Bridges Burned (Going Down in Flames #2)(61)

“You are the best knight ever.”

He chuckled. “I’ll see you soon.”

She hung up and changed into nicer jeans and a blue turtleneck shirt. The mirror above her dresser reflected a girl in serious need of some makeup. So she darkened her lips and eyelashes with Quintessence. Directing her life force through her body to change her coloring seemed second nature now.

Was there anything else she needed to do before Valmont arrived? Crap. Should she have asked her grandmother’s permission before inviting someone over? Should she go knock on her grandmother’s door? And then it came to her. She picked up the phone and dialed zero.

“Hello, this is Rindy. How can I help you?”

Geez, did this lady read from a script? “Rindy, this is Bryn. I wanted to speak to my grandmother, but wasn’t sure if I should call before I go knock on her door.”

“I’ll call her private line. Please hold.”

This place was like a freaking hotel. Private lines and operators. Who lives like this?

“Bryn?” Her grandmother sounded annoyed.

“Sorry if I interrupted something. I wanted to let you know that I called my friend Valmont and he’s coming over for a visit.”

“Oh.” That single syllable spoke volumes. Was it the visit or Valmont that she objected to?

“Do I need to ask before I have friends visit?”

“It would be nice if you made me aware before the fact rather than after.”

“Okay.” The silence stretched out. “I’ll do that next time. Do I need to call the guards to let them know he’s coming?”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank—” Click. Her grandmother hung up before she could get the entire word out.

Don’t be mad. Your grandmother is set in her ways. Maybe she should ask for a manual of appropriate behavior. Of course, that might just tick her grandmother off more.

…

Bryn checked the clock on her dresser. Time to walk down to the entry hall. Would she bump into her grandfather or Ferrin along the way? Her grandfather probably wouldn’t approve of her socializing with the caterer. Ferrin would more than likely make some snide comment. Maybe Valmont would be offended on her behalf. Maybe he’d run Ferrin through with a sword. A life with Jaxon would be much easier if his evil, vindictive father were out of the picture.

Oh. My. God. Had she just thought what she thought she thought? A life with Jaxon? She shivered and hurried out the door. In the entry hall, a Red dragon stood guarding the front door. In his human form, he was tall, broad-shouldered, and built like a pro wrestler, just like her dad had been.

Bam. Right in the gut. She clutched at her stomach and turned away.

“Are you all right, Miss?” the guard asked.

No. And she never would be, but her grandmother would want her to stick with the politely accepted answer, so she sucked it up and said what she should. “I’m fine. Thanks.”

He glanced around the foyer like he was checking for spies. Once he thought he was in the clear, he said, “Your father, he was a good man.”

Tears filled her eyes. She couldn’t speak over the lump in her throat. So she nodded.

A knock on the door had the guard turning with purpose.

He glanced back at Bryn. “I’ll need you to confirm your friend’s identity before allowing him to enter.”

“Okay.”

Her stomach flipped in anticipation. Valmont would make everything better, or at least as good as things could be.

The guard swung the door open. Valmont stood there wearing black pants and a white shirt, which was his uniform at Fonzoli’s. His dark hair was mussed and his blue eyes held concern. Did he already know what she was about to tell him?

“That’s my knight.” She walked toward him.

“Can I come in?” he asked the guard in the most respectful tone she’d heard him use toward an authority figure. He must know her grandparents’ private guards weren’t to be trifled with.

The guard stepped aside. Valmont crossed the room and pulled Bryn into a hug. She inhaled his scent; he smelled like sunshine and leather with a dash of Italian spices. Wrapped in the warmth of his arms, the world seemed like a better place.

“I heard there’s been trouble, but I’m not sure what’s going on,” he whispered.

Bryn looked up at him. As soon as she opened her mouth to explain, to tell him that her parents were gone, the tears would come. She couldn’t do that in the foyer of the main hall. “Let me show you my new rooms. We can talk there.”

“Rooms?” Valmont said. “As in more than one?”

Bryn rolled her eyes. “I believe it’s called a suite. I have a living room and a small library connected to my bedroom. It’s pretty cool.”

“It’s bigger than my cabin, isn’t it?”

Bryn stopped walking and thought about it. “Embarrassingly enough, I think it is.”

Valmont glanced around the hall, checking out the other doors. “What are all these rooms?”

Did he care, or was he trying to occupy her mind? Not that it mattered. “I can find my way to my rooms, a dining room, the foyer, and my grandmother’s rooms. Besides that, I have no idea what’s where.” She leaned in and whispered, “And I’ve no idea why two people need this much space.”