Grim Holiday (Aisling Grimlock Book 6) Read online

  “Are you taking me back to Grimlock Manor now?” Katherine almost looked hopeful. “This one will pass out soon enough, so you can stay at the big house tonight and we can finish our discussion. How does that sound?”

  “Painful,” Griffin replied. “I’m not spending the night at Grimlock Manor. In fact, that’s one of my least favorite things to do.”

  “Why is that?” Katherine seemed stunned. “They have maids and cooks.”

  “Yes, but the house also comes with an overbearing father who listens for the pitter patter of little feet in the middle of the night, and he likes to yell,” Griffin replied. “Wait here, Mother. I will be back in a minute.”

  Griffin disappeared through the door, leaving me to focus on Braden because I was convinced Katherine was quite possibly about to turn into Medusa and if I made eye contact with her I’d turn to stone.

  “Are you okay?” Braden asked, hunching down so he was at eye level with me. “Do you want me to call Dad?”

  “Yes, because that’s exactly what this situation needs,” I deadpanned.

  “No one needs the sarcasm.” Braden flicked my ear. “Ais, we need to talk about … how I knocked you down.”

  “You should apologize to your sister for that,” Katherine interjected. “Boys shouldn’t be mean to girls. Griffin was never overly rough with Maya like that.”

  “Yes, well, Aisling was raised to think she was a boy,” Braden shot back, his temper flaring. “You might consider why she’s attracted to your son given that fact, but I think that’s on him, not her.”

  “Braden, don’t.” I shook my head in warning. “Just let it go.”

  “Yes, because that’s the Grimlock way.” Braden forced a smile, shifting his eyes to the open door as Aidan, Jerry and Griffin walked through it. “Oh, good. Griffin brought reinforcements.”

  “I did,” Griffin agreed, bobbing his head. “Mom, Aidan is going to drive Braden’s truck back to Grimlock Manor and Jerry is going to follow to give Aidan a ride back home.”

  “But … I thought you were going to do that.” Katherine was incensed. “I wanted to spend some time alone with you.”

  “Well, that can wait until tomorrow.” Griffin hooked his hands under my arms and hauled me to my feet. “I’m going to sober up this one and then put her to bed.”

  “Okay.” Aidan’s expression was flat and immovable. “I’ll stop by as soon as I’m done with my errand.”

  “That’s not necessary,” Griffin argued.

  “It is necessary,” Aidan barked, his eyes landing on me. “Come on, Braden. It’s time to go home.”

  Despite the sheer amount of wine we drank, both Braden and I appeared to have sobered up relatively quickly.

  “I’m coming,” Braden said, tapping the end of my nose. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  I forced a watery smile. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Griffin didn’t say goodbye to his mother, offering her only a half-hearted wave before lowering me to the couch the moment the door shut. His eyes were somber when they met mine. “Talk.”

  “Something came out of the mirror.” I forced out the words despite how ridiculous they sounded. “It grabbed me.”

  “Like … a wraith?” Griffin shifted to stare at the mirror. “Can wraiths come through mirrors?”

  I shook my head. “It wasn’t a wraith. It was … something else.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t know.” That was the truth. “It isn’t the first time I saw it. Last night … the dream … the reflection was talking to me.”

  “You told me that. You also said it looked like you. I get the distinct impression that whatever went after you tonight did not look like you.”

  “No, it didn’t,” I agreed, licking my lips. “It said it was coming, though.”

  “Aisling, that was a dream.”

  Was it? I wasn’t so sure now. “This afternoon I saw something when I was shopping with Jerry. After he left, after he was gone from the parking lot, I pushed the cart toward the corral and I saw someone keeping pace with me. When I looked over, I saw it was a man. It just … he had no face.”

  Griffin didn’t react with disbelief. Instead he rested his hand on my shoulder as a form of solace. “How is that possible?”

  “I don’t know.” Tears flooded my eyes. “I thought I was imagining it. I thought I was going crazy. He disappeared, and I looked for him.”

