Page 43 of Dangerous Exile
And still she couldn’t move.
The door to the study swung open with a thud and the footsteps stopped.
His breath heaving, Talen found her sitting behind his desk in the moonlight, instant fury on his face, his words thundering. “What in the hell are you thinking, Ness? I couldn’t find you—couldn’t find you and you were in here. Sitting in here the whole damn time?”
“Don’t yell at me.” She didn’t look up at him as her words came out measured and wooden against his anger.
He stormed into the room, his arm swinging in the air. “Your room. The terrace. That was the agreement. You promised.”
“Yes, well, I needed ink and a quill. I waited until twilight. Didn’t even light a candle. Then I snuck down here like a good little mouse that would never be found.”
“Why are you talking like that?” He took two more steps forward. “Look at me, Ness. Look at me.”
Her eyes slowly lifted to him. “How long have you had it?”
“Had what?”
She lifted the letter from her lap, dropping it onto the desk.
“Shit.”
Her eyes closed as she drew in a deep breath, then she stood, her knuckles landing on the desk as she leaned toward him, a bitter edge she couldn’t control lacing her rising voice. “How long have you had it?”
He exhaled, straightening his spine as he glared at her. “Days. But that’s no reason to sca—”
“No reason to what? To scare you? I have been terrified of my husband finding me for almost a month—terrified. Every single day. Every hour. Terrified. And you knew this?” Her hand slammed down onto the letter. “You’ve known this for days? Days and you haven’t told me.”
“You don’t understand, Ness.”
“What don’t I understand? That Juliet sent me a letter that you deemed you should open before me? That you deemed should be hidden from me? I trusted you, Talen. Trusted you when I had no reason to. I trusted you and this is what you do to me? What else are you keeping from me? I could have left days ago, but you’ve kept me here in a prison of your own design.”
Her right hand flew through the air. “Buy me off with a few books and treats and stars and I’ll just stay here, no questions asked?”
His left hand curled into a fist at his side. “You don’t understand.”
“What don’t I understand?”
“The men are still out there. The ones looking for you.” The words barked from his mouth, the ire in his voice palpable. “They’re still searching for you. We found one of them but not the other three. You think they got a letter from Juliet? You think someone told them Gilroy was dead and they wouldn’t get paid even if they managed to find you and bring you back to Whetland? They’re still after you, Ness. You’re still not safe.”
“But why not tell me?”
His voice notched louder. “You want me to talk about the danger you’re in? Talk about what men like this will do to you if they find you? They find you, they bring you back to Whetland, and I promise you that journey will not be pleasant for you. Men like this will abuse you to no end. You are nothing more than flesh to toy with as long as they have you in their possession.”
He moved around the desk and captured her face in his hands, his ice blue eyes intense in the shards of moonlight. “Is that what you wanted to hear? For me to add more fear into your eyes? There is already so much that haunts you why would I ever want to add more to it?”
All her anger deflated from her chest as her right hand lifted, gripping his wrist. “But if I had known Gilroy was dead…”
“What?” His fingers tightened along her cheeks.
“That would have been something, Talen. Something to hold onto.” She blinked hard, her head shaking against his hold on her face. “But what happens to those men once you find them? What’s to stop them?”
His hands dropped away from her face. “With Gilroy’s death, there will be no payout so they’ll drop the matter if they know what’s good for them.”
“And if they don’t?”
He took a step backward, setting space between them. “They will be dealt with.”
She swallowed back the sick lump forming in her throat. “The last thing I want is blood on my hands.”