Grim Holiday (Aisling Grimlock Book 6) Read online

“Uh-huh.” I cast my eyes to Griffin. “I don’t remember anything. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not the end of the world.” Pemberton didn’t look bothered by my faux amnesia. “So, what’s going to happen tonight is that you’re going to eat some chicken noodle soup, drink as much juice as possible and go to bed early. You will be allowed one overnight guest – just one, I don’t care how much money your father throws around – and then we will discuss future concerns tomorrow morning. How does that sound?”

  “Like you’re impotent and you get your jollies bossing helpless women around,” I answered automatically.

  Griffin’s shoulders shook with silent laughter as he buried his face in my hair, making sure to avoid Pemberton’s dark look as Maya sucked in her cheeks and stared at the checkered floor. Only my father bothered to respond.

  “She has a head injury,” Dad offered. “You said her personality might take a few days to return to normal.”

  “I did say that.” Pemberton bobbed his head. “Is her personality vastly different?”

  Dad’s smile warmed my heart. “No, she’s still my baby. She always was a monster.”

  Despite himself, Pemberton smiled. “Yes, well, I think we’re all glad that she’s okay. I’ll leave you and Detective Taylor to fight to the death to see who gets to stay with her.”

  “I’m not leaving.” The words were barely out of Pemberton’s mouth when Griffin issued the decree. “I’m not leaving this hospital until she goes with me. Period. It’s simply not going to happen.”

  Dad stared at him a moment, his expression unreadable. “I’ll go home,” he said after a beat. “I’ll give your brothers and Jerry an update – and hide all of the vehicle keys and phones so no one can call a cab and rush to the hospital – and then everyone will get some sleep and make plans to visit tomorrow.”

  “I do not want this girl inundated with visitors,” Pemberton pressed. “She needs her rest.”

  “No, I need the people I love,” I countered. “I want Jerry. I want my brothers.”

  “Can’t you pick a favorite brother?” Pemberton challenged.

  I shook my head. “I want all of them.”

  Pemberton blew out a resigned sigh. “Fine. We’ll figure something out. For the rest of today, though, you are to rest and let this one do everything for you.” He wagged a finger in Griffin’s direction. “You are not to exert yourself in any way.”

  “Aw, man,” I complained, widening my eyes. “And here I was going to put on my dirty cheerleading costume and spell out your name with my pompoms, Griffin.”

  Griffin laughed so hard I thought he would fall off the bed. Dad merely shook his head.

  “It’s good to have you back.” Dad kissed my forehead. “We’ll talk about the filthy pompoms later.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  AFTER SEVERAL HOURS of tests, chicken noodle soup and tomato juice, I was ready to settle down. In deference to Jerry, Griffin changed the channel so we wouldn’t accidentally watch The Golden Girls without my best friend. I knew Jerry well enough to realize he’d consider it a betrayal.

  “How about Modern Family?” Griffin asked, clutching the remote. “You like that show.”

  “Whatever. I’m easy.” I shifted so I was on my side and could rest my cheek against Griffin’s chest. “We don’t need to watch anything.”

  “I’m good with that, too.” Griffin clicked off the television, dropped the remote on the table and carefully wrapped his arms around my back, rubbing his fingers lightly over my spine. “Aisling, you’ll never know how happy I am that you opened your eyes, that you came back to me.”

  He sounded near tears again, which gutted me. “I’m sorry you went through so much. I honestly would’ve made an effort to get back sooner, but I had no idea I was floating for so long.”

  “You did what you had to do. You held on. The doctor said you should make a full recovery.”

  “No, what the doctor said was that he couldn’t figure out why I was unconscious for so long, and then he questioned me about the burns on my arm,” I clarified, my mind busy even as weariness threatened to overtake me. “I had to lie and say I don’t remember anything when I actually remember everything.”

  Griffin pressed his lips against my forehead … one, twice, three times … and then sighed. “I almost wish you didn’t remember it. Aidan said you looked shocked … that you cried out and were obviously in pain.”