  “You looked for the monster?” Griffin snapped. “Why?”

  “Because I didn’t think he was real and thought maybe I was going crazy,” I replied. “When I didn’t see him again, that only reinforced the belief.”

  “So what happened after that?”

  “I came home and took a nap while Jerry did all of the work.” I tipped my chin so I could stare at the kitchen. Griffin and his mother had cleaned up the bulk of the mess. “I’m sorry I ruined dinner.”

  “Baby, I don’t care about that.” Griffin tilted my chin so I had no choice but to look at him. “Did you see something in the bathroom mirror earlier? Is that why you were white when I found you in there?”

  I swallowed hard and nodded.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Griffin remained calm even though his eyes flashed.

  “Because I didn’t want you to think I was crazy,” I admitted. “I also wanted to have a good dinner with your mother. I think I fell a bit short there.”

  Despite the serious situation, Griffin chuckled. “Don’t worry about that. She’s the one who made dinner uncomfortable by talking about kids. I think she did it on purpose to test you.”

  “And I failed.”

  “You didn’t fail.”

  “I got drunk with Braden.”

  “I think that’s perfectly fine given the circumstances.” Griffin stared at nothing as he ran his hands up and down my arms, causing me to grunt. “Are you hurt?”

  “Whatever came out of the mirror grabbed me.”

  “I know that.”

  “Braden hit it with the fireplace poker.”

  “I figured that out when I came into the room and saw the way he was acting,” Griffin offered. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

  “It burned me when it touched me.”

  Griffin frowned, his hands gentle as they tugged up the sleeve of my shirt. “Son of a … .”

  I let my eyes drift to the left and stared at the dark impressions on my skin. They looked like fingerprints. “Is that … ?”

  “Okay, we have some burn salve in the bathroom.” Griffin was all business as he rose, but I grabbed his hand to stop him.

  “Don’t go in there. It will get you.”

  Griffin stroked the top of my head and forced a smile. “I hope it tries. I’m in the mood to kick some butt.”

  “Don’t … .”

  “Aisling, it’s going to be okay,” Griffin promised, dropping a kiss on my forehead. “I’m going to put the salve on your arms and then you’re going to bed.”

  He was insane if he thought I would sleep anywhere a mirror monster could get me. “What if it comes for me again?”

  “It won’t.” Griffin was firm. “I promise I’ll protect you.”

  I wanted to believe him, still … . “We need to get every mirror out of this townhouse before I can sleep.”

  Griffin stared a moment, as if he couldn’t believe I’d ask that of him. Then he took me by surprise and nodded. “I think that’s a tremendous idea,” he said. “We don’t need mirrors. We’ll just stare at each other.”

  I’d heard worse suggestions.

  “SHE’S NOT going anywhere by herself and I mean it!”

  I woke to raised voices, rolling over on the makeshift bed Griffin had made in the middle of the living room the previous night to find him standing in nothing but boxer shorts as he faced off with Aidan.

  “Did I say she was going anywhere by herself?” Aidan looked grumpy and tired as his eyes flicked in my direction. “Great. You woke her up.”

  Griffin was ins
tantly contrite as he moved to the couch. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.” He sat next to me and ran his hand over my forehead. “You don’t have a fever. That’s good.”

  A fever? Where did that come from? “Do you think I’m imagining things because I have a fever?” If I were in his shoes I might think the same. I told myself not to hold his disbelief against him. He was doing his level best.

  “No, I’m just worried because he burned you,” Griffin replied, taking me by surprise. “I put more ointment on your arms while you were sleeping. I think it’s going to hurt for another day or so.”

  “Oh. You believe me?”

  Frustration poured from Griffin as his expression darkened. “I told you last night that I believed you. Why wouldn’t I believe you?”

  “Because it’s a crazy story. I was there all three times, and I almost don’t believe me.”

  Griffin’s expression softened. “I believe you. We’ll get through this. Right now your brother and I are having a discussion about the fact that you’re not going to work today.”

