve spent almost as many nights in this house as I have. What are you afraid of?”
“I have no idea,” Jerry admitted. “I swear I think someone is down there, though.”
I made a face but prodded Jerry toward the stairs. Now that I was up a snack sounded divine. “I’ll go with you,” I said. “I want to grab some chocolate.”
“Yay.” Jerry clapped his hands and followed me down the stairs.
Grimlock Manor’s enormity is fun when you’re trying to hide from a parent, but when it’s quiet and no one is around it can seem daunting. I was halfway across the marble foyer when another shadow hopped down from the second staircase on the other side of the room and slid across the floor in our direction.
“It’s a strangler,” Jerry hissed, clutching my hand.
“It’s Braden,” I said. I hadn’t seen his face yet but I could recognize all of my brothers by their walks.
“It’s a strangler?” Braden challenged, arching an eyebrow as he regarded Jerry under the limited light. “Why would a strangler slide across the floor?”
“Maybe he was bored,” Jerry sniffed.
“Whatever,” Braden said. “What are you two doing up?”
“Snacks,” I replied. “Jerry woke me and mentioned being hungry, and now all I can think about is chocolate.”
“Where’s Griffin?”
“He’s still asleep, so don’t make a bunch of noise,” I warned. “He’s exhausted.”
“I guess that means you two had your deep discussion and made up,” Braden said, falling into step next to me.
“Who told you?”
“Your face last night when you thought no one was looking,” Braden answered. “You’re terrible at hiding your emotions, Aisling. We’ve all been a little worried about you. I’m glad you got it out of your system.”
“You’re a butthead,” I muttered, although my heart warmed at his concern.
We lapsed into silence until we hit the kitchen, Braden pushing open the door while I reached for the light switch. I wasn’t surprised to find someone else in the kitchen – we’re notorious midnight snackers – but the stunned face that swiveled in our direction didn’t belong under this roof.
“Mom?” Braden was dumbfounded.
“Hey, guys,” Mom offered lamely. “Um … what’s up?”
“DO YOU want to explain to me what you’re doing in my house?”
Dad was a tightly coiled ball of barely controlled rage as he paced in front of Mom. Despite Mom’s protests that she wasn’t doing anything insidious, I sent Jerry upstairs to wake my father while Braden and I watched her. When Dad hit the kitchen he had the rest of the family with him.
“I only wanted to see my children,” Mom said, employing a reasonable tone. I had to give her credit; it was ballsy to act as if she was the wronged party when she had broken into the house.
“At midnight when they were all asleep?”
“I … what do you want me to say, Cormack?” Mom challenged. “I knew you wouldn’t let me into the house, and I wanted to see Aisling. I heard she was attacked at the hospital yesterday. I wanted to make sure she was okay.”
“Really?” Dad was so angry I could see that the rims of his ears were turning bright red.
“Really,” Mom confirmed. “People are whispering about her killing another wraith and poor Griffin being seriously injured. Is he still in the hospital?”
I glanced at Dad, opting to let him lead this unhappy reunion discussion.
“Griffin is out of the hospital and fine,” Dad said. “No thanks to you, of course.”
Mom narrowed her eyes. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means we know about the wraith attack,” Dad replied, opting to lay all of his cards on the table. “We know that John Anderson had a wraith following Griffin and the wraith attacked even though he was with Aisling.”
“I … .” Mom worked her jaw. “Who is John Anderson?”
I risked a glance at Braden, worried his heart was about to break, but the set of his jaw was hard and grim.
“John Anderson is the man who has been stalking my daughter,” Dad said. “He’s also the man you met with on the street corner last night. You and your little gargoyle associate.”
Mom didn’t have a lot of color in her face to begin with, and what she did have drained quickly at Dad’s words. “That’s … preposterous!”
“What’s preposterous is you breaking into this house,” Dad said. “How did you get in here without activating the alarm?”
“The code is still the same,” Mom said. “My birthday.”
My heart rolled at the pained expression on Dad’s face. He masked it quickly.
“Well, that will be remedied tonight,” Dad said. “You’re not leaving until you tell us why you’re here.”
“I came to see Aisling.”
“Stop lying to me!” Dad bellowed. “Stop lying to your children! Stop working against them and putting them in danger!”