  “I don’t remember the pain after the initial blow,” I clarified. “That hurt like crazy, but I was too surprised to really absorb it.”

  “That makes me feel marginally better.”

  I lifted my eyes to his. “I’m sorry.”

  “Aisling, don’t apologize to me. It makes me feel sick to my stomach. You didn’t do anything.”

  “I worried you. I didn’t mean to do that. I had no idea there was a mirror between the vending machines.”

  “Neither did Aidan,” Griffin offered, rubbing his fingers over my skin. He seemingly couldn’t get enough of me. I knew that would fade as the crisis passed, but I enjoyed it for the time being. “He blames himself, Aisling. He said he should’ve looked, been more careful.”

  “How could he possibly know that mirror would be there?”

  “He seemed to think the creature was waiting for you,” Griffin noted. “Maybe even that it knew you would pass by that mirror at a certain time, but I’m not sure how that’s possible.”

  “What if it doesn’t matter what mirror I move past?” I suggested, casting a wary look toward the small one at the far end of the room. “What if the creature is waiting for me to walk past any mirror? Maybe I’ve been safe the past couple of days because I’ve been trapped in bed and unable to step in front of a mirror.”

  Griffin followed my gaze, tightening his arms around me. “Do you want me to get rid of that mirror? I never even noticed it. I was so busy looking at you that I couldn’t think of anything else.”

  “Oh, that’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me,” I teased.

  Griffin attempted to smile, but the emotion didn’t make it all the way to his eyes. “I love you so much.” He choked out the words, causing my eyes to fill with tears. “Oh, don’t cry, baby.”

  “I love you, too.” I sniffled, feeling a bit pathetic. “If you cry I have to cry. I don’t make the rules, but I do have to follow them.”

  “That is totally and completely lovely,” Griffin deadpanned, a tear sliding down his cheek.

  “You’re tired.” I caught the tear and fought to keep mine from joining in the potential tear fest. “I’m a little tired, too.”

  “You go to sleep,” Griffin suggested. “I’ll stay up and make sure you’re all right.”

  “No.” I shook my head despite the pain. My noggin wasn’t keen on sharp movements and it ached in protest. “I want you to sleep with me. You’re going to need your rest if you expect to wait on me hand and foot once I get out of here.”

  Griffin barked out a genuine laugh, the sound touching my soul and making me feel better. “You’ve got it all figured out, huh?”

  “I think you should wear a sexy outfit when you do it.”

  “I will wear whatever you want.” Griffin pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Now that you’ve brought up the mirror, though, I’m not going to be able to sleep as long as it’s in the room. I need to get rid of it.”

  “What are you going to tell the doctor if he asks why you’re removing it?”

  “I’ll say you’re afraid to look in the mirror because you think you might be deformed. He’ll believe that.”

  I scowled. “Great. Now I really am afraid to look in the mirror for another reason.”

  “You’re beautiful, Aisling. You always are.” Griffin moved to slide away from me so he could remove the mirror, but the door opened and my mother stepped inside. Griffin instinctively clutched me closer when he saw her. “Mrs. Grimlock, I’m not sure now is the time for a family …
chat.”

  “I have no intention of chatting with anyone,” Mom said, her eyes conflicted as they locked with mine. “I didn’t know you were awake until I saw you talking. No one called me.”

  “Don’t feel bad. We didn’t call anyone.” I licked my lips as I stared. “Were you here the whole time, too? Dad didn’t mention that.”

  “I wasn’t here the whole time. I was in and out … watching … waiting … hoping.”

  “And did your hopes come to fruition?”

  Mom’s smile was wry. “Yes.”

  “Well, how great for all of us.” I couldn’t stifle the escaping yawn. “Do you know what the mirror monster is?”

  Mom shook her head. “No. We’re looking. Cillian is conducting research, but this is a new one for all of us.”

  “Has anyone else seen it since I went down?”

  “No. It seems to be fixated on you. We’ve performed various experiments, even trying to call it to us so we could kill it, but nothing has happened.”