  “Okay, well, the mirrors are still outside, right?”

  “Yes, I put them face down on the back patio. The neighbors will think we’re crazy, but I really don’t care.”

  “Me either. That’s good. I … wait, did you say I’m not going to work today?” I arched a suspicious eyebrow. “I didn’t agree to that. I need to get paid if I’m going to buy more Christmas gifts for you.”

  “You’re the only gift I want,” Griffin said, tucking the blanket around me. “I’m not joking, Aisling. You’re all I want. That means I want you safe. That also means I don’t think it’s smart for you to go to work today.”

  I traced my tongue over my top lip as I regarded Aidan. He’d been largely silent for the exchange. “Do you believe me?”

  Aidan nodded. “I saw the marks on your arms after you fell asleep.”

  “How is that possible? It seems I would’ve woken up if I knew you were staring at me while I slept.”

  “You know that aspirin I gave you last night to cut down on the hangover?” Griffin prodded. “It was really nighttime cold medicine. I counted on it to knock you out. I didn’t think you’d sleep otherwise.”

  I should’ve been angry, but I was secretly relieved. “Oh, well, good idea.”

  “Thank you.” Griffin kept his hand on the back of my neck as he glared at Aidan. “Call your father and tell him that Aisling is sick and staying home.”

  “I don’t have a problem doing that,” Aidan hedged. “It’s just … .”

  “What?”

  “Do you really want to leave her home alone considering everything that’s going on?” Aidan challenged, his expression serious. “I know you’ve taken the extra precaution of locking the mirrors outside of the townhouse – which is just brilliant, by the way – but I’m not sure that’s going to keep her safe.”

  “I recognize sarcasm when I hear it,” Griffin said. “I didn’t think that locking the mirrors outside would do anything, but Aisling refused to even consider going to sleep until I did. I put them out there for her peace of mind.”

  “Yeah? I’m not sure that’s going to work, but it was a good try.” Aidan blew out a sigh as he sat. “You have work, Griffin. You can’t call in sick. I think Aisling will be safer if she goes with me or one of our other brothers while we work today. At least that way we’ll know she’s never alone.”

  Griffin tapped his foot against one of the coffee table legs, restless. “And what happens if a wraith attacks?”

  “She’s proven time and again that she can handle a wraith,” Aidan pointed out. “What she can’t handle is being left alone without anyone serving as backup. Braden saw the mirror thing, too, although he claims he was so drunk he can’t be sure exactly what he saw. He said he didn’t think it had a face.”

  “It doesn’t,” I said glumly. “It’s like a horror movie monster.”

  “We don’t know what that is,” Aidan admitted. “Cillian is researching, but it’s not exactly easy given the fact that your mother is hanging around. She’s ticked as can be about what happened last night, by the way. She’s complaining to anyone who will listen.”

  “Is anyone listening?” I asked.

  “That maid who hates you is all ears, but everyone else is ignoring her.” Aidan flashed a wry grin. “I don’t want Aisling alone. With Cillian not collecting souls in favor of research, that means we need everyone else to split up the charges. That also means I want Aisling with me … and I’m not sure I care if you disagree with me.”

  Uh-oh. I sensed trouble. I opened my mouth to say something to calm Griffin, but he didn’t explode as I expected.

  “I agree,” Griffin said. “I want her with you. I didn’t think about her being alone. I couldn’t see past the potential danger of her working alone.”

  “I won’t let her out of my sight,” Aidan promised.

  “I know you won’t.” Griffin’s smile was small but heartfelt. “You love her almost as much as I do.”

  “She’s my twin,” Aidan argued. “I love her the most.”

  “Not even close, pal.”

  “Oh, geez, I’m drowning in testosterone,” I complained. “If anyone cares, I think I love myself the most. How do you like that?”

  Aidan and Griffin simultaneously chuckled.

  “I can live with that.” Griffin pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You be safe today. I want you to promise me that you’ll be vigilant.”

  “I promise.”