“That’s not what I’m doing,” Mom shot back. “You have no idea what I’m doing. You have no idea what I’ve been through. Don’t cast stones at me. Don’t make allegations without backing them up. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I’m not making idle threats, Lily,” Dad said, his voice practically dripping with venom. “These are my children, and I will keep them safe.”
“Well, perhaps I should leave and return when you’re in a better frame of mind,” Mom suggested, inching toward the back door. “I’m sorry I woke you. It won’t happen again.”
“You bet it won’t,” Dad hissed. “You’re not leaving this house, Lily. You’re staying until you provide answers. I thought I made myself clear.”
“Do you really think you’re going to force me to stay in this house, Cormack?” Mom’s color had returned and some of the veins in her face began to bulge.
“Yes.”
“You and what army?”
“This army,” Braden answered coldly, gesturing toward the assembled family in the room.
Mom’s face shifted when she realized she’d lost her only potential ally. “Braden, no matter what your father says … .”
Braden cut her off. “I’m loyal to my father.”
“Fine,” Mom barked. “How do you think you’re going to keep me here, though? This is a house, Cormack. It’s not a prison.”
Ooh, I had an idea. “We have a dungeon,” I volunteered.
Dad glanced at me, intrigued. “We do have a dungeon, don’t we?”
“Don’t you even think about it,” Mom warned, fruitlessly trying to evade Dad’s hand as it clamped on to her shoulder.
“Redmond, get the dungeon key. I think the basement room is going to have its first overnight guest since your grand pot experiment literally went up in smoke when you were in high school,” Dad ordered.
“Things won’t end well for you if you do this, Cormack,” Mom threatened. “You’ll regret this.”
“I’m finished with regrets,” Dad said. “You have a choice to make, Lily. You’re either going to tell us the truth or rot down there. Take your pick.”
26
Twenty-Six
“Why are you staring at me?”
I let Griffin sleep for as long as I could the next morning, which probably wasn’t nearly as long as I should have. I couldn’t wait, though. I was dying to see what was going on with Mom, and I couldn’t leave Griffin behind when the adventure was just about to get interesting. I shifted on the bed thirty times in the hope of waking him so I could fill him in on the previous evening.
First things first, though.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, running my index finger down his cheek. His color was good and the stubble from not shaving
was hot enough to make me reconsider checking in at the dungeon if he felt up to frolicking.
“I’m good,” Griffin said, his chocolate eyes sultry as he regarded me. “Have you been watching me sleep because you’re worried about me? I don’t want you wearing yourself down when it’s completely unnecessary. I’m fine.”
He was making me into a much better girlfriend than I really was. “Well … .”
“It’s okay,” Griffin said. “I’ve watched you sleep after a few of your injuries, too. It’s not easy being the one who isn’t hurt sometimes. It’s weird, but it can be harder.”
Crap on a cracker! Could I keep letting him put me on a pedestal like this? “Well, you’re handsome when you sleep.”
Griffin wrinkled his nose as he leaned over and kissed me. The exchange was soft, his skin warm as our cheeks brushed. “I love you, Aisling.”
Guilt is a powerful thing. A year ago I would’ve taken the accolades and affection and run with them. Now, though? I couldn’t pretend to be something I wasn’t.
“My mother snuck in the house last night and we caught her when we went for a midnight snack,” I blurted out. “We woke my father, and he said she couldn’t leave without telling us the truth. She said she wouldn’t talk.
“That’s when I came up with a great idea,” I continued. “We have that dungeon room – and we even have a key – so we took her captive and locked her in the basement. Despite all that, I have been worried about you, and I adore watching you sleep.”
Griffin lifted his eyebrows. I expected him to yell … or give me the cold shoulder … or even express hurt over my callous nature. Instead he barked out a hoarse laugh. “Wow. I slept through all of that? I must’ve been really out of it.”
“I’m sorry,” I repeated. “I also shifted on the bed a bunch of times because I wanted to wake you. I’ve been dying to tell you so we can check on Mom. I keep picturing Jerry throwing bread crusts at her through the grate in the door.”
“Why didn’t you go down when you woke up?”
“Because I can’t go without you,” I replied. “I needed to make sure you were okay before I left, and I didn’t want you to miss out on the fun. So instead I was a really immature idiot and bounced until you woke up.”
Grim Reunion (Aisling Grimlock Book 4) Page 22