  “So it’s fixated on me.” I should’ve figured that. “Well, I guess I owe you a thank you for checking on me,” I hedged. “I’m not sure what else to say.”

  “You don’t have to say anything.” Mom snagged the mirror off the wall and stared at it a moment. “I’m going to take this with me, just to be on the safe side.”

  “Thank you,” Griffin offered, heaving a sigh as his body went limp.

  “I’ll also be monitoring the hallways throughout the night,” Mom added. “You can rest, Griffin. I think you need it as much as she does.”

  That was the first thing my mother and I agreed upon in a very long time. “Thank you, Mom.”

  “You’re welcome, Aisling. Get some sleep.” Mom rested her hand on the door and turned back before leaving. “You have a prime opportunity here. You’ll be able to milk this one long and hard. Give it some thought before you start making requests. Every man in your life will be willing to spoil you. You should take advantage of it.”

  I didn’t bother to hide my grin as Griffin arched a dubious eyebrow. “I’ve already been thinking.” I rested my head against the pillow and pressed my cheek to Griffin’s chest. “I’m going to make a list in the morning.”

  Mom smiled, seemingly amused. “That sounds like a plan. Griffin, you heard her. You’re going to need your rest to keep up. I’ll handle watch duty for this evening. Close your eyes, boy. You’re as exhausted as she is, and that’s won’t do her any good over the long haul.”

  Griffin looked as if he wanted to argue, but all he could do was nod. “Thank you.”

  “You don’t need to thank me,” Mom countered. “Just rest up. I fear we’ll have a fight in front of us before long. We’ll all need our strength.” With those words she disappeared through the door. I could do nothing but shake my head.

  “She’s so freaking creepy.”

  Griffin chuckled. “Go to sleep, Aisling. She may be creepy, but she’s right.”

  “I will sleep if you’ll do the same.”

  Griffin pressed a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth. “I couldn’t sleep without you. I think I’ll finally be able to rest now.”

  I thought that was probably true for both of us.

  15

  Fifteen

  Two more days in the hospital was all I could take. I declared myself ready to go home that first night, although everyone disagreed with me. I declared my intentions the next night and only half of my family and friends – all of whom converged on the hospital first thing in the morning – agreed with me. By the third night, I was pretty sure Pemberton was ready to kill me and all of my loved ones – including Griffin – and was ready to bow to my will.

  Despite all of that, Pemberton refused to let me bully him. I had to respect the guy – even though I totally wanted to kick him in the gonads and rub his face in Redmond’s armpit until he cried for mercy.

  “You are not leaving this hospital until I am happy with your test results,” Pemberton announced. “That means that you will be here at least until tomorrow morning. Do you understand?”

  I stuck out my tongue and blew a raspberry as Griffin shifted to get comfortable on one side of me and Braden held on for dear life so he wouldn’t be knocked from the bed on the other.

  “I’ll take that as a yes,” Pemberton muttered, casting a disdainful look around the room. “What happened to the visitation limits?”

  Maya held her hands palms up and shrugged. “It’s the oddest thing, doctor. All of the nurses on the floor appear to be aware of the rule, yet they forget to enforce it whenever they see one of the Grimlock brothers. I’m baffled, quite frankly.”

  Cillian pressed his lips together, amused by Maya’s innocent act. Despite his agitation, Pemberton also almost looked as if he would laugh.

  “Yes, you’re all absolutely darling.” Pemberton pressed his hand to my forehead. “What hurts today, Aisling?”

  This was a game we played at least twice a day. I wasn’t sure what answer he was looking for, but I was tempted to show him where I hurt with my foot if he wasn’t careful.

  “Nothing hurts,” I answered, focusing on the television.

  Pemberton raised a dubious eyebrow. “I know that’s not true. I am not asking you to be pain free before allowing you to go home. I am asking you what hurts so I can decide if it’s an acceptable pain. I don’t believe that’s unfair.”

