afraid,” Lena replied. She smiled sweetly as Will turned around. “He had an episode involving a fit of the vapors.”
If looks could kill …
But she was safe now, with witnesses in the room. When he got her alone—and he would, she knew—he might do anything to her.
Rip barked a laugh. “You fainted, boy-o?”
“I had to use my smelling salts,” she replied, sneaking her hat and gloves off the bench. Will’s eyes watched the movement, though his body and face never moved.
“Lena,” he said gruffly. “You’ll take a walk with me?”
Not a chance . She shot him a charming smile. “I’m afraid I have to go. I have an appointment at the milliners. It was nice to visit, though. I’ll have to come more often.” Another blatant lie. She wouldn’t be coming back here unless absolutely certain Will wasn’t there.
He took a step toward her, but Esme was in the way. Will pulled up short, frustration flickering across his face. But he didn’t dare push past. Not with Rip standing guard over his wife and still overly protective.
“Until next time,” she said, staring him baldly in the face.
He was a long time replying. And when he did, she almost stepped back at the menace in his tone.
“It’ll be sooner than you think.”
***
Will slammed the door, his gaze raking the small apartment. It was where he lived, but it wasn’t home. It lacked the warmth and laughter of the warren. He tossed his coat aside and lit a candle, his breath steaming in the evening air. Despite a full afternoon dealing with Blade’s business in the rookery, the scent of honeysuckle still clung to his clothes.
He scowled and found a piece of leftover pie in the icebox. He didn’t want to be thinking of that. Lena thought she’d gotten away from him today, but she had forgotten one thing.
Will always got his prey. In the end.
What the hell was the fool girl up to? Carrying around such a potentially devastating document? If anyone in the Echelon found her with that on her person, there’d be questions. If they knew what it meant, then she’d be executed.
Cold punched through him at the thought. Her laughter and teasing, forever cut short. Though her presence made him uneasy, he never wanted to see her harmed. In fact, the very thought made his hackles rise and the berserker rage threaten to spill out over him.
He’d never felt this way before. One glimpse of her and every primitive need rushed to claim him, threatening to overwhelm his careful defenses.
The mere thought of her in danger…
He stopped. Put his fork down. The vein in his temple throbbed as he sucked in a deep breath. Then another. Don’t think about it . Not until he had himself under control.
Whenever that might be. With a gruff laugh, he picked up the fork again and stabbed it into the pie. As he bit into the flavorsome meat, a sound caught his attention from the stairs outside.
Someone sneaking up to his door.
Someone preternaturally quiet.
Sliding the fork into a stronger grip, he held it low against his thigh and crossed silently to the door. Leather flavored the air, but no personal scent. A blue blood then. They lost their distinctive smell when they became infected with the craving.
Will ripped the door open and stepped forward, grabbing the intruder by the throat and slamming him up against the wall.
A hand caught his wrist, the thumb digging into the tendons just hard enough to ease his grip. “Truce,” Blade said hoarsely. “If I wanted you dead you wouldn’t a ’eard me comin’.”
Will let him go with a scowl of disgust. “Bloody hell. You should be in bed.” He stepped back. “Does Honoria know where you are?”
“Of course. Can’t you ’ear the argument ringin’ still?” Blade loosened his collar. “I’m not a feeble ole man. And I can’t afford to be trapped in bed for the next half week.”
“You’re puffin’ like a bellows.”
“I’ll catch me breath.” Blade peered past him. “You’re a mite skittish
If looks could kill …
But she was safe now, with witnesses in the room. When he got her alone—and he would, she knew—he might do anything to her.
Rip barked a laugh. “You fainted, boy-o?”
“I had to use my smelling salts,” she replied, sneaking her hat and gloves off the bench. Will’s eyes watched the movement, though his body and face never moved.
“Lena,” he said gruffly. “You’ll take a walk with me?”
Not a chance . She shot him a charming smile. “I’m afraid I have to go. I have an appointment at the milliners. It was nice to visit, though. I’ll have to come more often.” Another blatant lie. She wouldn’t be coming back here unless absolutely certain Will wasn’t there.
He took a step toward her, but Esme was in the way. Will pulled up short, frustration flickering across his face. But he didn’t dare push past. Not with Rip standing guard over his wife and still overly protective.
“Until next time,” she said, staring him baldly in the face.
He was a long time replying. And when he did, she almost stepped back at the menace in his tone.
“It’ll be sooner than you think.”
***
Will slammed the door, his gaze raking the small apartment. It was where he lived, but it wasn’t home. It lacked the warmth and laughter of the warren. He tossed his coat aside and lit a candle, his breath steaming in the evening air. Despite a full afternoon dealing with Blade’s business in the rookery, the scent of honeysuckle still clung to his clothes.
He scowled and found a piece of leftover pie in the icebox. He didn’t want to be thinking of that. Lena thought she’d gotten away from him today, but she had forgotten one thing.
Will always got his prey. In the end.
What the hell was the fool girl up to? Carrying around such a potentially devastating document? If anyone in the Echelon found her with that on her person, there’d be questions. If they knew what it meant, then she’d be executed.
Cold punched through him at the thought. Her laughter and teasing, forever cut short. Though her presence made him uneasy, he never wanted to see her harmed. In fact, the very thought made his hackles rise and the berserker rage threaten to spill out over him.
He’d never felt this way before. One glimpse of her and every primitive need rushed to claim him, threatening to overwhelm his careful defenses.
The mere thought of her in danger…
He stopped. Put his fork down. The vein in his temple throbbed as he sucked in a deep breath. Then another. Don’t think about it . Not until he had himself under control.
Whenever that might be. With a gruff laugh, he picked up the fork again and stabbed it into the pie. As he bit into the flavorsome meat, a sound caught his attention from the stairs outside.
Someone sneaking up to his door.
Someone preternaturally quiet.
Sliding the fork into a stronger grip, he held it low against his thigh and crossed silently to the door. Leather flavored the air, but no personal scent. A blue blood then. They lost their distinctive smell when they became infected with the craving.
Will ripped the door open and stepped forward, grabbing the intruder by the throat and slamming him up against the wall.
A hand caught his wrist, the thumb digging into the tendons just hard enough to ease his grip. “Truce,” Blade said hoarsely. “If I wanted you dead you wouldn’t a ’eard me comin’.”
Will let him go with a scowl of disgust. “Bloody hell. You should be in bed.” He stepped back. “Does Honoria know where you are?”
“Of course. Can’t you ’ear the argument ringin’ still?” Blade loosened his collar. “I’m not a feeble ole man. And I can’t afford to be trapped in bed for the next half week.”
“You’re puffin’ like a bellows.”
“I’ll catch me breath.” Blade peered past him. “You’re a mite skittish
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