Chapter 37
Duke
It takes all my effort not to crush Grace’s hand as we follow the trail of fairy lights to the party. I don’t ever want to let her go, but as we approach the marquee, she tries to pull from my grasp. I glare down at our hands.
“What are you doing?”
“People still think you’re getting married tomorrow. We can’t go in there together.”
“Oh, that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” I reply. “You’re mine. I’m yours. And the sooner the rest of the world knows it, the sooner we can start on that lifetime I promised you. Together.”
It was one of the many promises I’d made Grace as I stripped her of her blood-soaked clothes.
I took inventory of every cut and every bruise as I bathed her.
My entire being quaked when I saw the bruise in the center of her chest where she’d been hit by the same bullet that passed through Ed. I almost lost her twice tonight.
When I’d raced back into the house to find her covered in blood and gore, I’d been more afraid of the lifeless look in her eyes than I was the gun she pointed.
Ed was lying on the floor, to all the world dead, and for a heart-stopping moment I thought I was about to lose them both.
I knew grief all too well and I wouldn’t survive it again.
I didn’t want to survive it. But then I registered Hunter Griffin with his arms around my woman and my alpha-hole jealousy kicked in.
If Grace was going to die, she was going to damn well die in my arms.
“You’re crushing my fingers,” Grace says, glowering at me. The side of her face is puffy, but her makeup hides the worst of it.
I lift her hand and kiss her fingers. She looks stunning in the blue silk dress we raided from Meri’s closet.
My sister’s taller and the dress trails the ground, but the wide belt lifts the hem enough to stop Grace tripping.
It’s a small hazard compared to what we’ve just endured.
Grace is safe, I have to keep repeating to myself.
“You don’t leave my side,” I command as we step into the marquee.
Surreal. That’s the only word to describe the sight of a tent full of people determined to have a good time.
Music is blaring, drinks are flowing and tablecloths are speckled pink with the remnants of Katarina’s exploding cake.
Faces are flushed and hands are in the air as people dance without a care in the world.
“How the hell did no one notice people shooting at each other?” asks Grace. “Or the helicopter. Or the armored cars?”
I shrug. “Welcome to polite society where we only see what we’re comfortable seeing. We don’t associate with crime lords or Bratva princesses. We simply mingle with businessmen and heiresses who can be forgiven for being a little highly strung.”
Grace shakes her head, staring out across the dance floor. “I don’t think I quite believe what I’m seeing.”
The crowd has parted to make room for six men in a formation of two rows. The three Moncriefs match the stature of the three Griffins they face. It’s a sight to behold and brings the rest of the dance floor to a standstill.
My brothers and our friends clap hands and stamp feet in time to the Scottish music. Their footfalls are heavy enough to make the temporary floor shake, and the shaking only grows as everyone around them joins in with the stomping.
There’s a loud crash behind us and I spin, my heart hammering, but it’s just a melting ice sculpture.
An arm has fallen off the Russian bear and I can’t help wishing the same fate befalls Vasili.
I wanted Katarina to get her happy ending too, and can only hope that whoever her uncle has lined up as her next husband might love her the way she deserves to be loved, someone who might help her heal.
The chances are slim, but tenuous hope is still hope.
For now, I do some healing of my own as I watch Rory, Calder and Fitz guide Hunter, Mace and Reid through an approximation of a ceilidh dance.
They link arms with their partner opposite, spin them round, clap some more, and spin some more before each pair takes it in turns to skip down the admittedly short guard of honor made of the two remaining pairs.
Hulking men skipping. Quite a sight and one that has the crowd going wild.
Others start to join the dance and the guard of honor grows longer and longer.
There are more people dancing than were on the invitation list, their numbers swelled by the men and women we’d drafted in as extra security.
They’re still in their black and white waiting staff uniforms, but they deserve to enjoy themselves as much as the people they were ready to protect.
“Poor Ed,” says Grace. “He’s going to be so mad he missed this.”
Ed had minor surgery here at the house so we could avoid awkward questions in a hospital. He’s recuperating in his bedroom and one of the Griffins’ men is monitoring him. Levi isn’t a medic, but he was involved in Ed’s secret training and apparently feels obligated to watch over him.
There’s a lot of activity at the mansion to remove all evidence of the battle. Some of the artwork can never be replaced, but I’ve been assured that all the blood, bodies and even the bullet holes will have been erased by morning.
