“I’m afraid so.” Fionn sounded apologetic, but the sincerity was lost in the way he smirked at Teddy.
“Will it take long?” Stella asked.
“Indeed. This is delicate work.”
Teddy looked between the two of them. What sort of deal had she made? He guessed something to do with memory. Though it wasn’t her primary affinity, he knew she was still extremely skilled at memory magic, just like her mother.
Stella took one last longing look at her house before she turned to face Teddy. “I’m sorry. We’ll have to finish our business tomorrow.”
“Absolutely not,” he said. “You can’t just run off with a trained killer when we are all being hunted by a trained killer. Even if he’s notthe one doing it, two of you being together will just increase the likelihood that the assassin will take an interest. Perhaps a two-for-one.”
“I’d like to see him try,” Fionn said, looking only mildly insulted at the insinuation that he couldn’t handle himself.
Teddy knew he was being irrational, but he couldn’t control himself. The bond was possessive. It wanted to be near her. Even in the few moments they’d spent together, he felt like his headache was lessening, as if the connection and nearness of her were revitalizing. That was annoying.
“You didn’t seem concerned when it was the two of you spending time together,” Fionn said. “What are you two, anyway? Lovers?”
Stella’s expression shifted from annoyed to horrified insultingly quickly.
“Don’t look so stunned. You make a handsome couple.”
Stella faked a gag.
“Am I so repulsive?” The words were wrenched from Teddy’s stupid mouth by the truth tea. At least that was what he told himself. It was that or a simple need for reassurance after Grace had dumped him and bruised his ego. He was just hurting, hungover both emotionally and physically, and he wanted assurance.
Stella placed a hand on his shoulder and with deep sincerity said, “Of course you’re not objectively repulsive. You’re just repulsiveto me.”
Fionn laughed so loudly and suddenly that Teddy jumped.
“Gods, she is refreshingly honest, isn’t she?” Fionn said.
Stella rolled her eyes. “Am I dressed appropriately for whatever this favor is?”
Fionn gave her a slow once-over. “Yes, I’d say so unless you want to slip into something more showy.”
Stella cocked her head. “Though I did not explicitly say so, I am a lady and I’ll not risk my virtue. Any favor between us will not be sexual.”
Teddy ran a hand over his face. Of course she hadn’t clarified that before making a godsdamned deal with a mercenary. As if they were the most virtuous lot. His blood boiled that Stella had been so apt tospite him that she’d entered into a foolish bargain with someone who could use her however he liked.
Teddy took her arm. “This is a bad idea.”
She glared up at him. “This is none of your concern. Go sober up.”
“I don’t think so,princess,” Teddy said. “Until this killer is apprehended, I go where you go.”
Stella stared at him for a long moment, heat flaring in her cheeks. “You can’t control me,” she whispered.
Teddy chuckled. “Oh, that much is clear. But I can try to contain you.”
“Do you want to take a moment to freshen up?” Fionn asked.
The crease in her brow returned. “No, why?”
Teddy bit back a smile. Her hairwasa bit unruly. Most ladies kept their hair neatly pinned up, but Stella’s looked like she had twisted it back into a ponytail, started to pin it up, and then had given up halfway through either from lack of time or overwhelm at the sheer volume of dark curls. It somehow looked right on her, though. She looked like she belonged in Olney. Like she’d just returned from a morning of riding on the beach and was running to the market for some errand.
Fionn shrugged and held out his arm to lead her away from the house. “All right then, princess, let’s go get my money’s worth out of this trade.”
Teddy fell into step behind them.
