A Matter Of Justice (Grey Justice #4)(94)
The quivering voice of the oldest council member continued. “Your parents were the finest of our group. We owe them a debt of gratitude, and I for one believe that should extend to their son.
“While it’s true that Irelyn Raine contributed to their deaths, she has atoned for her mistakes. I, therefore, vote that we grant the petitioner’s request.”
Grey held his breath, waiting for the others to weigh in with their votes. He would find and destroy Dark either way, but the additional support might mean the difference between finding him next week and finding him in a year. He wanted this over and done with.
He breathed a little easier as, one by one, each council member gave his or her opinion of why they approved the request. The last holdout was no surprise. Cooke had been the one who had insisted all those years ago that Irelyn should be punished. He was also the grand high council and could, if he wanted, overrule the rest of the group.
“I am still not convinced that it’s our place to intervene.”
Holding his temper, Grey calmly explained, “You have a vested interest in destroying Sebastian Dark. While he doesn’t have the following that Hill Reed obtained, he is wealthy enough to eventually gain that status. Killing him will, in large measure, destroy the legacy of Reed and the evil he perpetuated.”
Again, there was silence. Finally, as if he was doing this for magnanimous reasons only, Cooke said, “Justice has and always will be at the core of our existence, but preventing further injustice is just as noble. Therefore, the petition is approved.”
Grey nodded his appreciation and backed away. Irelyn Raine had destroyed both the man who killed his parents and the house he created. And now, his parents’ legacy would destroy the man who tried to kill Irelyn. Life and justice had come full circle.
He would return to Irelyn assured that a vast network of people searched every corner of the universe. Also, when the time came, he would have the assistance of the deadliest of the deadly.
Sebastian Dark didn’t know that a contract had been taken out on his life and that Grey Justice would carry that contract out to the end.
Dark’s days were numbered.
Chapter Forty
Eight weeks later
Dallas, Texas
“You’re sure you don’t want a large wedding?”
Sitting in front of a roaring fire, sipping a glass of Irish whiskey, and talking wedding plans with Grey was as close to perfection as she could imagine. She was still mending from her injuries, but each day she felt a marked improvement. A lot of that had to do with the man who sat beside her.
She shook her head, laughing at his question. “It is going to be a large wedding. We’ve invited half of Dallas.”
“Yes, but we could invite the other half if you like.”
“I think this will be more than enough.” She glanced over at the table where the RSVPs were stacked. Who knew that almost everyone they invited would accept?
“You’re not fooling me, you know.”
“Oh yeah, how so?”
“You’re enjoying every moment of it.”
Another miracle she hadn’t expected. The oh-so-private Irelyn Raine was going to stand up in front of hundreds of people and proclaim her love. The wedding would be held just outside Dallas at a gargantuan estate owned by one of Grey’s business associates. Though she had an amazingly efficient wedding planner, plus tons of ideas and suggestions from Kennedy, there were still hundreds of little details for her to decide on. And as usual, Grey had read her correctly. She was loving every moment.
Only one dark cloud remained.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t wait until it’s completely over?”
“Absolutely not. Dark is being surprisingly elusive. It could take several more weeks or months to find him. I don’t want to wait any longer to make you mine.”
“I was yours the moment I met you.”
Pulling her closer, he said softly, “As I was yours.”
Laying her head on his shoulder, she stared into the fire. Their journey had been a long, sometimes painful one. For many years, even as she acknowledged their bond could not be broken, she had never envisioned the happiness she would know. Accepting Grey’s love and revealing her own had opened up a whole new world. The future was theirs.
She told herself there was no need to worry. Dozens of people—not just the Grey Justice Group, but also the network that Grey’s parents had been a part of—were looking for him. There were rumors that even his own community had turned against him, that some were actively seeking to punish him for what they considered a stain on their community.
No matter where he went, where he tried to hide, he would be found by someone. She knew Grey wanted to be the one to find him, to end him, but in her heart of hearts, she wanted it to be someone else. Not because she didn’t want Dark dead, and certainly not because Grey couldn’t handle him. But the peace they had experienced lately felt so lovely, so perfect, she wanted to draw it out for as long as possible. Was that too much to ask?
Three Weeks Later
Grey waited beneath the trellis adorned with pink roses and white daisies. His bride would be coming down the aisle soon. He’d never thought this day would get here. It seemed as though he had been waiting a lifetime to make Irelyn Raine his forever.