Grim Rising (Aisling Grimlock Book 7) Read online

  I really couldn’t. “Hurry up,” I said finally. “I want to get out of here and grab more coffee.” I had no idea why, but Dauphine’s mere presence made me uncomfortable. There was something about her, something almost familiar, and yet I was sure I’d never met her before.

  “I’m on it.” Jerry tapped his fingers to prod Dauphine to move faster. “You have to try on another dress at the other store, though. It’s only fair, and I’ll whine if you don’t.”

  I would do just about anything to get out of this store. I grew more uncomfortable with each passing second. “Consider it done.”

  5

  FIVE

  Griffin suggested a nice evening out – romantic dinner and a walk through the fresh snow – so I spent the afternoon at Jerry’s bakery while I waited for him to join us. Griffin loved snow, but I couldn’t figure out why. Thankfully, we didn’t get too much of it in southeastern Michigan, and we were only a month from spring.

  I was going to make it. I was almost sure of it.

  Jerry worked diligently behind the counter, smiling at his customers and sketching out flamboyant cake ideas for interested parties while I munched on cookies and mainlined caffeine. By the time Griffin showed up, I was practically bouncing off the walls.

  “Hey.” Griffin didn’t seem to be in a hurry when he dropped a kiss on my forehead and took the seat across from me. “How was your day? Find a dress?”

  “She didn’t, and she was a total monster,” Jerry answered for me, pouring a mug of coffee for Griffin before delivering it to the table. “She’s agitated.”

  Griffin studied Jerry for a long moment before focusing on me. “I thought we talked about this.”

  “We did.” I scorched Jerry with a warning look before continuing. “But picking out a dress is a big deal, and I don’t want anything overly fancy. Every single thing we looked at was covered in lace. Oh, and there was one covered in rhinestones.”

  “That dress was fabulous,” Jerry argued. “I thought you looked like a princess.”

  And therein was the problem. “Jerry, I know you have a prince fetish, but I never wanted to be a princess.”

  “You wanted to be Princess Leia.”

  “That doesn’t count. She kicked ass.”

  “And she looked pretty – and sometimes even fancy – while doing it,” Jerry said. “Why can’t you be that kind of princess?”

  Jerry’s probably thought that was a simple question. For me, it was something else entirely. “Whatever.”

  Griffin’s face lit with amusement as he sipped his coffee and leaned back in his chair. He was used to Jerry’s antics, and often found them funny. He also found Jerry’s theatrics tedious at times, but this was clearly not one of them. “Have you considered sitting down with a designer, explaining what you want, and having something made just for you?”

  I shifted on my chair, surprised. “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I assume that’s expensive.”

  “Okay, well … .” Griffin didn’t finish the sentence, his mind clearly busy as he debated the best way to address the big pink elephant – decked out in a wedding dress, of all things – circling the room. Luckily for him, he didn’t have to voice the question. Jerry was more than willing to do it for him.

  “Why do you care if it’s expensive?” Jerry challenged. “Your father will pay for it.”

  I clamped my teeth together and focused on a spot over Jerry’s shoulder.

  “She doesn’t know if she wants to ask her father for money when it comes to the wedding,” Griffin supplied. “She’s … struggling … with the idea.”

  Jerry was appalled. “Why? He’s your father. He’s also rich. He won’t care about the money.”

  I was fairly certain that was true. “Shouldn’t I care about the money?”

  “I have no idea,” Jerry replied. “Last time I checked, it was customary for the father to pay for the wedding if he’s able. News flash, Bug, your father has more than enough money to not only make you look like a princess on your wedding day but actually bribe someone to make you a real princess.”

  “But … .”

  “No.” Jerry extended a finger and wagged it in my face. “Don’t make me go around you and tell your father what you’re thinking. He won’t be happy, and I won’t feel even a little bit guilty for telling on you if I have to.”

