Chapter 26
I stood in front of the mirror, looking at my reflection with the bright red lingerie on that Wesley had dropped off. Grayson stood behind me, his jaw clenching and unclenching, looking murderous.
“Enough, Ava! I’m not letting you go through with this,” he growled at my reflection.
I sighed and walked to the bed, picking up the dress I planned on wearing. “I’ll be fine.”
Grayson swung me around and gripped my chin harshly. “I’ve had enough.” His voice had gone quiet and low, making ice crawl up my spine. His eyes were what I would imagine you’d see when staring into Death’s eyes.
“Grayson, please,” I breathed. What was I pleading for?
For him to let go of me, or for him to let me go to Charles’s house?
Both, I decided. “I’m ready. If all else fails, and I have to fuck him tonight, I’ll do it.
You knew this was a possibility, Gray. I’m not gonna let you ruin this. Let me go, please.”
But he didn’t let go. Instead, he pulled me closer to his face, barely controlling his anger.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t scared of him.
There would always be that instinct to run from him when he looked at me like this.
But laced within the fear, I felt that twinge of excitement.
My eyes closed, savouring it. Grayson excited me, even when he looked dangerously close to squeezing the life out of me.
Maybe it was because I trusted him with my whole heart. He was my Grayson.
I savoured the pain in my jaw from his grip. I savoured his angry, panting breaths fanning across my face. I savoured the ominous look in his perfect eyes as he stared down at me with a hint of his panic slipping through—the real driving force behind his sudden outburst.
Passion. That’s what this was. Love and concern bordering on the edge of madness. For me.
I put my hand softly over his where he gripped my chin.
“Please, Grayson. Let me do this for you,” I whispered pleadingly.
I needed to do it. For him. So he could finish this chapter of his life and start to heal.
So that he could be happy and free from the ghosts that haunted him.
So that he would understand just how much I loved him.
So that he would see that there was nothing I wouldn’t do for him. I would die for him. For my Grayson.
His eyes softened and swam in emotions. He let go of my jaw and placed his hands softly on either side of my face, pulling me even closer. “No, Ava. Not this. Not for me,” he pleaded, his voice cracking.
I kissed him then. Feverishly. Voraciously. “Yes, for you. Anything… everything for you,” I panted against his lips.
We were a tangle of greedy limbs as he pushed me up against the wall. Nothing was enough. His clothes weren’t coming off fast enough. I couldn’t pull him close enough. His hands weren’t bruising me hard enough. His lips weren’t crushed to mine long enough.
His thrusts were hard, uncontrolled, as he punished me, loved me. His name fell from my lips in worship as he made me come. Again and again.
He was everything. He was all.
The dining chair was uncomfortable and over the top. Charles had always favoured flashy over comfort. The opposite of Grayson.
Grayson had taken me to his apartment when we arrived that overlooked the Eiffel tower.
It was beautiful, but comfortable. And never flashy.
Even with the priceless art adorning it.
We had spent a blissful week in the city, sight-seeing, kissing in alleys, and speculating on the best way to steal the Mona Lisa.
“So? When are we doing it?” I asked. He already had it all figured out.
“You’re kidding, right?”
I shrugged, a bit confused by his reaction.
“No, Princess. Some things are sacred. Even to me.”
My chuckle was cut off by his phone ringing. Charles had just arrived in Paris.
“…sure you will love it.” Charles’s too loud voice brought me back to reality. He was talking about showing me his library after dinner. “You always loved books.”
I smiled adoringly at him. “You remembered.”
“Of course, dear. And I also remember how much you like bubble gum ice-cream.” He winked at me. “We’re having that for dessert. You know what,” he said as he shifted out of his chair. “I’ll have the servants serve dessert in the library, what do you say?”
Servants. Who even uses that word anymore? But I smiled excitedly. “That would be wonderful!”
“I’ll be right back.”
He disappeared through the double doors of the dining hall.
I quickly rummaged through my purse for my lipstick.
I twisted the bottom of the small barrel counterclockwise, and it came off.
The liquid in the small vile that fell from the lipstick casing was still clear and stable.
Thank the gods. I quickly added two drops into Charles’s wine.
It was my own concoction. The trick was to add it slowly, little by little to his drinks, so that he would believe the buzz he felt was from the alcohol.
