Grim Reunion (Aisling Grimlock Book 4)

by Amanda M. Lee

  My mouth dropped open as horrified realization washed over me. “You’re not going to put him in the dungeon, are you?”

  “No, missy, I’m not,” Dad said, flicking my ear. “I’m putting both of you in your old bedroom. We have maids and a chef. Griffin will have whatever he needs, and you will have a support system while you care for him.”

  “I thought you didn’t want us sleeping together under your roof?”

  Dad made an exaggerated “if you weren’t my daughter I would kill you” face. “How many times have you broken that rule over the past few months? I’m beyond caring.”

  I wasn’t sure that was true, but Griffin being able to convalesce in Grimlock Manor had some advantages. “Will you cook his favorite foods?”

  Dad rolled his eyes. “Yes.”

  “Will you entertain him if he’s bored and I’m out of the house? He’s a big fan of mime.”

  “Don’t push it, Aisling,” Dad growled.

  “I think having Griffin at the big house is a good idea,” Maya supplied. “I can spend nights there with Cillian and check on him. Mr. Grimlock will be around if something happens. That way Aisling doesn’t have to take on too much too soon.”

  “Does anyone have faith in me? It doesn’t sound like it.” I pinched the bridge of my nose to ward off the oncoming headache. “I can take care of him.”

  “I have faith in you,” Griffin said, tugging on a strand of my hair to draw my eyes to him. “We’ll stay in the big house, though. That way I don’t have to worry about you finding trouble because your father and brothers will watch over you.”

  “And I won’t have to worry about any funny business because the handsy cop needs to rest,” Dad added, earning a headshake from Griffin. “It’s settled then. Griffin will come home with us tomorrow.”

  “That sounds like a plan,” Kelly said. “For now, though, he needs to sleep, so everyone should say their goodbyes and leave him to it.”

  My heart rolled at the thought of being separated from Griffin. “But … .”

  “Miss Grimlock, I know you’re worried and upset,” Kelly said. “Griffin will sleep for a good twelve hours, though. You’ll be a distraction here. I can tell just by looking at you.”

  “I’ll be quiet,” I said. “I’ll sit by his bed and not say a word.”

  Griffin snorted, catching me by surprise. “It’s okay, Aisling,” he said. “I’m tired. If you stay, as much as I would like knowing you’re here, I would waste a lot of energy trying to stay awake for you.

  “Plus, well, I think it’s safer for you to go home with your father and sleep under his roof,” he continued. “I’ll keep my phone on and message you if I wake up. How does that sound?”

  It sounded horrible. “I don’t want to be away from you.”

  Griffin cupped the back of my head with one hand and gathered my right hand with the other, resting it on top of his heart as he stared into my eyes. “You can’t be away from me because you’re here.” He squeezed the hand above his heart. “I need you safe. I need not to worry. Please.”

  I reluctantly nodded and let Griffin press a soft kiss to my lips before separating.

  “I think that’s a plan,” Dad said, his eyes thoughtful as he studied Griffin. “Just for curiosity’s sake, what are your favorite foods?”

  “Oh, look who’s going soft for the handsy cop,” Redmond teased.

  Dad cuffed my brother but remained focused on Griffin. “He’s a part of the family,” he said. “Today, he’s my favorite child.”

  I couldn’t stop myself from making a face. “The sentiment is nice, but you really shouldn’t say that,” I said. “That means I’m sleeping with my brother.”

  “And you’re sleeping in the dungeon, young lady,” Dad hissed, swiveling. “I don’t want to hear one word about the snakes. In fact, I don’t want to hear one word from you the entire night.”

  “Oh, come on, Ais,” Redmond said, slinging an arm over my shoulders. “Since you’re spending the night, I think a rousing game of shark attack is in order … and then maybe we’ll pretend we’re the Justice League for old time’s sake. How does that sound?”

  “Absolutely not,” Dad snapped, following us toward the door. “The last time you played that you broke two marble lions … and dressed a 19th century statue in a bra.”

