Some Way

by Tiffany Jade

  His lips find his way back to mine and he kisses me deeply as his thumb pushes me over the edge. He removes his fingers and quickly moves over me, sliding between my thighs. In less than a second, the expensive black lace is nothing more than a memory as it flies across the room.

  "My God," he whispers against my lips as he positions himself and pushes inside of me. My body is still convulsing as my legs circle his hips, accepting him fully.

  He lowers himself, bracing himself on his elbows above me, his eyes meeting mine as he begins to move inside of me with quick, long strokes. He groans roughly as his hands clench in my hair, my up do now a thing of the past. "Fuck Liviana, are you trying to mark your territory?" Gray's words pull me from my stupor and I realize how hard my nails are actually scratching into his back.

  I instantly let him go, but am punished with a sharp bite to my collarbone. "I didn't tell you to stop," he growls into my neck as he slams into me, the start of a building rhythm so fierce that I have no choice but to just hold on. And just when I think that it can't feel any better, that he can't have any more hold over my body, or my heart, "Liv. God, Queen. I love you. . ." his gravelly voice sends me over the edge, with not enough breath left in my lungs to scream at the sensation I just arch into him as we ride the wave together.

  Chapter 31

  "Fuck, that is not why I followed you," Gray huffs as he throws himself next to me and pulls me into his arms.

  "Well shit, I'm sorry to mess up your plans for the night," I smart off as I try to wiggle away but start giggling as he yanks me back up against him and squeezes. He nuzzles into my neck and places a couple of gentle kisses.

  "Knock it off," I warn him, "we don't have time to do all of that again, your wife is going to come looking for you." If he can give me a hard time about Dean, I can do the same. I'm expecting attitude but instead he just keeps nuzzling and his kisses turn into little nips, making me shiver as goosebumps erupt all over me.

  "I hate to end this all beautiful, but I did actually have a reason for coming after you." Grayson sits up and pulls me up after him, turning on a light as we go. "But we have to get you dressed because I cannot even kind of focus with you looking like..." he waves his hand up and down as his eyes widen. "Fuck," he pauses and swallows hard, thinks for a second, and then shakes his head. "Like that, Jesus Christ Liv. Clothes, where are your clothes?!" I laugh as he grabs my dress off of the floor and hands it to me.

  I step into it quickly as he pulls on his underwear and slacks, I glance away looking for my own underwear and look back just in time to see him tucking a black pistol out of sight under his button up.

  "Where the hell did that come from?!" I ask. I hadn't seen him take it off. If the boy was going to now tell me he was magic and could materialize guns out of thin air, I was going to have to sign off, this was already a lot.

  "I hid it in here before I grabbed you in the hall, I figured you'd come without a fight," he sends me a playful wink as he nonchalantly continues to button his shirt.

  Well of course that's what happened, that makes much more sense than magic. My hell Liv, get it together.

  "Wait, if you followed me, how did you get ahead of me?" A wicked grin lights his face.

  "It's a secret." He winks.

  "Whatever. I need my underwear too," I move to the edge of the bed to continue my search but he just starts laughing. He heads over towards the door, bends down and there is the small scrap of lace dangling from his finger. A smile pulls up the corner of his lips.

  "These, I love these." He winks at me before tossing them towards me. "Come sit please," he motions towards a small sofa in the corner of the room, I need you away from the bed too." I roll my eyes but tug the lace on quickly, as he watches with a smile, and head over to sit.

  "So, because all of this isn't fucked up enough," Gray throws himself down next to me and leans back, his hands instantly burying themselves in his hair.

  "We have like seven people trying to kill all of us at your own wedding, how much more fucked up can this all get?" I grab one of his hands away from his hair, it distracts me too much when he does that.

  "It's actually more like twelve," he squeezes my hand and chuckles.

  "Oh, well shit, sorry I wasn't specific enough for you." I get one more small smile before he faces me with a weird look on his face. "Just tell me Grayson, it can't be that bad—at this point at least." He nods and takes a deep breath.