And within a few hours, he would be out cold, sleeping for hours, with no memory of what happened the previous night.
It was the perfect date rape-drug. One I was glad only a few chosen women knew the recipe for.
We continued our dinner while Charles boasted on about all the places he’d been to.
I oohed and aahed appropriately, watching for the tell-tale signs that my concoction was working.
Like clockwork, Charles’s forehead became a bit damp, his tanned face a bit redder, and his babbling a bit louder. It was working.
After dinner, he led me down a hallway towards the library. I stopped dead in my tracks as I peered through the half-open door on the left. Inside was a large vault. The same one that was pinned to Grayson’s board. “You have a vault?” I peered up at Charles excitedly.
He laughed. “Yes, but no one is allowed inside it.”
My face fell. The disappointment wasn’t pretence.
I pressed my body against his and fiddled with a button on his shirt.
“Not even me?” I bit at my lip, peering up at him.
I wanted to roll my eyes at myself. I was a grown woman acting like a half-wit, but it worked on Charles.
Plus, the added Griffonia to my tincture would make him a little more pliable to my requests.
He contemplated it, his eyes darting between me and the door to the vault. “Okay, fine. I’ll show you inside.”
I squealed in excitement and pulled him through the door. He was already a bit unsteady on his feet. He placed his palm on the screen and my heart thundered in my chest. This was it.
The lock on the door released audibly and the vault clicked open. Charles pulled the door open and gestured for me to step inside.
My eyes darted over everything as I sent a prayer up to the gods to let me find it.
It was a large vault, not unlike the ones in banks.
Not unlike the one in Bentley Cove’s bank.
But this one was fitted with narrow shelves against the walls.
I trailed my fingers along one as I walked deeper into the vault.
There was an assortment of items, but the velvet boxes caught my eyes.
“Jewellery.” I grinned up at him, making my way to them.
I opened the first box and feigned a gasp.
“Oh, it’s beautiful, Charles.” I let my fingers trace over the diamond bracelet before closing it carefully and placing it back on the shelf.
In what size box would he keep the red diamond?
Would it even be in a jewellery box like these?
I picked up another velvet box, skipping over the smaller ring boxes. The diamond wouldn’t fit in there.
“I think you’ll like that one.” Charles grinned proudly at the box I was holding.
I opened the box to find a choker necklace with a large green diamond hanging from the delicate chain.
“It’s the same colour as your eyes.”
I clasped a hand over my mouth. “It’s breathtaking,” I cooed.
“Want to try it on?”
I nodded, grinning brightly. If pretending to adore over-the-top, bulky jewellery to find Dianna’s diamond was needed, then so be it.
He clasped it around my neck, letting his fingers linger a little too long on my bare shoulders. It made me painstakingly aware of the time. I had to give him the next dose in six minutes if I wanted him in dreamland within the next hour.
I turned to him. “It’s gorgeous.” I hesitated. Should I say it? “But I’m more of a red diamond type of woman.” I pressed myself against him. “It’s the rarest diamond there is, you know?”
Charles chuckled. “My girl knows her stuff.” He swayed a bit on his feet as he inched his face closer to me, his eyes twinkling conspiratorially. “I own the largest red diamond in the world,” he whispered to me, then put his finger to his lips to show that I shouldn’t tell.
My hand playfully swatted at his chest. “Shut up, no way,” I gasped at him in awe, while my heart stopped. He just grinned at me proudly, so I let my mouth fall open. “You’re serious?” I made a show of looking around the vault. “Can I see it?”
He shook his head and grabbed my ass. “It’s back home. I will show it to you someday, if you show me the lingerie I bought you.” He was looking down at my breasts where the lace of the red bra peeked from the hem of my dress.
“Deal,” I said as I kissed him lightly on the lips, my heart beating in my chest.
It’s back home.
“But first, you promised me dessert,” I protested.
I did my best to fight off his advances on the library couch as I waited for the third and final dose to kick in.
“Come now, Ava. Don’t be so shy,” he mumbled as he slid his hand up my leg, pushing my dress up as he went.
I stood from the couch. “Then show me your bedroom,” I said, pulling him to his feet. He was about to pass out, and it would be impossible to drag him all the way to his bed. Especially with his servants roaming the halls.
Lucky for me, his bedroom was also on the second floor. He wouldn’t have made it up another flight of stairs.