Chapter 62
DEMITRI
Nyx is off at a self-defense class with the girls. I think they have added a little red head named Molly to their little girl gang. I refuse to call them a group because, lord knows, with Alyra teaching them to fight, they would kick our asses without breaking a nail.
It’s been a few days since we inserted the tracker in Nyx’s thigh, and she is healing up well. Both mentally and physically, from the event. She hasn’t had nearly as many nightmares, or waking up screaming her head off. I will take that as a win.
Captain Montgomery has mentioned allowing her to come back into the office a few days a week to do some bitch work. Which she complained her ass off about, but she enjoys the time out of the house and gives her a little semblance of normalcy.
“Hey,” Graham comes strolling into the office where I have been staring at the engagement ring we picked out yesterday. “Have you called Bill yet?”
“No, I’m terrified he’s going to tell me to get fucked. What do I have to offer her?” My nerves are getting the best of me right now, and I can’t think of a time I have ever been so fucking scared.
“Pick up the damn phone, Dee. I’ll hold your hand.” Graham laughs while I pull up Bill’s number. The line rings a few times before he answers.
“This is Captain Montgomery.” Bill’s no nonsense voice rumbles through the phone speaker.
“Hey, Captain. It’s Demitri Meadows and Graham Hutchinson. You are on speaker phone. “I never want to surprise him with who is listening in.
“What can I do for you boys?” He sounds concerned. “Is Nyx okay? I hope this isn’t another phone call to tell me you have lost her yet again.” I know he is just kidding, but the tone of his voice gives nothing away.
“Oh, fuck that, Cap.” Hutch laughs.
“Ok, good. I didn’t want to have to hide your bodies.” Bill laughs, but I know he totally would hide our bodies if anything happened to her.
“I wanted to know if you would meet Graham and I for lunch or a beer? We…” Graham slaps me upside my head. “Ouch. I mean…I have a question for you.” I glare at Graham.
“Oh, this is going to be good.” His chuckle with a hint of darkness. “Okay, consider me interested. Meet you at Grant’s at like 14:00?”
“Copy that, Cap. See you this afternoon.” I hit the red end button and let out a huge breath I didn’t know I was holding.
“See, that wasn’t so bad, now, was it?” He laughs at me. “I’m going to go get a workout before lunch.” Graham leaves the office with a smile on his face.
As I pull up outside the small pub, my heart starts to pound in my chest. I can feel the anxiety putting my chest in a vice grip. Graham is sitting next to me in the truck. I look over at him and he is sitting there, the picture of calm.
Of course he’s calm. He’s not asking Cap to marry his adoptive daughter.
“Dee, breathe. You have to breathe, or you will pass out before you even get the words out.” He gives me a smile, and I feel a little of the stress leave my body. I could never do this without my best friend by my side.
I get out of the truck and straighten my shirt.
I may have dressed like we are going into a business meeting.
Light blue, button down, shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, no tie, and black slacks.
I know that Bill would never care what I wore, but I wanted to make sure he knew I meant business.
Pushing my shoulders back, holding my head high, I walk through the door of Grant’s Pub.
Bill is sitting in the far corner booth, with three beers at the table. Graham slides into the open side, and I sit down next to him.
“I figured this conversation could start with beers.” Bill lifts his glass in the air, we clink our glasses together and I relax. “So, what did we need to talk about, boys?”
I take a few quick breaths to try, and draw up the courage that 20-year-old me had.
Graham leans back in the seat and gives me a slight nudge in the ribs to encourage me to talk.
Meeting Bill’s eyes, he doesn’t look angry or as commanding as he normally is.
This isn’t Captain Montgomery, it’s Bill the family man.
“O…okay, so…” I stammer, not able to get the words to form on my tongue.
Fuck, this is a new feeling. I would rather lay my Little Witch down on this table to use my tongue for other things. Get your head in the game, Demitri.
“You know that I love Nyx, with every ounce of my scared, dark soul, right?” Wow, Dee, this is really working out great.
“After the mess you both were in when she was missing, I assumed you loved her, yes.” His smile makes his eyes wrinkle at the corners and his eyes light up with a warmth I only see when he talks to Nyx.
“Well…after a discussion with Graham. We have decided that legally I would be the one to ask Nyx’s hand in marriage, and I would like your blessing.”
“Just you, Demitri?” Bill’s confusion is written all over his face.
“We would both commit ourselves to her. I would do just a ceremony for us. I was thinking of hand fasting or something to signify my commitment to her. But those would be her choices.” Graham takes over to squash any of Bill’s concerns.
“But, as you know, Dee doesn’t have much for family, once his sister passed, and I would like for him to be able to give Nyx his name and start his own family with her.
They will never be able to get rid of me, and she will still be ours, but in the eyes of the government she would be his family. ”
Bill’s eyes get watery, a condition I don’t think I have ever seen them in.
He rubs them with his thumb and forefinger before taking a big swig of his beer.
I pull the ring box out of my pocket to show him.
In the box sits a large black diamond engagement ring, the main stone sparkles like the night sky, pear-shaped, and surrounded by small red halo diamonds.
The band winds around with vines in white gold.
“It is perfect.” Bill’s statement surprises me.
I assumed all dads wanted their daughters to have the standard ring, but I saw this one and had to have it.
“It is everything Nyx could ever want, and I like to believe she would pick you both for life. You have my blessing, Demitri, and as long as she will have you, welcome to the family.”
Bill stands up from his seat, and I follow suit. The minute I am standing, he wraps his arms around me in a huge, life changing, hug. Graham stands and once Bill releases me, he is wrapping Graham into the same hug. I guess this wasn’t so bad after all.