Page 79 of For Love & Torture
I take his hand and hold it to my heart. Seeing him so is a dream come true for me. Even when he was pushing my love away, refusing to allow us to be together, all I ever wanted was for him to be happy.
They end their call, and I let him know what I think about him. “I think you’re the most amazing man in the world too, Grant. I feel lucky just to know you. I feel honored to be marrying you.”
His smile is huge and genuine as he glances at me before taking off out of the parking lot. “Baby, I’m the one who’s honored to be marrying you.”
Laying my head back on the leather headrest, I look out the sunroof at a perfect sky and pray things can stay perfect for a while longer. I know things can’t go this smoothly forever, but a nice long while would be greatly appreciated.
“The psychic was right about the diagnosis,” I mumble as I think about everything Penelope told us. “That means she’s right about all of it —I think so, at least.” I turn my head to look at Grant. “You know, I think I can handle Bart and his minions. I know I believe in the light being much more powerful than the darkness.”
“Hell yes, it is.” Grant takes a turn and I see we’re heading to the club. “I think about it like this: I had darkness inside of myself, and when light—the light being you—was introduced, it kept eclipsing the darkness. And when I let my heart take you in, you filled me with your light.”
With a nod, I agree. “And I think one can look at how dark and light react to one another. The darkness can’t extinguish the light. But the light can completely obliterate the darkness forever if it wants to.”
Pulling up to the parking garage of the club, Grant parks the car and gets out as I wait inside for him, per his orders. I think it’s silly. Nothing is going to come swooping down out of the sky to pick me up and carry me away. But I also think it’s very chivalrous how he’s been treating me.
I love being his princess and I feel like I’m his most prized possession.
“We’ll take the club’s private limo. It’s large, and there’s plenty of room in it for us all. And the driver can be ready to go in only minutes. We’ll give him a call and wait inside for him to arrive.” He swipes his card to get us inside, and we head in.
The club is so quiet when no one is here. It’s kind of spooky how everything echoes in the empty space. Grant’s office is closer than mine, so he unlocks that door and we head inside.
I take a seat on the red leather sofa as he goes to his desk to retrieve the driver’s number. He turns on his computer and smiles. “Tad left me a message on my email. He’s been ordained, and he’d love it if you and I would let him officiate the marriage ceremony.”
“I’m game,” I say, thinking that’ll be so cool. “Hey, tell him to dress like a monk. I want it to look gothic, you know.”
He taps away at the keyboard, and I hear a quick response has been given as the computer makes a little ding sound. “He’s cool with it. He’s got the main stage booked for us for thirty minutes, starting at precisely 11:30 PM so we can be officially wed at one minute before midnight on Halloween.” He chuckles. “That’s what I love about our group. We’re all so into the show.”
“And the show we’re going to put on will rock them, baby.” I jump up, suddenly very excited, and have to wrap my arms around him from behind as he sits in his chair. I nuzzle the top of his head, inhaling his spicy scented shampoo.
Calling the driver, he sets up all the transportation and all we have to do is wait for him to get here, which will only be about fifteen minutes.
I spin his chair around and put one leg over the arm to straddle him when we hear footsteps echoing in the hallway. “What the hell is that?” he asks.
We both look over to the open door as it suddenly slams shut. I scramble off him and he gets up. “Get behind me now.”
I duck behind him, hiding myself from whoever is out there.
Please, don’t let it be Bart or one of his evil people.
The sound of a little child laughing can be heard as Grant pulls the door open again. Then the sound of little feet hitting the floor fills the corridor. Grant looks back at me. “Your office door is open.”
“I closed and locked it. I know I did. I always do.” I run my arms around him from behind and hold on tight. I’m not about to be taken right now.
He takes a step out into the hallway, and I come along, not about to let him go. “Come here. I want to be able to hold you. I can’t be sure something won’t yank you away from me with you back there.”
I move around to his side. His strong arm comes around me, shrouding me and making me feel a lot safer. Things go quiet as we get closer to my office door.
The light’s off in there, just the way I left it. And whatever movement had been going on out here hasn’t set off the motion-sensing lights. So that’s good. I don’t mind dealing with ghosts as much as I do real live, evil people.
“Anyone in here?” Grant asks as we walk in, activating the lights that show us the room is indeed empty.
“You guys ready?” asks a man’s voice from right behind us. I let out a shriek that could curl someone’s hair. Along with that, I practically climb up Grant’s body and have wrapped myself around him like a python.
Rick, the driver, bursts into laughter at the sight, and I try not to bitch him out. He has no idea what I’ve been through, and I don’t want to tell him about it. “Rick, you scared the shit out of me.”
I climb off Grant, who’s equally as shaken but doesn’t show it the way I have. “Man, she sure can climb.” Grant laughs it off as we follow Rick into the hall and I lock my door once again.
My heart’s still pounding, but I feel like the portal just let in a few kids or something like that. Nothing dark. Not yet anyway.
I wonder if there’s anyone who knows how to close a portal to the other side.
