Page 118 of Greed
“Lilo.”
“Yes.”
His lips curved smugly. “Marry me.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Marry me. That’s how much I love you. I don’t ever want to be apart.”
“I…” She bit her lip. “Oh fuck.”
“You don’t want to?”
“It’s not that. I love you, Griffin. I’ll say it a million times if I need to. You’ve made me feel like no one else ever has. I’m so confident around you. I feel loved. I feel… worthy. Happy.” Tears sprung to her eyes. Damned tears. Would they never leave? “But I don’t want a big wedding. I have no money, and these things cost a lot. You know I’ve seen how these big family weddings go in the magazines. Sometimes there’s ice sculptures and bands, and… you belong to a prominent family—”
“I’ll pay for it.”
“That’s not the point. Besides, I don’t have a family to invite. My dad’s in prison. My mom is God knows where—”
“I’m your family.”
“—and all that wedding excess reminds me of my mother. I don’t want to become her.”
That was it. Her real fear. The money, the extravagance…
Griffin’s finger traced patterns on the back of her neck. The small touch calmed her.
“So we have a civil ceremony,” he said. “We elope. Just you and me. No money. No extravagance.”
“Really? You’d do that for me?”
“I want to be with you. I don’t care about anything else.”
She drew his lips to hers. “Then yes, Griffin Lazarus. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
He grinned, perfect white teeth flashing, blue eyes crinkling. And it was the most majestic sight she’d ever seen, better than any treasure a human—or mythical beast—could possess.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Two weeks later
Griffin held onto Lilo’s hand tightly as they entered the visiting quarters of the prison just outside Cardinal City. The room was cold and concrete. Tables and chairs were bolted to the ground, and a menacing guard watched from the corner of the room, making sure his presence was known. Cameras also kept a close eye on inmates. Lovers, parents, reluctant children all filled the room, visiting with their misguided family members.
Because of his guilty plea and cooperation in investigations, Lilo’s father was kept out of the maximum security prison. Griffin would have preferred he’d stayed at the super-max, but he couldn’t deny the fact Lilo’s father had little greed in his soul. He was a man driven to extremes for the misplaced love of a materialistic woman.
“You ready?” He asked Lilo as they were shown to a vacant round table in the corner of the room.
She glanced at him, but tightened her grip. “Yes. Thank you for coming.”
“I wouldn’t leave you to do something like this alone. We’re family now.”
Her eyes glistened, and she lifted her left hand to look at her wedding band. It was a plain platinum band. No diamond engagement ring. She hadn’t wanted anything, but he’d convinced her a simple ring was something they could both share. He wanted the world to know she was his. He had a matching one on his own hand.
The security door leading to the prison buzzed open, and a guard came in with Lilo’s father—Haulani Liota. Griffin tracked the shackled man as he was led by the elbow across the room. Dressed in a jumpsuit, the man had a shaved head and appeared to have lost a little weight, but he was happy. The grin on his face as he took in his daughter could not be dimmed.
“Hi Dad,” Lilo said as he took his seat.
“Pumpkin, I’m so glad you came.” Haulani met Griffin’s eyes. “And you must be Griffin. Thank you for taking care of my daughter.”
