“It’s OK, Grace. It’s me. Hunter. You’re safe.”
I want to relax, but my limbs won’t obey. Hunter manages to flip the gun’s safety off and as he’s peeling it from my fingers, Duke crashes through the front door. He has his rifle raised, but it’s a glare he shoots at Hunter.
From the driveway, tires screech and a vehicle pulls away at speed. More figures fill the entrance where Duke remains, immobilized.
He scans my body. I’m covered in Ed’s blood, maybe some of Danyl’s too. “Are you hurt?” he rasps out.
His eyes fix on mine and time restarts. “No, I just … I need…”
Duke flings his rifle at Rory and Hunter lets go of me asI pull from his grasp. I launch myself at Duke with a sob and he lifts me off my feet.
“I’ve got you, Angel. I’ve got you and I’m never letting you go,” he whispers against my ear. “We’re safe.”
Not all of us, my brain forces me to acknowledge. “Ed was…”
Duke squeezes me tighter. He’s seen the body. He strokes my hair as another sob tears from my throat.
“I know,” he whispers, and I feel him turn in the direction of Ed. “Reid? Are there any signs of life?”
“The bullet went right through the side of his chest, but he has a surprisingly strong pulse.”
My head shoots up. Crouching down next to Ed is a man in tactical gear that matches Hunter’s. Reid is another Griffin. “He’s alive?”
Ed releases a groan. “I was having a very nice dream, but these Griffins are obsessed with my body.”
I need to get to him, but first I grab the sides of Duke’s head and smash my lips against his. We still have matching split lips, but the kiss heals more than hurts.
When Duke sets me down, I drop to the floor next to Ed. He’s pale and has suffered a lot of blood loss, but he’s managing to stay conscious as Reid applies pressure bandages to the wound.
“How’s Killian?” Ed asks.
I look to where there’s a crowd of Moncriefs and Griffins kneeling around the Irishman.
“He’s not going to make it,” Rory answers without looking up.
The Griffin crouching next to Rory curses, raking his hand through his hair. “The fucking idiot,” he says, voice cracking.
“You’re going to have to move him,” Calder tells them. “Killian didn’t want his dad knowing he was part of this. He made us promise.”
Suddenly everyone’s talking at once. The house and grounds will need a full sweep to make sure any remaining Bratva have been dealt with. Medics are on their way along with a specialist team to clean up the mess. And then there’s damage limitation. None of the partygoers have been hurt apparently, but our guests will have plenty to talk about.
As the foyer fills with more people and a doctor tends to Ed, I return to the comfort of Duke’s arms. He’s too quiet and it’s easy to guess why. “It’s not your fault Katarina’s uncle took her back,” I say, knowing that’s one of the many things eating away at his conscience.
“I’ll never forget the look of complete desolation on her face when Vasili ordered Killian’s execution…” he begins, then shakes his head. “It was how Meri had looked after Ewan died.” He strokes my cheek. “It’s what I thought I’d have to face when I heard you scream. I swear, Grace, a day won’t go by when I’m not grateful to have you in my life. Assuming you still want me?”
I look up and give him a lazy, post-trauma smile. “Oh, I want you.”
Before our lips can meet, Rory clears his throat. “Do you think you two could be cleaned up and ready to join the party in, say, an hour?”
“Are you serious?” I ask in utter disbelief.
Fresh shock hits me as explosions erupt from outside. It takes several rapid heartbeats to recognize the shriek and hiss of fireworks shooting into the sky high above the Moncrief estate.
“We might have to come clean about a few things,” Rory admits. “But most of the drama was contained to the house. And according to Max, our guests are ready to troop back tothe marquee and resume the party. Worth a try, don’t you think?”
I look at the devastation around us. Dead bodies. Shattered sculptures. Bullet holes everywhere. Killian has already been removed from the scene and Ed is on a gurney. Does Rory really expect us to party on like none of this happened?
“Make it an hour and a half and we’ll be there,” says Duke.