  "Well, my mom kind of cleared up where all of my father's anger in this situation has come from. I have to give you the edited version because I'm supposed to give a speech with Serafina in," he glances down at the watch on his arm, "twenty minutes." I wave my hand to keep him going.

  "So we came to L.A. supposedly for a vacation from everything. The whole Serafina thing, that's a whole different story. But my Dad told me that it was to just chill for a bit, he knew I wouldn't go if I knew he had shit he wanted me to do, I was done. I didn't know at the time but Daxon knew we were working. The night of the party we were there because Daxon had a lead that the son of my father's current biggest threat was there."

  "Dean?" Grayson nods.

  "Now we thought that Dad had us watching the Russians because they were trying to take over the American drug market," I can feel my eyes widen at the thought of Grayson being involved in some giant drug trade.

  "No time to explain that part Queen, but no I'm not a drug dealer—not my families thing." Now I'm the one nodding. "The mission was easy at this point, find Devlov's son before him. We were under the impression that he did not have contact with his son. We were supposed to figure out who it was, and get rid of the heir. Once the heir was dealt with, we could focus on taking out Devlov."

  They were going to kill Dean for their father. Lovely.

  "But you came along Queen and fucked everything up." I tilt my head in confusion but he smiles at me and squeezes my hand. "You already knew Dean, he was close to you, and that scared my Dad when he realized that I had fallen for you. He thought you were on the other side, sent to make me fail. So Father got sloppy. And I started to catch on that something wasn't right, so when I came to him to set up the wedding, it was to get him away from you, and that's when it all started falling even more into place. Then I talked to Mama about you and it all really came out. See, he lied to us. He already knew who Devlov's heir was, he's known since Dean was born. And it wasn't Devlov that was the biggest threat to my father's empire." Grayson takes one more deep breath and makes sure I'm looking at him.

  "Now, my dad has always been kind of a dick," Grayson gives me a wry smile, "but when we were little, he decided to step out on my mom. Mama found out, and she got her revenge. With Devlov." It hits me instantly.

  No.

  Fucking.

  Way.

  Grayson's hand tightens on mine as he sees the realization in my eyes.

  "Dean is the product of two rival families. And proof that the perfect family my father has tried to feed to everyone else, making them trust his leadership, is all a big fucking show. Father forced my mom to give Dean to another family, so it wouldn't ruin his reputation. But the problem now, our family views marriage as a contract. Once married, your wife is just as much in a position of power as you. Any children from either side are considered a part of the family. That means Dean, will have just as much say in Demonte affairs as Dax, myself and my sisters will when Father retires. Imagine that, his biggest enemy’s son, having a say in family business. Knowing the inner workings of everything our family has built."

  I stay silent. What the fuck am I even supposed to say? Dean is Grayson's little brother. Grayson's dad is a piece of shit. My heart breaks for Grayson's mom, who had to give her child away to maintain a reputation. I shake my head, clear my throat, then shake my head again.

  "All of this, is because your dad is scared of Dean?"

  "You don't understand the power that Dean can have here, if he chose to take it. Freely being able to walk between the Russians and the
Americans. He can turn on either side at will. He has access to the secrets of both, he has the power to make a truce, or make war." Grayson lets go of my hand and stands to begin pacing in front of me. "Mom is telling Dean all of this tonight, I wanted you to know first, because this could all blow up tonight. It's all up to him now." I stand and walk to a mirror hanging on the wall. I stay silent as I reach up to begin fixing my hair.

  Grayson stays quiet for a minute, watching me. I can see the questions on his face, but I have to take a second to think.

  It all seems so petty, all of this over Dean. Who, kidnapping aside, was one of the nicest, most caring people I had ever met. He had been there for me through this whole mess. Was I really that bad of a judge of character?!

  I move bobby pins around, doing my best to fix my destroyed up-do, creating something that at least looks presentable.

  "Are you and Daxon planning on killing Dean?" I meet his eyes in the mirror. Not sure if I can face him if he tells me something I don't want to hear.

