“Good. I’m glad we got that shit straightened out.”

Grace wanted to stick her tongue out at the men’s comments that followed them out the door.

Jackal, who was coming in, nearly knocked them all over.

“One day, that bitch and I are going to have it out!” he threatened.

“You leave her alone. I like Penni,” Grace jumped to her friend’s defense.

“I didn’t say I was going to kill the bitch. I plan to tame that wildcat.” Jackal’s lips gave a twisted smile which had her wanting to punch him.

“You do know she hates you, right?”

“That’s okay. I’m good at teaching women to purr.”

“You better have a whip handy because she’ll rip you to shreds.” With that, Ice jerked her outside before she could set Jackal off again.

“Are you too drunk to ride the motorcycle home?”

“No,” Grace said, watching him get on the bike, but didn’t make a move to get on behind him. “Did you propose to me inside?”

Ice sighed. “Yes, and you accepted. Now get on.”

She stayed still. “After we get married, are you still going to go to strip clubs?”

Ice’s face went cold at her question. He didn’t like ultimatums.

Yet, as her bottom lip trembled, he conceded, “I do business in there regularly, so I can’t stay out, but I’ll sit with my back to the stage.”

“You won’t go upstairs?” she pressed.

“I won’t go upstairs,” Ice promised.

Grace got on the back of Ice’s bike, winding her arms around his stomach.

“When I get home, I’m going to call my mother and tell her we’re getting married.”

“You better let me talk to your dad first.”

“That’s so sweet. You want to ask for his permission to marry me?”

“Fuck, no. I want to tell him to hide all his guns.”

Epilogue

“Adrienne.”

Grace turned around at the quiet voice. “Mrs. Deniau?” She was stepping off the dance floor after her and Ice’s wedding dance.

Simone’s mother took a step forward, gently taking Grace into her arms.

“Don’t cry.” Her accented French reminded Grace of her past. She had spent many nights at Simone’s home, and she could still remember that voice chastising them, telling them to go to sleep.

“How...? Why?” The last time Grace had seen Mrs. Deniau, she was shouting at her, blaming her for breaking her promise to keep Simone safe.

“Your mother called and told me you were getting married. I’ve called her a few times over the last few years, but she didn’t want to give me your number. She didn’t think you were ready to hear what I had to say. I asked her if I could come.”

Grace waited for the recriminations; instead, she received something she hadn’t known she needed—forgiveness.

“I wanted you to know, before you started your new life, that you were never to blame for Simone’s and Avril’s deaths. I’m sorry I placed that blame on your shoulders. I was wrong. I hurt so badly I wanted to hurt someone, and Leon Winston wasn’t within my reach, but you were. I just couldn’t understand why she was so willing to sacrifice for you. If she had just held out a few hours longer, she would have survived. It took a while for me to figure out why, but I did. She didn’t have the strength to survive in captivity. You… You had the strength. You would have died for Simone, but you wouldn’t have taken your own life. Leon Winston would have to. You didn’t give up… You survived. Don’t ever regret that.”

“I won’t,” Grace said, giving her back the hug Simone would have given her if she had been there.

“You didn’t have bridesmaids?” she questioned, leaning away and wiping her tears away.

“I didn’t want to replace Avril and Simone.”

She touched Grace’s bouquet. “You picked their favorite colors.”

“I wanted them to be a part of my wedding.”

“They would have liked your husband very much, I’m thinking. He is very handsome. Are you sure he isn’t Parisian?”

“Yes.” Grace smiled.

Ice, sensing the discussion had turned to him, pulled her closer to his side.

“I bet he is good in bed.”

Grace answered as she blushed. Then the women burst out laughing, although they hushed long enough for Grace to introduce Ice to Simone’s mother. After the introductions, she invited both of them to dinner before she left to return to Paris.

“We would like that very much,” Grace accepted. They hadn’t wanted to go on a long honeymoon, unwilling to leave the dogs. They were just going away for a three-day weekend.

“What were you two laughing at?” he asked suspiciously after Mrs. Deniau went to speak to her mother.

“She said she thought you might be Parisian. Then she said she bet you were good in bed.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her you are okay, but there’s always room for improvement,” Grace teased.

“Keep talking in French to all your relatives and friends, and I’ll work on it in the back room,” Ice threatened with a wicked grin.

Grace saw Max and CeCe dancing.

“They’re becoming an item,” Grace murmured.

“Baby, Max isn’t exactly the settling-down type,” he cautioned. “Maybe you should give her a heads-up.”

“You weren’t the settling-down type, either; now look at you.” She raised his hand with his wedding band.

“That was different,” Ice responded.

“How?” Grace questioned, motioning to her father as the music started for the father and daughter dance to begin.

“I fell in love with a woman who gives the world’s best blowjobs. Baby, I’ll tell you a secret: a man doesn’t give a prize like that away. Besides, you know how to cook. I was getting sick of eating out all the time,” he added as an afterthought, trying not to laugh at her expression.

“I’ll tell you a secret: a woman doesn’t let a man like you walk away easily, either.”

“Was it the size of my dick or the piercing?”

“It was when you asked my mom to forgive you and promised to always love me,” she said hastily, blinking back the tears in her eyes. “I’ll be right back, I promise. I have to go; Pere is waiting.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

“I always keep my promises,” Grace bragged.

Ice lifted her hand, kissing the finger he had placed her wedding band on. “That’s what I’m counting on.”