Peter’s hand relaxed.
“You’re asking me to turn a blind eye to a lot,” Marta said.
“No, we’re asking you to recognize the opportunities in front of you,” I told her promptly. “With Elvin as the Employer, you’re gaining access to the inner workings of the entire Syndicate without any pushback from us. Roderick’s operation is gone with his death; you won’t have to deal with that any longer. Now, you control not only the Nightsworn, but the Syndicate as well, and you know that Elvin will follow your orders.”
Nora nodded. “And everyone here will testify that Roderick was the Employer.”
“Very well,” Marta said, straightening up. “You have yourself a deal.”
Elvin shot me a smug look. “Does this mean I get to assign Gil bounties?”
“Never in a thousand years. I just quit a few minutes ago,” I told him.
Elvin jutted out his jaw in the most obnoxious way. “What if I say I won’t let you? I’m the Employer now.”
I gave a light chop to his throat so he gagged and spluttered. “Try it. I can take you in a fight any time, day or night, and you wouldn’t even be a challenge. I suggest you hide behind paperwork like Ambrose so no one finds out who the Employer really is.”
“What about you, then?” Elvin asked Lochlan. I was pleased to see how some of the color left his face and he was rubbing his throat.
“I plan to follow Jillian around until I can earn her forgiveness. I did arrest her and throw her into prison.”
“I’m still mad about that,” I told him with raised eyebrows. “I’m not ready to give complete forgiveness quite yet.”
Lochlan flashed a grin my way. “That’s okay; I’m patient. I’ll just keep following you around until I wear you down. I don’t let prizes get away that easily. It may take some time, but I may even convince you to marry me one day.”
Heat crept up to warm my cheeks. “Slow down there,” I laughed. “I don’t do well when I’m rushed and I feel like we need to redo a lot of our conversations.”
Lochlan slipped his hand into mine. “Then I won’t rush you. I want us to know everything about each other.”
I couldn’t prevent my fingers from curling around his. Curse it all, I’d never stop falling for this bandit.
Marta placed a hand on Elvin’s shoulder and steered him out of the house. “I’ll connect with you soon,” she called to Nora. “We’ll get all the details worked out.”
Nora raised a hand in farewell, and once Marta and Elvin left with the Nightsworn, she turned to Papa. “Can you help me with him?” She nodded at Peter. “I don’t know much about him but I know enough not to want him around.”
“We can use the cart and take him over to the town physician,” Papa suggested. He glanced at me and Lochlan. “Will you two be all right to stay here for a bit? Just to keep an eye on everything until we get back.”
I opened my mouth, about to say that Peter could stay here since Lochlan was a healer, then realized how desperately I wanted to keep Lochlan’s hand wrapped around mine. As much as I wanted to talk to Nora and Papa, I wasn’t opposed to a few minutes alone with Lochlan, either. So I closed my mouth again and nodded.
Once Papa and Nora left, carrying Peter between them, Lochlan’s fingers pulsed around mine. “So you don’t entirely hate me after all?” His crooked smile was back in place, and I discovered that I found it attractive again. “I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”
“I don’t have much room to talk if we’re going to be discussing hiding identities,” I told him with a smile. “And besides, I think I just heard you say that you intended to quit the Nightsworn. Or did I read that wrong?”
“You’re right, as usual,” Lochlan told me. “I’ll just need to find a new occupation.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to work with your mother? She is family.”
“She is. And I’ll probably go visit her. But I’m done feeling used. I just want to be happy.” He stroked his thumb along my jaw. “I’d like to be happy with you.”
My heart began pounding once more. “I’d like that, too,” I whispered. “I just have a hard time trusting people.”
“I know. But I promise I’ll earn your trust again, and I won’t ever do anything to hurt you again.”
I swallowed hard. “I’ll hold you to that, you know.” My gaze fixed on his mouth, and I whispered, “Don’t move.”
Cautiously, I raised onto my tiptoes to press my lips against his. The sensation was just as spectacular as the first time we’d kissed, and I truly hoped that Lochlan was serious about his intentions to earn my trust again. I wanted to keep him in my life just as much as I wanted to keep Nora and Papa in my life.
“I love you,” he whispered when I finally broke the kiss. “And I’ll show you just how much in whatever ways you need.”