  "No." He looks directly at me so I know he is telling the truth.

  "Why not?"

  He shrugs but maintains eye contact, "Mama said not to." I glare at him through the reflection. "Kidding. Kind of." He smirks at me as he comes up behind me and places his hands on my waist. "He's my brother. Family. He gets to make his choice. And as long as he keeps his hands off of you,” he grins at me as his hands squeeze, “I’ll let him live."

  I smile at him, my heart lightening a bit. He maintains eye contact as he places his lips on my shoulder.

  "I'm going to assume that you have a plan."

  He scoffs, "Of course."

  "A good plan?” I ask as he tries to distract me with his lips again.

  "It’s a plan." He murmurs against my skin.

  "GRAYSON!" he cracks up in laughter.

  "It's all going to be fine Queen. I'll tell you more if I can get away tomorrow night, but I have to go now."

  "Oh yeah, you have to get back to your wife." I roll my eyes at him in the mirror. His hands tighten on my waist.

  "Silly Queen, I'm already in a room with the only woman I would ever consider as my wife," his voice is deep, and husky, and oh so dangerous as he whispers the words into my ear, his hands imprinting upon me as if marking my body as his.

  Wife? To Grayson Demonte? This life? My life in danger all the time? His life, constantly threatened by rival families? Could I be with him forever knowing that forever may not be long at all? And God knows how they hid all of the illegal things they did from the law. Could I survive if this all crashed around us. Was this something I could handle every day?

  The thoughts over take me and I stay silent, his hands gently turn me so that I am facing him, his eyes are serious. He gives me a small smile.

  "Queen, it is you. I know we barely know each other, and things moved so fast but just... It is fucking YOU. I can't even describe it more than that. For the first time in so long I saw a future for myself that I wasn't miserable in, and it was because you were there. You are the good. You are everything. I look into your eyes and I figured out what all those sappy, bullshit, romance books were written about." He breathes in, steps away and grabs ours masks before coming back and pulling me close. He gives me a small hug and then turns me away to face into the mirror again.

  "I'm a fuck up Liv. I hurt people. Fuck, I kill people. I should stay so far away from you. But I need you to be safe, and I don't think I'll ever feel like you are safe unless you are with me. Because God knows I will set the world on fire to keep you out of harm’s way. You deserve so much better than me, and I wish I could let you walk away and find that, but," he pauses and his hands reach up with my mask, he rests it on my face and begins to tie the strings behind my head. "Whenever I imagine being happy, truly fucking happy, it's you who is looking back at me."

  I can handle it.

  I turn in his arms, rise up on my toes and give him a gentle kiss.

  "I love you Grayson Demonte, but if this is your idea of proposing, in some back room of your wedding to another woman, you have another fucking thing coming."

  Grayson bursts out in laughter. "Queen, only the best for you, you'll see."

  "Now let’s go, you have a super cute speech to give about your fiancé." Now Grayson is the one rolling his eyes.

  "Fuck me."

  I head for the door and pull it open. "Already did babe, maybe again tomorrow night?" I blow him a kiss as he dramatically clutches his heart at my words.

  "Liviana?" my blood turns cold as I hear my name as I step into the hall. "Of course it would be you I find coming out of a bedroom with freshly fucked hair." Serafina slinks up to me as I shut the door behind me.

  "Ah Serafina, to what do I owe this intense pleasure?" I pray as hard as I can that Grayson can hear me say her name and has locked the door.

  "Who were you with in there Liviana?" Serafina asks as she walks around me, looking me up and down. "Woo you wrinkled that dress pretty good, I guess old habits die hard, even when you are in the company of the higher class." I bite my tongue.

  "Dean, of course." I smile at her as she reappears in front of me, that snaky grin on her face.

  "Ah, Dean," she nods, "of course."

  Another look begins to spread across her face, her cheeks turn a little red, which is miraculous to see under the amount of foundation she has on. "So I just imagined asking him where you had scurried off to before I headed down here looking for Grayson, who just also happened to be missing for the past two hours?"

