Page 84 of A Raven Repents

“I didn’t know you were coming. I’ll pour another glass,” Giles said, but Patrick pushed him back down by his shoulders.

“I know where the bar is.”

“Thank you for coming,” Ash said as Patrick sat down with his drink.

“I’m planning on working tonight, if you want me.” He pulled out a coin and began to spin it on top of the table.

“We’ll be glad to have you.” Ash gave him a nod.

Giles leaned over and spoke to Fitz. “I finally have a prop,” he said, tapping on his eyepatch.

Fitz choked on his drink, spraying a few drops of it onto the table. It took him a minute to get his laughing and coughing under control. “Apologies,” he said, looking at Giles from the corner of his eye.

“Now, onto business.” Ash pulled a packet of papers from his breast pocket. “As of this morning, we are the official owners of the building which houses Maison Rouge.”

A cheer went around the table and they all raised their glasses.

“When do we get to close it down?” Patrick asked.

“Not yet.” Ash sipped his brandy. “Giles needs some time to recover, Michael needs a little more time with Belle, and we need a few more security men. We won’t act until we’re ready to take on the women who will need us. Scattering them into the wind won’t help.”

An hour later, Giles caught himself whistling a few times on his way home from the Den. He was so excited that she wanted to spend time with him, he didn’t even care that Brennan was still following him.

Before going inside, he turned to face Brennan. "I don’t want to risk Christina’s safety by sending you home, but I need Donoghue and you to be especially discreet tonight.”

Brennan nodded. “Understood.”

Giles sent him around back for the carriage before going inside.

“Are you ready?” he asked when he found Christina in the sitting room.

She looked up at him, and her smile made his heart stumble. He hadn’t seen it nearly enough recently. “Yes. I’ve been putting off eating so I can enjoy the delicious fish.”

“Thistle!” The man appeared almost immediately from the hall. He was always lurking. “My wife requires her coat.”

“I am capable of retrieving it myself. Although, I’m not sure it’s necessary.”

“It’s what I pay him for. And it is necessary. The evenings have been growing chilly, and I don’t want to have to give up my own.”

His carriage was waiting when they walked outside, Brennan and Donoghue both up top.

“You don’t want to walk?” She looked disappointed.

“It’s quite a distance from here. I thought perhaps we’d do the walking after we acquire our food. If you’d like, we can even eat in the park this time.”

Thankfully, her smile returned. “That sounds delightful.”

He opened the door and helped her inside, sitting down beside her. With a thump on the roof, the carriage began to move. She reached out a hand, and he happily held it. They didn’t talk much, but it didn’t matter. Her smile was beautiful and wonderful and just what his heart needed.

God, he’d missed her.

When they reached the entrance to the alley, he helped Christina down, and an excited sparkle filled her eyes. “I can’t wait.” She squeezed his hand and wiggled it in her excitement. He nearly wept with the joy it brought him to see her so animated.

Brennan followed them, but did as he’d asked, keeping his distance, and staying mostly out of sight. The alley was quiet as they walked down. Granted, this wasn’t his usual day or time, but he always got his shoes shined when he came down here.

He knocked on Arthur’s window.

“Mr. Henderson!” His wide smile faltered when his gaze landed on the eyepatch. “I had hoped the rumors weren’t true.”