prick her finger on a thorn in the process.
Bloody Gabriel Ryan. Why couldn’t he have just said no?
She sucked the blood from her finger and watched through the window as Gabe, assisted by one of the bridal party, deposited the first coffin onto the grass and strode back over to his lair to fetch a second one. He’d fit right in with this crowd, she thought, not quite able to take her eyes off the sight of his retreating denim-clad backside.
Once they’d set the second coffin down on the grass, Gabe shook Alaric’s hand. His eyes flicked over the groom’s shoulder to Marla as she struggled through the doorway with a huge cardboard box in her arms. Even amongst the impressive display of gothic cleavage that surrounded him, her relatively demure black lace dress clung to her curves in a way that rendered it indecent. Gelvira jiggled up and down with excitement next to him and waved her arms at Marla.
‘Over here!’
Gabe clocked Marla’s gritted teeth through her smile as she headed their way. He grinned, happy in the knowledge of how much it would grieve her that her guests had chosen to call on his help.
‘Marla. This is an unexpected pleasure.’
Her eyes flashed with ill-concealed fury. ‘Thank you, Gabriel. For your help, I mean.’
He could see that the outwardly cordial words cost her dearly. He leaned over to lift the box from her arms and took the opportunity to whisper in her ear.
‘See? I told you. Good things
can
happen when we work together.’
He heard her sharp intake of breath and winked imperceptibly as he pulled back and upended the petals all over a laughing Gelvira, who had climbed into the coffin.
‘Bluey, no!’ Emily’s frantic shout rang out across the grass as the over-enthusiastic Great Dane bounded past her out of the side doorway of the chapel to join in the festivities. He made a beeline for the coffins and jumped straight into the empty one next to Gelvira on the grass.
‘Here, boy!’ Marla called out, aware that the sheer size of her fur boy was enough to spook most people. Even spooks. But Alaric, thankfully, fell instantly for the big hound with his droopy jaws and comic sense of timing. He stole a top hat from one of the guests and placed it on Bluey’s huge head, as someone else unwound their black tie and placed it around the dog’s neck. To everyone’s amusement, Bluey posed solemnly between the happy couple in their coffins.
‘One for the album,’ Gabe murmured to Jonny, who grinned and turned pink beneath his theatrical make up. He couldn’t help it. It might be fraternising with the enemy, but he was high on the success of the wedding and Gabe was too hot to freeze out.
Emily leaned against the porch and laughed, right up to the moment when Dan pulled up in the hearse at which point she promptly threw up behind the nearest mock-headstone.
Alaric and Gelvira finally roared off into the sunset on a Harley, whilst their guests splintered off to scare the locals and boost the pub’s coffers. Jonny vanished with a transvestite bride of Dracula and Marla packed off a still-distinctly-green-around-the-gills Emily off home to bed.
Which just left Gabe.
Chapter Thirteen
‘I guess I should say thank you again.’
Gabe followed her along the aisle into the kitchen. ‘Go on then. I’m all ears.’
Marla reached for the coffee jar, but then thought better of it and grabbed a bottle of wine down out of the cupboard instead. ‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?’
Why did saying thank you have to feel like such a huge admission of defeat?
She knew she owed him that much: he hadn’t called the police about the window last week, and now he’d gone undeniably out of his way to make Alaric and Gelvira’s wedding day perfect.
‘You’re welcome, Marla.’ His soft laugh excused her reluctance to verbalise the apology, but somehow it made it worse too. Did he have to keep displaying that vein of decency and making her feel like a fool?
She reached down a
Bloody Gabriel Ryan. Why couldn’t he have just said no?
She sucked the blood from her finger and watched through the window as Gabe, assisted by one of the bridal party, deposited the first coffin onto the grass and strode back over to his lair to fetch a second one. He’d fit right in with this crowd, she thought, not quite able to take her eyes off the sight of his retreating denim-clad backside.
Once they’d set the second coffin down on the grass, Gabe shook Alaric’s hand. His eyes flicked over the groom’s shoulder to Marla as she struggled through the doorway with a huge cardboard box in her arms. Even amongst the impressive display of gothic cleavage that surrounded him, her relatively demure black lace dress clung to her curves in a way that rendered it indecent. Gelvira jiggled up and down with excitement next to him and waved her arms at Marla.
‘Over here!’
Gabe clocked Marla’s gritted teeth through her smile as she headed their way. He grinned, happy in the knowledge of how much it would grieve her that her guests had chosen to call on his help.
‘Marla. This is an unexpected pleasure.’
Her eyes flashed with ill-concealed fury. ‘Thank you, Gabriel. For your help, I mean.’
He could see that the outwardly cordial words cost her dearly. He leaned over to lift the box from her arms and took the opportunity to whisper in her ear.
‘See? I told you. Good things
can
happen when we work together.’
He heard her sharp intake of breath and winked imperceptibly as he pulled back and upended the petals all over a laughing Gelvira, who had climbed into the coffin.
‘Bluey, no!’ Emily’s frantic shout rang out across the grass as the over-enthusiastic Great Dane bounded past her out of the side doorway of the chapel to join in the festivities. He made a beeline for the coffins and jumped straight into the empty one next to Gelvira on the grass.
‘Here, boy!’ Marla called out, aware that the sheer size of her fur boy was enough to spook most people. Even spooks. But Alaric, thankfully, fell instantly for the big hound with his droopy jaws and comic sense of timing. He stole a top hat from one of the guests and placed it on Bluey’s huge head, as someone else unwound their black tie and placed it around the dog’s neck. To everyone’s amusement, Bluey posed solemnly between the happy couple in their coffins.
‘One for the album,’ Gabe murmured to Jonny, who grinned and turned pink beneath his theatrical make up. He couldn’t help it. It might be fraternising with the enemy, but he was high on the success of the wedding and Gabe was too hot to freeze out.
Emily leaned against the porch and laughed, right up to the moment when Dan pulled up in the hearse at which point she promptly threw up behind the nearest mock-headstone.
Alaric and Gelvira finally roared off into the sunset on a Harley, whilst their guests splintered off to scare the locals and boost the pub’s coffers. Jonny vanished with a transvestite bride of Dracula and Marla packed off a still-distinctly-green-around-the-gills Emily off home to bed.
Which just left Gabe.
Chapter Thirteen
‘I guess I should say thank you again.’
Gabe followed her along the aisle into the kitchen. ‘Go on then. I’m all ears.’
Marla reached for the coffee jar, but then thought better of it and grabbed a bottle of wine down out of the cupboard instead. ‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?’
Why did saying thank you have to feel like such a huge admission of defeat?
She knew she owed him that much: he hadn’t called the police about the window last week, and now he’d gone undeniably out of his way to make Alaric and Gelvira’s wedding day perfect.
‘You’re welcome, Marla.’ His soft laugh excused her reluctance to verbalise the apology, but somehow it made it worse too. Did he have to keep displaying that vein of decency and making her feel like a fool?
She reached down a
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