  “Tell him, Aisling,” Dad prodded, shifting on his chair and shooting Jerry a dirty look as my best friend did his level best to remain inconspicuous in front of Pemberton. He was never technically cleared to return to the hospital because of his attitude. Pemberton pretended he didn’t seem him, though, so it worked out well for everyone.

  “My shoulders hurt a bit,” I admitted, making a face.

  “I should think so,” Pemberton intoned. “They were bruised and almost purple when you were brought in. That will get better and is not life-threatening. What else hurts?”

  I shrugged. “The back of my head near my ear hurts a little bit.”

  “Right or left side?”

  “Left.”

  “That’s your incision site,” Pemberton noted. “The stitches shouldn’t have to be removed. It will itch a bit in a few days, but you should be back to normal there within a week.”

  “He acts as if that’s a good thing,” Redmond teased, earning an elbow in the stomach from Cillian.

  “What else hurts?” Pemberton prompted.

  “Just my back from being stuck in bed … and my legs are a little cramped.”

  “You can walk around your room if that’s the case.”

  “Not in this stupid gown,” I argued. “Plus, I haven’t shaved my legs in almost a week. I look like a wookie.”

  “Your legs look better than Griffin’s face,” Aidan teased. “He looks like a wookie.”

  I cocked an eyebrow as I shifted my eyes to my furry boyfriend. He kept his word and absolutely refused to leave the hospital as long as I was locked inside. The longest he walked away was twenty minutes when he went to the bathroom and for a sink bath to alleviate the smell. His neediness was both adorable and grating.

  “He’s handsome,” I argued, touching his beard. “I need to go home so he can shave, though. I’m ready to get some action, but I’m terrified of rug burn.”

  Dad made a horrified face as he slapped his hand to his forehead. “My only daughter, ladies and gentlemen.”

  “Who are you talking to when you say things like that?” I asked curiously.

  “Clearly myself,” Dad replied, shifting his gaze to Pemberton. “I don’t want to remove Aisling from the hospital before she’s ready, but I can afford special help if she needs it. You have to be tired of my children – and Jerry and Griffin, for that matter – so why not give her the all-clear to go home?”

  “If she passes all of my tests tomorrow, I will,” Pemberton replied. “Speaking of that, she’s going to need to rest while she’s at home, and that means someone must constantly be
around, at least for a few days.”

  “I’m trying to get the time off work,” Griffin volunteered. “I’ve already taken almost six days off but if I have to do it without pay … .”

  “Wait a second,” I interrupted, waving my hand. “Do you want to be off from work?”

  “I … have no idea how I’m supposed to answer that question,” Griffin admitted. “It sounds like a trap.”

  “I know what she’s getting at.” Dad leaned forward and cleared his throat. “While I know this won’t be popular with Griffin – and perhaps not Aisling – I want you at Grimlock Manor. It only makes sense. I have maids … and cooks … and Maya is always there spending the night with Cillian.”

  I opened my mouth to argue, instead licking my lips to buy myself time. When I said I wanted to go home, I meant the townhouse. Now that Dad mentioned Grimlock Manor, though, the idea of going there was appealing.

  Griffin shifted his eyes to me, as if reading my mind. “What do you want?”

  “What do you want?”

  Griffin wagged a finger in my face. “This is not about me.”

  “This is about you as much as it is about me,” I argued. “I originally wanted to go home, but now I’m thinking Grimlock Manor is a better idea.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the food is better, everyone will be safe together under one roof – including your mother, who I hear is still in town even though you’ve barely seen her,” I answered. “In addition to that, I’ll never be alone and you can return to work. I think spending so much time together is irritating you.”

  “Baby, I want to spend every moment of every day with you,” Griffin argued. “I do worry my boss will give me grief about missing more time so close to the holidays. It will mess with people’s vacations.”

  “So it’s settled,” Dad interjected. “Aisling comes home. You come with her. That allows Aidan and Jerry to come, too. The house is more than big enough for everyone. It’s the perfect solution.”

  “And you get Aisling under your thumb so you can spoil her rotten,” Redmond teased, grinning.