  “That was Wonder Woman’s corset,” I argued. “That was really a compliment.”

  “I’ll toss you all in the dungeon if you’re not careful,” Dad threatened.

  I paused by the door, meeting Griffin’s gaze one last time. I couldn’t stop myself from hurrying back to his side and hugging him again, pressing my face tightly against his. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t cry,” Griffin said. “I can’t take it. And don’t be sorry. You saved me.”

  “You wouldn’t have been in that position in the first place if it wasn’t for me,” I reminded him. “I love you.”

  “I love you,” Griffin whispered, kissing me. “Go with your father. Stay safe. We’ll be together again tomorrow.” He wiped a tear from my cheek. “I promise I’ll be okay.”

  When I turned I found Dad watching with unreadable eyes. I felt exposed, so I decided to break the silence by being obnoxious.

  “I’m going to dress the statue as Harley Quinn this time,” I announced. “Jerry has a Halloween costume and everything.”

  Dad shook his head to snap himself back to reality. “You’re grounded.”

  23

  Twenty-Three

  I was alone in the kitchen shortly before ten when Dad wandered in. I could tell from the look on his face he’d been searching for me.

  I twirled on the stool, a can of tomato juice in my hand, and regarded him wearily. “Are you ready to yell at me now?”

  Dad lifted his eyebrows. “Well, I was looking for you because I was going to yell if I found that you had left the house,” he admitted. “You’re here, though, so why would I yell at you?”

  “Because I didn’t collect any souls, and I wasn’t paying close enough attention and almost got Griffin killed.”

  “I see,” Dad said, exhaling heavily. “Aisling, the most important thing to me is keeping you safe. That goes for your brothers, too, so don’t let your head get too big.” Dad padded toward the refrigerator. “I would rather have you alive than worrying about souls. Besides, we didn’t lose any souls. Redmond got them, and as far as the home office is concerned it was a normal day.”

  “You didn’t tell them about the wraith attack?” That couldn’t be good. Dad was still on probation. I didn’t want him lying to his bosses on my behalf.

  “I informed them,” Dad said, opening the refrigerator and rummaging around for a moment before emerging with a jar of pickles, one of my favorite snacks. He opened the jar and grabbed a spear of dilled goodness before pushing the jar in my direction. “Unfortunately for us, your stumbling across wraiths has become a normal day.”

  I grabbed a pickle and held it, my mind busy as I regarded him. After leaving the hospital I had showered and changed into comfortable yoga pants and a T-shirt, pulling my hair back in a tight braid so I could sleep on it. I then messaged Griffin and stared at my phone for an hour waiting for him to type something … anything really … back to me. He didn’t respond, so I assumed he was asleep. I was at a loss for what to do with myself without him.

  “What are you thinking about?” Dad asked.

  “How do you know I was thinking about anything?”

  “Because I know when you’re fretting about something,” Dad answered. “I understand that you’re worried about Griffin, but you don’t have to make yourself sick over it. I have three men watching his door. He’s asleep. He has been since the moment we left.”

  “I guess that’s why he didn’t message me back.”

  “Is that what you’re worried about?” Dad prodded. “Do you think he stopped loving you since we left the hospital and ignoring your messages is the way he’ll break up with you?”

&nbs
p; I shot Dad a rueful smile. “Ridiculous, huh?”

  “Yes,” Dad said, nodding. “Aisling, I know I haven’t been the most welcoming person where Griffin is concerned, but it’s obvious the boy loves you. He won’t break up with you over this. Your mouth, however, is another story.”

  He was going for levity, but it fell flat.

  “Aisling, Griffin is good for you,” Dad continued. “He laughs at your jokes. He reins you in when you get out of control. He lets you run free when you need to vent. I didn’t think it was possible to find a man who would do all of those things for you, but you did.”

  “I know he’s good for me,” I said. “I’m starting to worry that I’m not good for him, though.”