  “I hate to agree with Jerry, Aisling, but I think you’re going to hurt your father’s feelings if you don’t involve him in the process,” Griffin added. “You’re his only daughter. It’s not as if he’s going to go broke paying for weddings.”

  “Listen to Griffin,” Jerry ordered. “He’s wise and he knows what he’s talking about.”

  Well, great. There’s nothing I like better than being ganged up on. “I’ll think about it.” I dragged a hand through my hair. The idea of sitting down with my father and talking about wedding plans filled me with a dread I hadn’t felt in … well, since a mirror monster started stalking me and put me in the hospital. Perhaps that wasn’t the best comparison.

  “Speaking of things that we need to talk about,” Jerry hinted.

  Crap! He was going to make things even worse. “Are you ready for dinner?” I asked Griffin, pasting a bright smile on my face. “I thought we could get Italian. That’s your favorite, and it sounds really good on a cold night like this.”

  Griffin’s a police detective, so he’s good at reading people. We met over a dead body, in fact. I lied and he figured out I was lying with minimal effort. That’s one of my least favorite things about him. The look he gave me now was one of mild contempt.

  “What’s going on?” Griffin asked. “Did something happen today?”

  “It did,” I confirmed, bobbing my head. “We ran into Angelina, and my insults were terrible. I was embarrassed by some of them.”

  “Yeah, that wasn’t a highlight of our afternoon,” Jerry agreed. “But that’s not what I was talking about.”

  “What were you talking about?” Griffin asked, his voice calm even though I sensed the danger lurking beneath his quiet veneer.

  “We went to a voodoo shop,” I said, desperate to turn the conversation. “The woman who owns it acted weird, and Jerry bought a bunch of curses and voodoo dolls.”

  “Great. I can’t wait to see them.” The smile Griffin shot in my direction promised mayhem. “What is Jerry specifically talking about, though? I doubt very much it has anything to do with your stop at that voodoo store, which has been the source of several complaints over the past few weeks, by the way.”

  Oh, well, that was interesting. I’d much rather focus on that. “Is she a con artist? I’m betting she’s a con artist.”

  “Don’t.” Griffin flicked his eyes to Jerry. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  “I’m sorry, Bug.” Jerry mustered a chagrined smile. “You’re going to be angry, but I warned you I was going to tell him. When you take your revenge, remember I’m your best friend and I love you.”

  “I really hate you right now,” I muttered, staring at the table.

  “I love you dearly.” Jerry patted my shoulder as a form of solace and then immediately opened his big mouth as he locked gazes with Griffin. “Aisling is worried that you deserve better than her because she keeps attracting trouble. I told her she was being ridiculous, but she won’t listen.

  “The thing is, she has attracted a decent amount of trouble over the past year, but I honestly don’t think it’s her fault,” he continued. “She’s worried that she’s ruining your life by constantly putting you in danger, and she’s feeling sorry for herself while she’s doing it.”

  “I see.” Griffin’s eyes were dark as they met mine.

  “Oh, I feel so much better now that I’ve told you.” Jerry beamed as he moved away from the table. “Does anyone want more coffee or cookies?”

  “No. Thank you.” Griffin slowly got to his feet. “We’re going to head to dinner. I appreciate you telling me, Jerry. I’ll fi
x it before the end of the night.”

  “See. I knew you would.” Jerry’s grin was so self-satisfied I wanted to knock it into his mouth so he choked. “Have a romantic dinner, guys.”

  “I’ll make you pay for this later,” I called to his back, doing my best to avoid Griffin’s heated gaze. “So … um … hmm.”

  “Yeah, you’re not getting out of talking about this.” Griffin extended his hand. “Come on. We’ll get dinner and then have a very deep discussion about what an idiot you are.”

  I scowled, frustration coursing through me. “I want to point out that I had no intention of bothering you with this. I told Jerry because I needed someone to talk to. He’s the one with the big mouth. If he’d kept it to himself, none of this would’ve happened.”

