Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“Hey,” Kevin greets. “I’m going to go get a drink.”
“I’ll come,” Kayla says, looking at me and then at Grace. “Do you want something?”
“I’m good,” she assures them, and I wait for them to walk away before I talk.
“This is amazing,” I finally say, looking around the room watching everyone mingling. “Inside is even better.”
The smile fills her face, and I have the need to bend down and kiss her. I can even see it in my head. “Thank you,” she says, “it was all Sofia.”
“No, it wasn’t,” I say, looking around to make sure no one is around in hearing distance of us before I say what I really want to say, “You look beautiful.”
She looks down, trying to hide her shy smile. Her hair falls to the front, and she tucks it behind her ear before she looks back up at me. “Thank you.”
I want to take a step closer to her, I want to wrap my arm around her and pull her to me. I want everyone here to know she’s off-limits. “There she is,” Nash says from behind me.
I turn and see my parents coming with Nash. He walks past me and toward Grace, kissing her on her cheeks. If we were alone, I would probably grab the back of his jacket and yank him back; instead, I grit my teeth and take another sip of my whiskey. “Mom, Dad,” I start once Nash gets the fuck away from her. “This is Grace Barnes,” I introduce her, “she’s the one who did all this.” I smile with pride. “Grace, these are my parents, Ida and Ernie.”
“Hello,” my mother says, going straight to her and giving her a hug. “We can’t thank you enough.” She kisses both her cheeks. “What you’ve done is amazing.”
“It was my pleasure,” Grace replies softly to her.
“I know your grandfather,” my father states to her, shocking me. My eyebrows pinch together. “Met him a couple of times last year.”
“Really?” she says softly. “He knows everyone, so I’m not surprised.” She’s about to say something else when Loren comes over to her.
She slowly makes her way away from me with my parents in tow. “You don’t know who she is?” Nash prods from beside me, hiding his smirk with his glass tumbler in his hand. “God.” He shakes his head. “I wish I had a camera on your face right now.”
“I’m going to kick the shit out of you,” is my only immature comeback.
“CBS Security,” he says the name that everyone knows.
“What about it?”
“Casey Barnes is her grandfather.” I just stare at him shocked, so much my mouth is gaped open. “So, if you fuck her up, he’s going to make you wish that you lived under a rock.”
seventeen
Grace
“Amazing.” I hear Kayla beside me. “Simply beautiful.” She stares as we walk into the ballroom. I want to say I’m surprised but I’m not. I couldn’t help myself and ran down here this afternoon to make sure everything was okay and in its place.
“It all worked out,” I say, lifting the glass of champagne to my mouth. “Thank fuck.”
She laughs at me. “Incoming,” she warns, and I look up to see Caine’s parents coming over to me with someone beside them. “Later.” She slinks away from me, leaving me with my almost empty glass of champagne.
“Grace, dear,” Ida says to me, “I would like to introduce you to Franklin.” She turns to the man. “He was just singing your praises about this event.”
“Thank you,” I say to the man. “Grace Barnes.” I hold out my hand to shake his.
“Franklin Shatz.” He smiles at me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine.” I smile at him. “Have you been working with the Griffin family for long?”
I see Ida and Ernie share a look, Ernie nodding in approval. “Here and there,” he replies to me.
“Well, if I can do anything to help, please let me know,” I offer to him. “I work out of the DC office, but I’m sure I can help in some way or another.”
“I just might take you up on that,” he states, looking at Ernie. “Give me a call on Monday.” He smiles once more at me before walking away.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Ernie says first.
“He’s like putty in your hands,” Ida adds with a smirk.
“Like my great-grandmother says, kill ’em with kindness.” I grin and finish the glass of champagne in my hand.
“I’d like to kill him all right,” Ida declares, taking a sip of her own champagne. “He’s been wishy-washy since the beginning of time.” She looks around. “I hope Caine is okay with sharing you.”
“I don’t think Caine wants me there most days,” I mumble, hoping his parents don’t pick up on my words. I also make sure I don’t have any more champagne. Luckily, someone else comes up to them and I quietly sneak away.