them up with me.”
Kate stiffened as the smooth voice curled the hairs at the back of her neck. Desmond looked sour, but backed down under Christian’s authoritarian tone.
“We will be creating a plan and going over itwith Mr. Wicket later. We will let you know what we can. We’re not holding you hostage, the storm is doing that.”
He gave one of his too charming smiles, and Kate gritted her teeth as he received a few in return.
“You may ask us questions this evening.”
And with that, Christian nudged the middle of her back and they settled in at the only empty table, near the front of the room, slightly apart from the others. Daisy immediately appeared with a fruit and cheese plate.
“What are you doing?” Kate hissed to Christian after the barmaid left.
“Helping.” He popped a piece of cheese in his mouth, as if he once more hadn’t a care in the world.
“I thought you wanted to search a few people and then call it quits?”
“Couldn’t let you have all the fun, Mr. Kaden.”
She huffed and leaned against the back of her chair. “I don’t need your help.”
He played with another piece of cheese, rolling it end over end. Finally he looked up, his eyes growing serious. “Maybe not, but I’m offering it.”
She blinked, her remaining ire draining away amid his sober demeanor and accommodating words.
“Do you mean that?”
His eyes shadowed, but he responded in an even tone. “I may not say the right things all the time, and it may not be what anyone wants to hear, but sometimes even I mean what I say.”
She saw truth in his eyes. A strange thing, really.
“But you said earlier that you were going to find the killer and then you seemed to give up when your search of Freewater’s room didn’t yield whatever it was you wanted.”
He picked up a piece of bread. “I said I was going to take a look at the body and search a few rooms. I did that.”
“Under a false identity,” she whispered.
“How do you know I’m not a Runner?” He winked, the earlier shadows dissipating as if they had never been.
She shook her head. She didn’t know if she felt up to the task of unraveling the intricacies of the man in front of her. Somehow it seemed a more difficult task than discovering what had happened to Janson. But she was more relieved than she allowed herself to let on that he was once more on the job.
They could help each other. It had nothing to do with wanting to strangle him one minute and let him do to her whatever his eyes kept promising the next.
“I could use the help,” she said tentatively, looking around to make sure they weren’t being overheard. “I don’t actually know what I’m doing.”
He smiled. “I’ve been in enough trouble. I think I can handle the authority aspects without too much difficulty.”
She didn’t know whether to return the smile, or frown.
Daisy appeared with two plates of beef and two bowls of stew, all balanced perfectly. “Here you go, sweet cheeks.” She gave Christian a saucy smile and winked at Kate. Kate forced a smile and dug into her stew. It was flavorful, the meat and vegetables tender and perfectly cooked.
Kate ignored the stares from the other patrons. Even the walls of the room appeared shadowed, as if reflecting the edgy and nervous feelings of the occupants.
“We should probably devise a plan, just like you suggested. We don’t even really know what we are searching for,” Kate said as she mopped up the last of her stew.
“Whatever he was murdered with, I suppose.”
“Any ideas?”
“Something heavy.”
Amusement and annoyance had never fit together as well as they did with Christian Black.
“Any more ideas?”
“Something wielded with force, judging by Janson’s head, but then too he could have sustained the damage from a fall off the gallery.”
“But you don’t believe that.”
He shook his head and played with his spoon, clinking it against the side of the bowl. “No. The broken leg is probably a
Kate stiffened as the smooth voice curled the hairs at the back of her neck. Desmond looked sour, but backed down under Christian’s authoritarian tone.
“We will be creating a plan and going over itwith Mr. Wicket later. We will let you know what we can. We’re not holding you hostage, the storm is doing that.”
He gave one of his too charming smiles, and Kate gritted her teeth as he received a few in return.
“You may ask us questions this evening.”
And with that, Christian nudged the middle of her back and they settled in at the only empty table, near the front of the room, slightly apart from the others. Daisy immediately appeared with a fruit and cheese plate.
“What are you doing?” Kate hissed to Christian after the barmaid left.
“Helping.” He popped a piece of cheese in his mouth, as if he once more hadn’t a care in the world.
“I thought you wanted to search a few people and then call it quits?”
“Couldn’t let you have all the fun, Mr. Kaden.”
She huffed and leaned against the back of her chair. “I don’t need your help.”
He played with another piece of cheese, rolling it end over end. Finally he looked up, his eyes growing serious. “Maybe not, but I’m offering it.”
She blinked, her remaining ire draining away amid his sober demeanor and accommodating words.
“Do you mean that?”
His eyes shadowed, but he responded in an even tone. “I may not say the right things all the time, and it may not be what anyone wants to hear, but sometimes even I mean what I say.”
She saw truth in his eyes. A strange thing, really.
“But you said earlier that you were going to find the killer and then you seemed to give up when your search of Freewater’s room didn’t yield whatever it was you wanted.”
He picked up a piece of bread. “I said I was going to take a look at the body and search a few rooms. I did that.”
“Under a false identity,” she whispered.
“How do you know I’m not a Runner?” He winked, the earlier shadows dissipating as if they had never been.
She shook her head. She didn’t know if she felt up to the task of unraveling the intricacies of the man in front of her. Somehow it seemed a more difficult task than discovering what had happened to Janson. But she was more relieved than she allowed herself to let on that he was once more on the job.
They could help each other. It had nothing to do with wanting to strangle him one minute and let him do to her whatever his eyes kept promising the next.
“I could use the help,” she said tentatively, looking around to make sure they weren’t being overheard. “I don’t actually know what I’m doing.”
He smiled. “I’ve been in enough trouble. I think I can handle the authority aspects without too much difficulty.”
She didn’t know whether to return the smile, or frown.
Daisy appeared with two plates of beef and two bowls of stew, all balanced perfectly. “Here you go, sweet cheeks.” She gave Christian a saucy smile and winked at Kate. Kate forced a smile and dug into her stew. It was flavorful, the meat and vegetables tender and perfectly cooked.
Kate ignored the stares from the other patrons. Even the walls of the room appeared shadowed, as if reflecting the edgy and nervous feelings of the occupants.
“We should probably devise a plan, just like you suggested. We don’t even really know what we are searching for,” Kate said as she mopped up the last of her stew.
“Whatever he was murdered with, I suppose.”
“Any ideas?”
“Something heavy.”
Amusement and annoyance had never fit together as well as they did with Christian Black.
“Any more ideas?”
“Something wielded with force, judging by Janson’s head, but then too he could have sustained the damage from a fall off the gallery.”
“But you don’t believe that.”
He shook his head and played with his spoon, clinking it against the side of the bowl. “No. The broken leg is probably a
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