Stalking His Assassin

Chapter 12

twelve

CHRISTOS

We've been home for three days, and we've barely gotten out of bed for anything other than food and soaks in the tub, which always ends with us right back in bed. Grace has been insatiable, and I'm here for it. I love that she craves me as much as I crave her.

The shower turns off, and I can hear Grace talking to Potato. That cat is a stage four clinger. It's adorable how she treats him like a little human. The fluff ball has grown on me. I could do without him sitting on my face when he decides it's time to wake Grace up for breakfast, but otherwise he's the best cat I've been around. Though I might be biased based on how damn happy he makes my girl.

I follow Grace's voice into her closet and find her holding a pink shirt beside a black one. She's biting her bottom lip and studying them like they hold all the secrets in the world. It took nearly two weeks of my living here to find her drawers full of girly-colored clothes. When I asked her about it, she blushed brighter than the first time she walked into the bathroom naked. It took a lot of coaxing, but the colorful clothes came out of hiding and joined the rest of her wardrobe. She still has way more black than color, but it's a start.

"You should wear the pink."

She jumps and gasps in surprise at my voice. Something that's happened more often since we got back from the job. She's more relaxed and isn't on guard twenty-four/seven now that I'm here, and she trusts me to watch her back. It makes me feel like a fucking king because people like us don't trust easily and we certainly don't let our guards down enough to have someone sneak up on them. Even in our own homes, there's a certain level of awareness that prevents you from fully relaxing.

"I never wear pink outside…"

"Doesn't mean you can't start. You don't have to hide who you are just because of what you are."

"What if I get blood on it?" she frowns.

I chuckle. "My sweet, sweet Grace. We're going to dinner with your friend not on a job."

"What if someone needs killing?" she asks seriously. There's not a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She's completely serious that it's an actual concern that she might need to kill someone when out for dinner.

"If someone needs killing, I'll take care of it."

"Oh. That works," she says with a huge smile.

I pull her close and kiss her deeply. "All you have to do is point, and they're dead."

She giggles. "Only if they need killing."

"Of course, my love."

Forty-five minutes later we are waiting for Harper to come down so we can go to the restaurant.

"I don't know what you insisted on driving," Grace gripes.

She's been complaining since I took the keys from her hand. I had to practically manhandle her into the passenger seat.

"Consider it a perk of having a boyfriend."

"Boyfriend," she scoffs, turning away from me.

I spin her around and tip up her face with a finger under her chin. "Am I not your boyfriend?"

Her nose scrunches up in disgust. "I don't like it."

"Then what am I?"

She opens and closes her mouth several times but can't come up with anything. "I don't know, but I don't like you being my boyfriend ," she says the word with derision.

"What if I don't want you to be my girlfriend?"

A look of hurt flashes through her eyes but is gone just as quick as it came.

"Good. We understand each other then," she says cooly, looking away.

I shake my head and cup her cheek, drawing her attention back to me. "I don't think we do. I don't want a girlfriend. I want a fiancée. No, that's not true either. I want a wife."

Her eyes widen and her lips part in shock. "W-wife?"

I smile. "Absolutely. This is permanent, little wolf. You're mine, and I'm yours. I want the whole world to know it."

"Yes. Let's do that," Grace says with a blindingly bright smile.

"What are we doing?" a strange woman's voice asks. "And are you wearing pink?!"

Grace presses a quick kiss on my lips, then turns to the woman and throws her arms around her. The woman's eyes grow comically wide, and it takes her several moments to return the exuberant hug. I have a feeling Grace isn't very affectionate even with the woman she considers family.

"Getting married!"

"What?! You're getting married?" Harper asks, pushing Grace away enough to hold her shoulders and look at her like she's checking that it's truly her friend in front of her.

"Yes. Christos asked, and I said yes."

I clear my throat, drawing both of their attention. "Actually, I didn't propose."

Grace frowns in confusion. "But?—"

"I said I want to make you my wife."

"And I said yes."

Harper snickers. "He didn't propose, dork. He just said he wanted to."

Grace looks between Harper and me, her confusion turning into a pout that's somehow equal parts cute and heartbreaking. I didn't plan on asking her yet. I wanted to have a ring and make it special for her, but I can't handle her sadness. She's had enough disappointment in her life already. Too many people have failed her, and I won't be one of them. I also don't want her to worry that I might leave her again. A romantic proposal isn't more important than my girl's happiness.

Even though I don't have a ring, I take Grace's hands and get down on one knee. "This isn't exactly how I planned on asking you to marry me, but we've never done things by the book, so why should my proposal be any different?"

Grace laughs, and Harper looks like she's in some sort of alternate universe.

"Grace, I promise to be the partner you need in all things. I promise to keep your heart safe and love you like only I can. I swear to chase you to the ends of the earth if ever you run for the rest of our lives if you'll marry me. Will you be my wife?"

"Yes," she says, then throws herself into my arms, nearly knocking me to the ground with her excitement.

"I love you, little wolf."

"I love you too."

A sniffle drags us out of the moment. Harper has tears in her eyes even though she's smiling. Grace's cheeks heat with a blush at the realization that there was a witness to our intimate moment.

"I cannot believe that just happened," Harper says, pulling Grace into a fierce hug.

"Wasn't exactly how I imagined our introduction," I say without remorse.

Grace steps away from Harper, coming to my side. "Harper, this is Christos. Christos, this is Harper."

Harper holds her hand out to shake, and I'm surprised by her firm grip. "I was going to wait until I got to know you a little, but considering my best friend just agreed to marry you now feels like a good time. If you hurt her, I will kill you, and no one will find your body."

Grace bursts out in laughter at the threat. Harper frowns at Grace's laughter but keeps her eyes steady on mine in what I assume is supposed to be an intimidating look. I fight to hide my amusement from my face because I respect the hell out of her for being willing to defend her friend. I wonder what she'd say if she realized she just threatened a trained assassin. Or that Grace is likely to kill me before anyone else ever got the chance.

"Message received," I say solemnly.

"Good! Now that that's all settled, let's go eat. I'm starving for some tacos," Harper says before climbing into the backseat.

Grace smiles up at me. "We better go. She gets hangry."

"Worse than you?"

"So much worse."

"Then we better hurry. Wouldn't want her killing me prematurely."

Grace tugs me down until my lips hover over hers. "Is the big bad Hades scared of one little woman?"

"Absolutely."

"Smart man," she says, kissing me.