Page 60 of Blades and Bone

Hamish frowned. “There’s just been an attack, so protecting the matriarch is expected.”

“Exactly, which means you might be walking into a trap, and I don’t want you to be captured or killed,” Vivian said. “I’m going to call Ann.”

She hung up, leaving them both staring at the phone in Brodie’s hand.

Hamish sighed. “She’s not going to get a different answer out of Ann.”

“We’ll see. There’s a lot we don’t know, and we are making a lot of assumptions, which in my experience is not a good place to act from.” It was better to watch and wait and see what else unfolded.

If they hadn’t asked for the treaty, would this have happened? Or had it already been in the works and the treaty had pushed up the timeline?

“Sometimes you have to go with your best guess and start doing something, because if you do nothing, you don’t get any more information.” Hamish took a sip of coffee.

“Even if that means taking unnecessary risks?”

“You say that as if doing nothing isn’t a risk.” He lifted his arm. “I got stabbed, so we treated the immediate wound. At the moment, we don’t know if the blade was poisoned, but waiting to see if it was, while leaving the wound untreated, doesn’t make sense.”

“Why would it be poisoned?” It hadn’t occurred to Brodie that it might be.

“The Orlans like to use hollow bullets filled with silver, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they started doing something to their blades. The only saving grace is that people who use knives often end up getting cut themselves.”

“So it’s unlikely.” Which was moderately reassuring.

“But not impossible.” Hamish smiled. “Aww, you seem worried about me…like you care.”

He fixed Hamish with a glare. “You know I do, and now is not the time to be making a mess you can’t clean up.” He walked over to him and put his arms around him. “It’s been a rough night, and you want attention and reassurance. Have you considered asking for it?”

Hamish laughed but didn’t pull away. “You’re assuming that someone was listening and cared.”

While it had been no secret that his mother had wanted…needed…a daughter, she hadn’t made her sons feel unworthy, even after Vivian came along.

“I’m listening, and I care.” He kissed Hamish’s cheek. “Let’s try trusting each other and surviving the night?”

“Wow, you don’t ask for much.”

Brodie drew back to look at him. “You really can’t help yourself.”

Did he even realize he was doing it, pushing back against even the slightest thing to the point where everything was a test of wills?

Hamish glanced away. “I guess it’s a habit…probably not a healthy one.”

“Probably?”

“Definitely?” Hamish lifted both eyebrows as if testing how his answer would land.

While it was a question, at least it wasn’t a refusal, which was progress, however small.

A knock at the door and Hamish’s phone buzzing announced Garrick’s arrival. Well, it was either him or their next assailant was giving them a heads-up, which was very polite and infinitely unlikely.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Hamish couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Garrick dressed in such a relaxed manner. To be honest, he wasn’t sure Garrick owned clothes other than suits and gear best described as suitable for committing offences. Instead of being dressed head to toe in black, Garrick was wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and a pair of runners as if he were at the resort to party.

“What’s the occasion?” Hamish tried for a joke.

“Being able to walk around without looking suspicious.” He bent down and lifted the head of the unconscious man to study his face. “All the bungalow staff have been questioned and won’t remember a thing. They’re all clean. The Orlans aren’t known for their ensorcellment ability. They usually strike fast and don’t worry about the mess.”

“And Felix?” Hamish hoped that his cousin had turned up.