  I completely and totally meant it.

  12

  Twelve

  “What did Katherine really say about me last night?”

  I waited until Griffin walked us to Aidan’s truck, fastened my seatbelt and kissed me goodbye before unleashing my curiosity.

  “She thought you and Braden got unbelievably drunk and couldn’t understand why,” Aidan replied, pulling onto Main Street and heading toward the freeway. “She wasn’t angry. She was more confused than anything else.”

  “We did get drunk,” I offered, stretching my legs. “It probably wasn’t smart, but she started talking about babies and how the townhouse was too small for kids. It rattled me.”

  “How did Griffin react?”

  “He got angry. Do you blame him? He started talking about his job and how it wasn’t safe for kids given the current environment. But we both know he was really talking about my job and all of the crap I bring into his life.”

  “Aisling, you can’t beat yourself up over this,” Aidan admonished. “You couldn’t possibly have known that something like this would happen. The woman showed up a day early because she was playing a game. I know you’re not happy about Dad inviting her to stay, but with everything that’s happening I think it’s probably a good idea.”

  “I won’t argue with that.” I refused to look in the truck’s sideview mirror for fear I’d see something diabolical staring back. “I’m not upset that Dad asked Katherine to stay at Grimlock Manor. I think it was a good idea.”

  “So what are you upset about?”

  “She hates me.”

  “She doesn’t hate you.”

  “She thinks I’m a drunk who shoots off at the mouth.”

  Aidan’s lips curved. “We all think that.”

  “Ha, ha.”

  He sobered as he reached across the console to grip my hand. “Things happen in this line of work and we can’t plan around them. Our lives are a mess right now. Mom’s back. Wraith sightings are more frequent. Now we have some freaking mirror monster to grapple with. We can’t plan around those things, so we have to accept them and move forward.”

  “It just couldn’t have come at a worse time,” I grumbled. “Griffin’s mother is going to think I’m stark raving mad before this is all said and done.”

  “Who cares?”

  “I care. Griffin cares.”

  “I don’t think Griffin cares nearly as much as you think he does,” Aidan countered. “I was there last
night right after it happened. He wasn’t worried about his mother’s reaction at all. In fact, he seemed irritated by her mere presence. He was, however, worried about you.”

  “Because he thought I was drunk and seeing things that weren’t there.”

  “No, he didn’t,” Aidan countered. “When he came over to get us he said that Braden told him something came through the mirror and attacked you. That was never in doubt. If he thought you were drunk and imagining things he would’ve said so.”

  “I guess that’s true.” Aidan’s words made me feel marginally better. “I want her to like me. I can’t get past it. Griffin’s father is dead. I do much better with fathers than mothers. If she doesn’t like me she’ll start planting earworms in Griffin’s head and he’ll start having doubts. I don’t want him to have doubts.”

  “Griffin is completely past the doubt stage,” Aidan argued. “He was unsure at the very beginning. He’s never faltered since then. I don’t think it’s fair to doubt him when he clearly loves you.”

  I made an exaggerated face as I rolled my eyes. “Since when are you a card-carrying member of Griffin’s fan club?”

  “Since he made my sister happy and vowed to love her despite all of her idiosyncrasies,” Aidan replied, not missing a beat. “It doesn’t matter if his mother hates you. That won’t change the fact that he loves you.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “Did Dad hating Griffin make you love him less?”

  “No. Dad never hated Griffin, though.”

  “Oh, he hated him the moment he laid eyes on him,” Aidan countered. “Don’t bother denying it. Dad took one look at him and saw trouble. But do you know what happened once he calmed down?”

  “Yes, he started calling Griffin ‘the handsy cop’ and threatening him with great bodily harm if he tried to do anything dirty with me in Grimlock Manor.”

  Aidan snorted, amused. “That was Dad being Dad. He wouldn’t have really hurt Griffin. Er, well, he wouldn’t have hurt him unless Griffin hurt you, I mean. Dad saw your relationship with Griffin for what it was.”