It’s going to take longer for the memories to fade, but the party’s a good start. Fitz’s yells are the loudest as he and Mace spin each other around. Only Fitz could get the surliest Griffin to laugh.
“Just because Ed’s missing it, doesn’t mean we have to,” I say, tipping my head towards the throng.
“But I don’t know that dance. I’ll mess it up.”
I tilt Grace’s chin and line up her mouth with mine. “I’ll talk you through it every step of the way,” I promise. “Trust me, Angel.”
Grace is already blushing when I kiss her. She’s still worried about us being seen together, and there are a few curious looks in our direction, but I intend to clear up any confusion very soon.
“Come on,” I say, pulling her onto the dance floor.
We join the long line of partygoers some distance away from my brothers and the Griffins, but when it’s our turn to dance through the middle, a loud cheer rises up.
The dance floor immediately falls into disarray as I’m pulled into hugs from my brothers and receive back slaps from the Griffins.
I lose my grip on Grace, who’s being treated to Moncrief hugs too, but when I see Hunter preparing to wrap his arms around her, again, I slide between them.
“Hands off, Hunter,” I say with a smile.
He grips my shoulder and laughs. “It’s about time you fucking claimed her.”
“Hey, Grace,” Reid says, ignoring the boundaries I’m trying to set by kissing her cheek. “Thank you so much for the Griffin. We love it. It’s going to be a family heirloom.”
“Oh, it was nothing…”
Reid is knocked out of the way by Mace. “Will you make one for me? But bigger?”
He winces when Reid elbows him in the ribs. “He only needs bigger because he’s lacking in other areas,” Reid says with a smirk.
“You’re the one who’ll be lacking in a minute,” Mace growls, grabbing his brother by the collar. “Mostly lacking teeth, pretty boy.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Hunter complains. “Would it be too much to at least try to make a good impression in front of new people.” He looks to Grace. “My apologies. We’re still house training them.”
Grace’s jaw drops as she watches Hunter drag his brothers away. “The Griffins are not what I expected at all.” She frowns as she stares up at me. “But then neither were you, and maybe I’m not the person I thought I was either. Have I entered an alternate universe?”
“Just hours ago, we came face to face with death and pure evil,” I say because those experiences will change us. “We stood up to protect those we loved, shoulder to shoulder with people who were doing the same. And damn, that needs to be celebrated.”
I pull her back to resume our dance, but as I’m spinning her around, the music stops.
“Ladies and gentleman,” Rory says, holding a microphone that I doubt he needs. “It’s fair to say we’ve had quite a night and I’m sorry for the disruption earlier. I know some of you are still picking out blobs of buttercream from your hair.”
There’s a murmur of agreement through the crowd and a ripple of laughter too.
“I appreciate you came here to celebrate Katarina’s birthday,” Rory continues. “And you may be wondering where the birthday girl is…” He pauses and finds me in the crowd. “Actually, I think it might be best if my brother explains. Please welcome Duke onto the stage.”
There’s a round of applause and a few cheers from the merrier contingent of the crowd, but as I move towards Rory, Grace tries to pull free again. I don’t think so.
I’m still holding her hand as I take the microphone, and I only let it go so I can rope my arm around her waist. Once I’m sure she’s settled at my side, I finally address the crowd.
“I hope you enjoyed the fireworks,” I begin, “but a few keen-eyed guests might have noticed there were some unplanned fireworks at the house too.”
The whispered murmurs from our guests confirm the chaos Vasili rained down on us didn’t go entirely unnoticed.
“I know it came as a shock when I announced my engagement,” I say, daring to glance at Grace.
She smiles, but her eyes narrow a fraction.
I’d surprised her most of all. “Katarina and I weren’t an obvious match and some of you probably thought the same.
” I heave out a sigh for effect. “So, it should come as no surprise that we’ve decided to cancel our wedding plans.
It was a difficult and painful decision. ”
I pause to press the tip of my tongue to my split lip, leaving the guests to draw their own conclusions. The wrong ones, but it’s part of the story we have to weave.
“We still don’t know where she got all those firecrackers from,” Rory adds from the crowd.
“Did she blow up the cake?” asks a guest.
“No, that was Fitz,” Calder shouts in reply.