  “Oh, Aisling, you don’t see yourself the proper way sometimes,” Dad said, his expression dark. “You’re good for Griffin, too. You make him laugh. You listen to him when he speaks. You’re loyal to a fault. He adores you.”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about,” I said. “He almost died today. He should’ve been at work.”

  “Where he also faces the possibility of death,” Dad pointed out.

  “Yes, but that would’ve been because of his job, not mine,” I said. “He goes out of his way to protect me. If he dies for me, how could I live with that?”

  “I don’t know what you want me to say,” Dad said. “Griffin loves you and you love him. You need to embrace the life you want instead of living in fear of what might happen. Let me tell you something, young lady, you will break that man if you do something stupid like ending the relationship because you dwell on what might have been instead of what is.

  “Not only that, but you’ll break yourself,” he continued. “You love Griffin with your whole heart. Let him love you. Let him decide what’s too much for him. All you’ll accomplish is driving both of you crazy if you base your life on what-ifs.”

  “I want to believe we’re meant to be.” I was embarrassed to say it. I thought it somehow too girlie a notion for my father to understand. He didn’t laugh as I expected him to, though.

  “I believe you’re meant to be,” Dad said. “I think Griffin believes it, too. I understand your faith was shaken today, but I think a good night’s sleep will make you feel better. Don’t do anything stupid when you’re exhausted.”

  “Did you think you were meant to be with Mom?” It was a pointed question and I regretted asking it the second I saw the momentary flash of pain on Dad’s face.

  “Your mother and I were meant to be,” Dad replied, staring at the pickle in his hand. “I loved her with everything I had. That woman running around now is not the woman I fell in love with. There’s a difference.”

  “I know that,” I said. “It’s just … if you and Mom were meant to be yet you’re not together, what does that mean for Griffin and me? I mean, Mom was the love of your life. How do you go on without her?”

  “Your mother was the love of my life,” Dad agreed. “Then I got five more loves of my life. The five of you outweigh the possibilities with that woman who returned from the grave. You’re the loves of my life.

  “Right now Griffin is the love of your life, and I think you’ll have a future together as long as you’re not foolish,” he continued. “You’ll add other loves of your life – and I really hope you get a daughter just like you so I can believe in karma – but you have time for that down the road.

  “I let go of your mother and refuse to believe what came back is the same woman because I love you guys more,” Dad said. “That love isn’t gone. It’s that there’s something else more important. You don’t have that problem. Griffin can be your love if you let him love you back.”

  “But what if he dies?”

  “There are no absolutes in life. Tragedies happen every single day. The question you have to ask yourself is: Would you rather be happy and lose him or lose him and be miserable?”

  “Wow,” I said, blowing out a sigh. “That was kind of profound. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

  “Does that mean you’ll stop having deep thoughts and go and play with your brothers? Aidan is rummaging in the linen closet for sheets to use as capes. They want to play a game they know will make you laugh.”

  I chuckled. I couldn’t help myself. “Thank you, Dad.”

  “Of course,” Dad said, dropping a kiss on my head as he moved past me. “Eat your pickle before you kill any statues tonight … and stay away from the lions in the dining room. If I wake and find you’ve dressed them as strippers and put them in lewd positions again, you’re all grounded.”

  “Well, there goes my night.”

  I WAS just about to leave the kitchen and join my brothers for a rousing game of “How Far Can We Push Dad Before Giving Him a Heart Attack” when I caught a hint of movement outside the back window.

  The main kitchen lights were off – the only illumination coming from the muted recessed lighting Dad always left on for midnight grazers – and I was rinsing out my juice can when I saw the shadow move close to the ground in the back yard. I knew whatever was outside wasn’t an animal. It was too big. And I would recognize that familiar tail anywhere.

  “What are you looking at?” Braden asked, his mouth close to my ear.

  I jolted, pressing my hand to the spot above my heart, and glared at him. “Are you trying to kill me?”

  Braden shrugged. “I think you’ve been through enough for one day,” he said. “I came to get you for the game. Dad is just sitting down with his evening brandy and newspaper. It’s the perfect time to irritate him.”