  “Yeah, we’re going to talk about that, too.” Griffin helped me tug on my coat, taking time to wrap my scarf around my neck and help me into my gloves. He then took me by surprise when he gave me a soft kiss, although his expression remained dark. “I love you, but you’re a massive idiot sometimes. You know that, right?”

  Oh, geez. It was going to be one of those nights. “I’m willing to make naked snow angels with you if you forget this whole thing?”

  “No.”

  Crap!

  “What about naked bed angels?”

  This time Griffin cracked a smile. “Come on. I promise this won’t be nearly as painful as you think it will be.”

  I couldn’t help having my doubts.

  “THAT WAS PRETTY good, but now I have garlic breath.”

  I exhaled heavily in Griffin’s face to prove my point. Dinner had been a quiet affair, Griffin talking about his day and me re-enacting my lame insult attempt when it came to Angelina. He didn’t so much as bring up what Jerry said. I thought I’d gotten away with it – perhaps he’d forgotten – but he was anxious to talk the minute we hit the sidewalk.

  “How could you possibly think that my life would be better without you?”

  Oh, geez. Jerry is the bane of my existence. I’m going to make him cry for this. Never doubt that for a second. “That’s not what I said.” I moved to pull my hand from his, but he didn’t allow it. “I just meant that … you’re not always safe when you’re with me.”

  “No, I’m not,” Griffin agreed, tightening his grip on my fingers. “Stop trying to pull away from me. It’s driving me crazy.”

  There was a double meaning to his words, and I couldn’t help feeling a bit guilty. “I don’t ever want to pull away from you. But when you love someone you want what’s best for them above all else. I’m not sure I’m what’s best for you.”

  “You are.”

  “What if you die?”

  “Then it had better be because I was trying to keep you safe,” Griffin replied without hesitation. “What if you die?”

  “Then you’ll probably be safe again.”

  “Oh, knock it off.” Griffin used his free hand to flick my ear. “You’re coming up with every excuse you can think of right now, and it’s really starting to agitate me. You said yes. We’re getting married. I’m happy. I want you. Get over it.”

  I sighed. “You’re kind of bossy.”

  “That’s rich coming from you.”

  “Speaking of rich … I’m uncomfortable talking to my father about this. I don’t know what to say to him.”

  “Do you want me to do it?”

  It was a nice offer, but I couldn’t help picturing Griffin lying in a pool of blood on the other side of Dad’s desk. “I think I’d better do it.”

  “Are you going to do it?” Griffin slowed his pace. “Baby, I’m not lying when I say that your father’ feelings will be hurt if you don’t include him. He’s your father. You’re his only daughter. Do you know what he said to me when I asked his permission to marry you?”

  No, but I’d been dying to ask that very question ever since I found out Griffin went the old-fashioned route. “Did he pull a gun?”

  Griffin snorted, genuinely amused. “No. He got all misty-eyed and said yes. Then he called me ‘son.’ Then he told me I was to watch my wandering hands even after I proposed, because he wasn’t going to suddenly pretend he didn’t see them.”

  “He got misty-eyed?” I couldn’t picture that. “Really?”

  “Aisling, of course he did. He wants to be part of this. I don’t understand why you’re so mental all of a sudden. Don’t most women get excited about the idea of picking out a dress?”

  “Probably,” I conceded. “That was never my thing growing up. All I cared about was being one of the boys. I didn’t want to be treated differently.”

  “And I can see that,” Griffin conceded, resuming our walk. “You’re still a girl. You can be excited for this, talk to me about it, and still not lose your precious street cred. You know that, right?”

  He was so earnest the thing I wanted most was to believe him. “I did kind of get some ideas today while we were shopping. I didn’t really like anything I saw, but I got some ideas.”

  “That’s good.” We lapsed into amiable silence for a few minutes, Griffin breaking it first. “Tell me about your run-in with Madame Dauphine.”

  I didn’t bother to hide my surprise when I shifted my gaze to him. “You’ve met her?”