  It had been two hours. Oh fuck.

  "If Grayson is in that room, only one of us," she points between herself and I, "is going to walk back out," Serafina smiles as she lifts the leg of her dress, revealing a blade attached to her thigh. Fabulous, I really need to talk to Grayson or Dean about getting me weaponized like apparently every other fucking person here at this 'Weapons Free' wedding.

  "Liviana!" Serafina's voice is almost a shriek as she grabs my arm. "Open the door."

  Not much choice left, I reach for the handle, it’s not locked.

  REALLY GRAYSON?

  I slide the door open and steel myself as she enters the room.

  "Ohhh Liviana...."

  Chapter 32

  I pause for a second, waiting to see if Grayson says anything from the room. It stays silent.

  It takes two seconds to make a decision on whether I should walk into a room, that’s down an empty hallway, to face Serafina, with a knife, or if I should just turn around and head back to the ballroom full of big, strong, armed, on my side, men.

  Haha yeah.

  I turn around and rush down the hall. To my surprise I see Nate rushing towards me, his phone in hand.

  Without a word he links his arm with mine and walks me back towards the ballroom doors.

  "Is everything okay?" I ask him as he stares at the screen of his phone. He tips it towards me, so I can see Serafina destroying the room Grayson and I had just been in. She has already torn the bed apart and is now slamming everything breakable she can find.

  "Wait! There's cameras in that room?!" I turn bright red as Nate wiggles his eyebrows at me. I smack his arm.

  "Oh stop, we didn't watch you." I glare at him as he starts laughing and puts his hands up in surrender. "I swear! We just took over the camera system so no one else saw you guys, and we were watching for Serafina, to protect you from—" he tips the screen again right as Serafina's knife is slammed into a pillow. "That!" Nate shakes his head as I gasp.

  "My hell, okay, watch me whenever you want just keep her away from me!" I reach up to smooth down my hair one last time before re-entering the party.

  "Yes ma'am," Nate smirks as he opens the door for me. "Now back to hating each other for the masses," I glare at him as I glide past him. "Oooooh, if I didn't know better that look would hurt." I give him a small wink and turn away. Dean catches my gaze right away.

  He's painting on a calm face but I can see the bags under his eyes and the mess of
his hair tells me that he's ran his hands through it a few too many times. He looks at me and the confusion is clear. He knows.

  He gives me a weak smile and tilts his head in question. I nod. He holds his hand out, giving me the option to come to him or stay away, knowing the truth now.

  Without hesitation I walk towards him.

  Fucking Serafina. I swear to God.

  Her voice saying Liviana's name grates on every damn nerve I have.

  Liv saying she was in this room with Dean, grates on my fucking nerves too. I glance around quickly to make sure there is no evidence of us being here and then open the window.

  I quickly climb out, slide it back closed as gently as possible and crouch down. Pulling out my phone I link to the camera system Nate and Luca set up and pull up the camera on the hall. My heart rate races as I watch Serafina reveal that damn blade she always keeps on her to Liv, but I smile as my Queen doesn't even flinch. If anything she stands taller.

  That's my girl.

  She handled the news so much better than I had expected, but Liviana was not what I was used to. She was so much more. I had expected anger or hurt and instead had received love, understanding and almost immediate acceptance.

  Serafina gets in her face, causing my anger to rise. She then enters the room. And I hold my breath, hoping Liv turns and walks the other way, I know Nate and Luca are watching. Why the fuck aren't they going to her?

  Right as I get ready to go back through the window, Liv turns and heads down the hall. I catch Nate on the screen too. Bout fucking time. Knowing she's safe now, I tuck my phone away and creep away from the window and head back to the ballroom.

  "Grayson!" my father's voice rings out as I enter the house. I straighten and turn to face him. "What are you doing outside, Son? Serafina is looking for you." He claps me on the back as he comes to stand next to me.