  “Shh.” I pressed my finger to my lips.

  “Why are you shushing me?”

  I inclined my chin toward the window and Braden furrowed his brow as he scanned the yard. “If this is some elaborate prank to get me to stare at nothing in the back yard for twenty minutes, I called it first.”

  I gazed at the spot I last saw the movement and when the creature shuffled back into view Braden jerked his head up. “What is that?” He kept his voice low.

  “It’s Bub,” I replied.

  “The gargoyle?”

  “The gargoyle who has been hanging with Mom,” I clarified.

  “Is that its … you know?” Braden was horrified as he watched the creature slink around the back lawn.

  “It’s a common misconception, but that’s his tail,” I said, taking on an air of authority. “I only know because I thought it was his thing, too, and I felt really sorry for Mrs. Bub.”

  Braden snickered. “What’s he doing here?”

  “Spying.”

  “Why?”

  “I have no idea,” I said, shaking my head as Bub finished his rounds and ambled toward the back gate. “Actually, I do have an idea. Let’s follow him.”

  Braden balked. “It’s dark out.”

  I rolled my eyes. “We’re going to lose him,” I muttered, grabbing Braden’s arm and scurrying toward the back door. “I can’t leave the house without a chaperone. I promised Dad. You’re my only option.”

  “Then you’re fresh out.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “I’m following Bub no matter what,” I said. “When I get caught sneaking out – and we both know I’m going to get caught – I’ll tell Dad you let me run off on my own.”

  “You butthead,” Braden grumbled. “Dad will be angry with me if you do that. He’ll let you slide because of your crappy day.”

  “That’s why you have to come with me.”

  “You really are a butthead,” Braden said, shaking his head. “Well, come on.” He waved his hands to urge me on. “If we’re going to do something stupid, there’s no sense waiting until we lose the rubbery dog owl with the really big … tail.”

  Braden and I were quiet as we crept out of the house, keeping close to the fence until we hit the gate and peering out before moving beyond the safety of Dad’s yard. I tilted my head to the side, listening for the telltale sound of clawed feet on cement, and when I finally heard a distant clicking sound I pointed.

 
; Braden nodded and followed me, pressing his hand to my back to make sure he didn’t lose me in the darkness.

  “Oh, Criminy, Aisling,” he hissed. “Are you not wearing a bra? That’s so sick.”

  “No sicker than my brother worrying about the fact that I’m not wearing a bra,” I shot back. “It’s in the wash. Aidan and Jerry brought me fresh clothes, but I didn’t feel like changing.”

  “It’s still gross,” Braden said. “Now I’ll have nightmares.”

  “Wait until you see Bub up close,” I countered. “Then you’ll have nightmares. No matter what, you’ll always remember when you thought his tail was something else.”

  “You’re such a pervert,” Braden muttered.

  We lapsed into silence, making sure to keep to the trees as we followed Bub down the street. I wasn’t surprised when a dark figure detached from a streetlamp across the way and headed in Bub’s direction as he moved closer to the intersection.

  “That’s Mom,” Braden whispered, keeping his voice low. “What’s she doing here?”

  “Snacking?”

  “Don’t make me smack you.”

  “What’s the news from inside the house?” Mom asked Bub.

  “It’s quiet,” Bub replied. “Your husband is reading a newspaper in his office. I saw him when I moved around the side of the house. Most of your offspring are doing something with sheets in the dining room – and I don’t think it’s laundry.”

  “Something with sheets? Like what?” Mom asked.

  “I don’t know. The gay one was tying one of the sheets around his neck. Unfortunately it wasn’t so he could hang himself.”

  “Don’t refer to him that way,” Mom ordered. “They’re all equals. It doesn’t matter that Aidan is gay. That has absolutely no bearing.”

  I know my mother is probably eating people to stay alive, but I kind of liked her again because she stood up for Aidan. How pathetic is that?

  “What about Aisling?” Mom asked after a beat. “Did you see her? How did she look?”

  I risked a glance at Braden and saw he was holding his breath.