Maybe it’s because he reminds me so much of an older version of my best friend, but I don’t think I can kill a doddering man who says things likeyou’re not a gullto an intruder.
Well, he wasn’t our target anyway. I reach for his suspenders, unbuttoning them as he feebly begins to try to fight me off.
“Stop,” he gasps. “What—what are you doing—”
“Tying you up,” I say. I pull the suspenders free and wrench one of his arms behind his back.
He cries out, and I wince at the sound.
“If you’re not quiet,” I say, “my only other option is to kill you, so I need you to shut up.”
He goes silent at once.
That lasts for exactly three seconds—which again reminds me of Quint.
“Please don’t hurt Penny,” he says in a whispered rush. “Please—not in front of Ford. He’s been through—he’s seen—”
“I told you to be quiet,” I snap. I jerk the suspenders in a knot around his wrists. “I’m not here for Penny.”
“Yes. Yes. All right. But you—your accent—you’re not—”
“I’m going to punch you again.”
He clamps his mouth shut.
I move to tie his ankles.
He starts babbling immediately. “The bankers take the day’s draw at dusk. There’s no silver on the premises, sir.”
“I’m not a thief.”
“But—”
I yank the knot on his ankles so tightly that he cries out again,then cuts off the sound abruptly when I meet his eyes. I load my gaze with cruel promise, the way I’d look at prisoners in the Hold.
“I only have one thing to do,” I say. “So you’re either going to be quiet and let me do it, or I’m going to have to kill everyone in this building. Do you understand?”
His face goes white. But he clamps his mouth shut and he nods vigorously.
“Good.” I look down and see the edge of a handkerchief sticking out of his pocket. I seize it and pull it free, then ball it up in front of his face. “Open up.”
“Oh, you cannot be ser—”
I shove the handkerchief in his mouth, and he cuts off with a muffled gasp. He’s glaring at me, but I clap him on the shoulder. “We’ll be out of your way in no time.”
Then I slip down the stairs to find Lochlan.
My “partner” is waiting in the shadows at the bottom of the stairs, and he grabs hold of my wrist without warning, dragging me into an alcove. I’m so keyed up that I nearly killhimwith my dowel.
“It’s just me, you idiot,” he breathes in my ear as he drags me against the wall.
“Did you find Cheeke?” I whisper, because it’s obvious the job isn’t done yet. I hate myself for it, but there’s a part of me that’s disappointed that Lochlan didn’t take care of this for me, that we could be done and get out of here.
“Yeah, I found him,” Lochlan whispers. “I’ve only seen him and the girl. I’m waiting to see if there’s anyone else, but I haven’t heard anything.” He peers at me in the darkness. “Did you take care of the man?”
“Yes.”
Lochlan frowns a little and looks away, and I realize he thinks I killed him.
