Before I run out of my room, I grab a hat and a scarf from my closet. Heading back to the front door, I toss both on, flipping the scarf around my neck twice. Once for security, twice for extra warmth. Gray watches me steadily, then opens the door and steps out into the night.
I guess we’re actually doing this. I think to myself. Right before I cross the threshold, I grab my keys and shove those into my pocket, too.
In the cold November night, Gray stands at the foot of the stairs leading up to the front door. His face is turned up, bathed in the silver glow of the half-moon. It’s snowing, and flecks of it are sticking to his hair and eyelashes. Little white puffs kissing his skin and clothes. He looks so peaceful, so content, that I don’t want to do anything to disturb him.
All I can do is stand there in admiration and wonder when the last time it was he felt the snow on his skin. He might be an old as hell vampire, but that doesn’t take away from the century hemissed out on. If it was me in his place, I know for a fact I’d be feeling some sort of disconnect. Confusion? Yes. Anger? Even moreso. He said he was bad, but how bad did someone have to be to lose so much time when they had nothing but?
“Ready to go?” Gray asks, his voice drawing me back.
“Let’s get on with it.” I sigh and step forward. Gray holds his arms out for me, and I’m at once thankful for the chunky scarf. He can’t see how red my cheeks are from blushing.
“Don’t worry,” he says as he dips his arms under my knees, “I’ll be gentle.”
Secured against his chest, Gray takes off. I turn into him and bury my face in his shirt. If I have to suffer the cold against his inhuman run, then I’m going to take advantage of the nearness and lose myself in the warm, spiced scent of him.
This time, running from one place to another isn’t as bad. The wind is blowing in against Gray’s back, and I’m actually wearing clothes under my coat as opposed to being half-naked. Major improvement.
“Here we are,” Gray says after we stop moving. He sets me down on my feet, one hand pressed against the small of my back as if to steady me. I appreciate the gesture. The run has me a little disoriented.
“Yup. Here we are,” I repeat. Seeing the structure again so soon, with it just steps away, makes me shiver. Unwanted panic stirs in my chest, but I can’t let it get the better of me. I’m not alone and I’m not running from anything.And Gray is with me.
“Let’s head in, shall we?” He starts for the front doors, but I stop him.
“Not that way.” I shake my head, and point to my left. If we go around the corner, we can find the window I fell through instead.
“No?” he asks, one brow raised.
“Just trust me.” Gray doesn’t argue, though he does appearskeptical.
The last thing I want to do is cause more structural damage and risk a nosy local reporting it for vandalism. We might be discreet creatures of the night, but that doesn’t mean people don’t come here during the day. My worst fear is that the police department catches wind and sends in their best detectives to investigate the secret room that leads to the tower. There isn’t a single doubt in my mind that they would find blood—mine and my attacker’s—splattered all over the place.
Maybe it’s paranoia, but I’ve watched enough shows to know my way around a crime scene. Doesn’t hurt that my ex is also a fucking bloodhound. Ronnie would be number one at the scene. She loves a good murder case.
“I came in this way,” I tell Gray when we get to the broken window around the back.
His eyes widen comically. “Gods, woman, how did you manage to make it through there?”
“It’s not that high.” Then again, he has a point. Looking at it now with fresh eyes, I realize it’s more than high enough from the ground to cause a struggle. I shrug. Must have been the adrenaline that got me up and over.
“Help me up,” I tell him. Gray steps forward and lifts me over the sill. I straddle it, waiting for him to go through so he can help me down from the other side. It’s a tight fit, and as he goes through, he grazes my body with hiseverything. I shudder, hoping that I can behave myself while we’re here.
Changing the terms of our deal is sounding extra fucking good after earlier.
Focus, Millie. Focus!
“I can’t believe you did this on your own,” he remarks, helping me down from the window. I land with much more grace this time, thanks to him.
“Honestly? Neither can I.” Especially not in my eight-inch heeled boots, may they rest in peace.
“And in that flimsy little costume, too,” he adds, as if reading my mind.
A nervous laugh escapes me. “Yeah, that too.”
Gray follows me down the hall to the priest’s office. Retracing my steps isn’t as hard as I expected, and it isn’t giving me a massive anxiety attack. I was sure the minute that I stepped foot inside this place, I would lose my cool and have to wait outside while I ran through all of my favorite grounding techniques. But here I am, confident with every step I take. Unfortunately, I get the feeling that the further in we go, the less assured Gray feels. He’s quiet and hangs back a few paces. I might have been the one attacked here, but he was the one who was bound to it for a lifetime.
“Are you okay?” I stop to ask before we enter the office. The door is wide open, and I can see the wardrobe behind the desk is, too.
Gray closes his eyes at the threshold of the door. He’s still as a statue. “I’m… struggling.”