  “No. She’s technically out of my jurisdiction. However, Brett Saunders – you remember I introduced you to him at the big Christmas party – he’s working a missing persons case, and the last place anyone saw his victim was at Madame Dauphine’s voodoo shop.”

  Oh, well, that was interesting. It was also a conversation that didn’t make me feel weak or silly. “That can’t be her real name. She’s trying to run this Marie Laveau shtick with the way she carries herself, but I’ve got her number.”

  “Who is Marie Laveau?”

  “She was a New Orleans voodoo priestess. She was born in the early 1800s. She had a Creole mother and a free man of color as her father. She gave birth to, like, fifteen kids I think, but only one made it to adulthood.”

  “Is that why people thought she was a voodoo priestess?” Griffin asked.

  “No, she told people she was a voodoo priestess. I’ve been trying to remember a lot of this since we met Dauphine because I was honestly struck by the similarities. It was obvious that she was playing a part by the way she was dressed … and the way she talked to me, as if she’d been around a very long time even though she was only in her fifties or so.

  “Marie Laveau married a couple of times, worked as a hairdresser because she got a lot of gossip from the rich white women of the time, and she was rumored to have a really big snake that she carried around,” I continued. “A lot of the stuff they write about her can’t be substantiated, so she’s taken on mythic proportions in certain circles.”

  “And you think this Madame Dauphine is trying to emulate her?”

  “I think she’s playing a part for anyone who will fall for it,” I clarified. “Jerry certainly believed her spiel. He spent like two hundred bucks on voodoo dolls.”

  “And why did you go into her store when you were supposed to be shopping for a wedding dress?”

  “Because we followed Angelina after she won the insult war for the day. We were in a coffee shop and I happened to see Angelina enter the voodoo store,” I explained. “I thought that would be a way for me to redeem myself.”

  “And did you?”

  “She was already gone by the time we got over there. I think she must’ve left through the back door or something. It was odd.”

  “Did you ask Madame Dauphine why she was there?”

  “That’s none of my business.”

  Griffin didn’t comment.

  “Of course I asked what she was doing there,” I said, causing Griffin to chuckle when I changed course. “Madame Dauphine wouldn’t say. She said it was private … as if she was a doctor or something.”

  “I’m not sure what to make of her, so I want you to be careful if you go back,” Griffin said. “My best guess is that she’s som
e kind of grifter. That Marie Laveau thing you mentioned is interesting. I’ll have Saunders conduct some research.”

  “I have no intention of going back. I only went the first time because I wanted to make Angelina cry.”

  “Yes, well, you’re nothing if not consistent.” Griffin squeezed my hand. “About the other thing … .”

  “Oh, do we have to go back to that?” I did my best to ignore how whiny I sounded.

  “We’re not going to argue,” Griffin said. “I need you to know that I can’t live without you, though. I get that there’s danger and you can’t always tell when it’s going to show up, but that doesn’t change how I feel about you. It never will.”

  The words were enough to make me feel silly … and a little better. “I’m sorry I’m such a pill. It’s just … this is new to me. I’ve never done this before.”

  “And you’re only going to do it once, so I get why you’re worked up,” Griffin said. “Try talking to me instead of freaking out. I know I’ve told you that two days in a row now, but it would actually make me feel better if I thought you were listening.”

  “I’ll do my best,” I said, my shoulder slamming into a man walking in the opposite direction. He didn’t even try to avoid the contact. “Hey, walk much?”

  The man didn’t respond with words. Instead he let loose an unearthly growl and extended his hands toward my neck. I was caught off guard, so I didn’t have a chance to plant my feet, and the next thing I knew I was tumbling to the snow-covered pavement.

  “Son of a … !”

  6

  SIX

  The snow did nothing to cushion my fall. Pain ricocheted through my back and the elbow I instinctively reached out with to slow my downward momentum. I groaned as I hit, shifting my hips. I knew I wasn’t in danger of dying from the blow but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t break something.

  “Aisling?” Griffin moved to help, reaching for me instead of the man on top of me.