“Well, well, well, I thought it would take you at least a day before you made this particular move,” he drawled as he leaned against the doorjamb and arched a brow at both of them.
CHAPTER4
Zara
Despite the dangerous activities she and Hux involved themselves in regularly, it was not a usual occasion to be caught in the act so completely. Zara’s heart raced as she ran through a dozen scenarios in her head. Hux had always told her that if they were ever caught, he would take the blame and the punishment. He had refused to listen when she tried to argue, and she knew he would continue to do so if they were accused of theft. Which meant he would take the entire weight of what could be thrust upon them by this man.
Transportation. Hanging.
Her heart raced and she lunged forward to make some excuse. To explain somehow and protect him, but stopped when Hux sent a warning glance her way.
“Mr. Fitzroy,” Hux said, with all the appearance of calm that she knew he could not be feeling. “What a delight.”
“Indeed,” Fitzroy said with just as much calm. “First my coins at the ball last week,” He glanced toward Zara with a small smile. “Well done, by the way, I didn’t even feel you take them. What a disappointment.”
Zara swallowed hard. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Fitzroy chuckled. “Of course not. But I think you won’t be able to find an excuse for this. That was my late wife’s, you know. I bought it for her on the occasion of our first anniversary what feels like a lifetime ago.”
Hux’s jaw tightened, then he reached behind him and carefully set the emerald back into the case where he’d apparently found it. He closed the lid with a light thud and inclined his head. “There you have it. No harm done.”
Fitzroy arched a brow. “Does that normally work?”
“Talking myself out of situations? You’d be surprised.” Hux said just as evenly. “I will continue to do so if you tell me what you intend to do now.”
“You’d hit me, wouldn’t you? Send me to the floor next to my bed and run, except for her.” Fitzroy nudged his head toward Zara, and she caught her breath. Of course he was correct. Hux had boxed for a while in the underground and been quite good at it. Without her to worry about, he could certainly fight his way out of this situation. But he’d never leave her behind.
“Hux—”
Hux lifted a hand toward her without looking away from Fitzroy. “No.”
For a long moment the two men simply stared at each other. Then, to Zara’s surprise, Fitzroy shrugged. “I would like to have a reasonable discussion with you two and come up with some reasonable solutions to the problem that has been created here today. Can we agree to that?”
Hux’s jaw twitched, but he jerked out a slight nod. “Yes.”
Fitzroy looked toward her. “Zara?”
“Yes,” she breathed, and hated how her voice shook. Both the men were so calm, but she couldn’t be. Not when stark terror on behalf of Hux rushed through her. They always danced on the knife’s edge of consequences and usually were both clever enough to keep themselves from falling. But today they had been sloppy. Why? Was it because neither of them fully understood the situation they had walked into? Was it because they each found Fitzroy so attractive that they had miscalculated?
Or were they just getting careless because it had been a long time since they’d come close to the very real dangers that their behaviors could create. Too full of their own success to see the danger coming until it was too late.
Her heart leapt and she stepped forward. “Please,” she whispered. “I will do anything.”
Hux shook his head slightly and Fitzroy’s eyebrows both lifted at her entreaty. He didn’t answer, though, but motioned Hux over to the chairs by the fire. Slowly, Hux followed the silent order, even as he motioned for Zara to stay by the door where she stood. Did he intend to create situation whereshecould run? Of course he would. The man would sacrifice himself for her.
She knew it in her bones.
Fitzroy waited until Hux had sat and then stepped to the wooden box. He opened it and stared at the emerald within, his gaze unreadable but for a slightly tightening of his lips. He looked toward Zara. It seemed they were negotiating now—for Hux’s life?
“This is an expensive piece.” He lifted it and showed her, as if he knew she hadn’t had a good look at it before. Like he’d been watching them all along. Her heart raced faster. “Do you need the money?”
From his seat before the fire, Hux snorted out a harsh laugh. “Just like a toff not to understand that everyone bloody well needs money.”
Zara jerked her gaze to him. Hux was generally cool and collected in all situations. This hard edge was not something he often unleashed. Certainly not toward her. But he would always rather lure flies with honey. It seemed he feared for what would happen next as much as she did.
Fitzroy gave a soft smile, as if the snapping remark did not offend. “You two treat this as a game,” he said. “It’s fascinating. There is an energy to it that clearly gives you both a thrill despite the obvious dangers. So I am asking you, Zara: do you do what you do for money or for fun?”
Hux shifted in the chair, his knuckles whitening against the arms. Zara rushed forward, almost as if she could place herself between them as a buffer, and pressed a hand to his shoulder, holding him in place even though she knew he could shrug her off if he chose to do so.
