Undertaking Love Page 0,32
she didn’t stand a hope in hell of halting the stampede. She could only cross her fingers and pray that Gabe wouldn’t be there at this hour on a Saturday afternoon. He shouldn’t be. She knew that much, because she’d surreptitiously checked the sign on the door earlier. It was well after four, so god willing he’d be off in the pub with his jack-the-lad mate. Or sleeping in one of his coffins to avoid the sunlight. Or whatever else it was he did for kicks in his spare time.
The small flicker of hope died as Gelvira and Alaric disappeared through the black and silver doorway. Damn it! Why was he still open? Marla leaned back against the porch and groaned. Just when it had all been going so well.
Several minutes later the wedding party spilled back out onto the pavement. Gelvira’s boobs frothed over the top of her corset as she laughed and led her gothic troupe back over to the chapel.
‘Man, this is the best day of my life!’ Gelvira flung her arms around Marla in delight.
‘He’s bringing over a couple of coffins in a minute. Can you fetch loads of those black rose petals, please? I want to lie down inside one in my wedding dress.’
Inside the chapel, Marla could have screamed with frustration as she grabbed one of Emily’s huge rose displays from the altar. She took her temper out on the flowers as she yanked the petals off, managing to prick her finger on a thorn in the process.
Bloody Gabriel Ryan. Why couldn’t he have just said no?
She sucked the blood from her finger and watched through the window as Gabe, assisted by one of the bridal party, deposited the first coffin onto the grass and strode back over to his lair to fetch a second one. He’d fit right in with this crowd, she thought, not quite able to take her eyes off the sight of his retreating denim-clad backside.
Once they’d set the second coffin down on the grass, Gabe shook Alaric’s hand. His eyes flicked over the groom’s shoulder to Marla as she struggled through the doorway with a huge cardboard box in her arms. Even amongst the impressive display of gothic cleavage that surrounded him, her relatively demure black lace dress clung to her curves in a way that rendered it indecent. Gelvira jiggled up and down with excitement next to him and waved her arms at Marla.
‘Over here!’
Gabe clocked Marla’s gritted teeth through her smile as she headed their way. He grinned, happy in the knowledge of how much it would grieve her that her guests had chosen to call on his help.
‘Marla. This is an unexpected pleasure.’
Her eyes flashed with ill-concealed fury. ‘Thank you, Gabriel. For your help, I mean.’
He could see that the outwardly cordial words cost her dearly. He leaned over to lift the box from her arms and took the opportunity to whisper in her ear.
‘See? I told you. Good things can happen when we work together.’
He heard her sharp intake of breath and winked imperceptibly as he pulled back and upended the petals all over a laughing Gelvira, who had climbed into the coffin.
‘Bluey, no!’ Emily’s frantic shout rang out across the grass as the over-enthusiastic Great Dane bounded past her out of the side doorway of the chapel to join in the festivities. He made a beeline for the coffins and jumped straight into the empty one next to Gelvira on the grass.
‘Here, boy!’ Marla called out, aware that the sheer size of her fur boy was enough to spook most people. Even spooks. But Alaric, thankfully, fell instantly for the big hound with his droopy jaws and comic sense of timing. He stole a top hat from one of the guests and placed it on Bluey’s huge head, as someone else unwound their black tie and placed it around the dog’s neck. To everyone’s amusement, Bluey posed solemnly between the happy couple in their coffins.
‘One for the album,’ Gabe murmured to Jonny, who grinned and turned pink beneath his theatrical make up. He couldn’t help it. It might be fraternising with the enemy, but he was high on the success of the wedding and Gabe was too hot to freeze out.
Emily leaned against the porch and laughed, right up to the moment when Dan pulled up in the hearse at which point she promptly threw up behind the nearest mock-headstone.
Alaric and Gelvira finally roared off into the sunset on a Harley, whilst their guests