Page 103 of All the Devils are Here

“I don’t know. Depends on how long a conversation she wants to have.”

And with that, anxiety overtakes everything else I’m feeling. Vlad frowns and sits up, the duvet dropping to his waist. Not playing fair, though I suppose he’s not really playing.

“I could come with you. She could come here.”

“No and no,” I say, but gently. Shoes on, I cross to the bed and perch on the edge of it. “It’ll be fine. Whatever happens.”

“I do not want you hurt.”

“Why would you?”

“Grant.”

“I know.” I sigh and reach for his hand. “I know, but I need to do this. I asked her, remember? It’s more for me than anything else.” Selfish of me, sure, but at least if she says she hates me and that she never wants to see me again, I’ll have an ending. I left everything in limbo and it’s been weighing on me the entire time.

“We have to return tonight,” Vlad says. He shifts a little closer and pushes my hair back from my forehead before he trails his fingers over my scalp. “The Huntsman has returned. Jeremiah said it was important.”

“Jeremiah? Figured Asher would have told you that.”

“No, I—” Vlad hesitates. “I called him.”

“Why?”

“I also had some complicated feelings to own up to,” he says and gives me the smallest smile. “I apologised for not telling him about the bonds.”

“And what did he say?”

“He thanked me. He is more forgiving than I deserve. I know how much Paxton means to him.”

“They still have each other, with or without it.”

“I would have reacted far less favourably had he kept such a secret from me.” The way Vlad looks at me then makes my heart skip a beat. “I should not have kept it from you, either. I should have told you how I felt earlier and trusted you to tell me the truth.”

“You should have, yeah.” But then, so should I.

“I am sorry.”

Silly man. I tip his chin up and kiss him and only then do his shoulders relax. He faintly hums when I pull back.

“This isn’t going to be an ongoing issue, is it? You do believe what I tell you?”

“Of course I do.” Vlad looks almost offended, and I tug at his beard, smiling when he scowls. “I have a better understanding of who we are together. Ofyou.”

“I should come on jobs with you more often.”

He shudders. “I did not say that.”

I laugh and kiss him again but slip out of his grip before either of us gets carried away. I already have a text from Quinn saying that he and Asher headed back to London with Maurice, so I suppose we’ll see them again later tonight.

“Be careful,” Vlad says when I head for the door.

“I will. If I’m not back by nightfall, I’ll be on the beach, okay?”

“I will find you.”

I don’t do anything about the grin I’m wearing as I leave the room. I know he will.

I have to stop to buy sunglasses on my way down to the beach. It’s overcast today, which is somehow worse than if the sun were shining. Squinting so much has caused a nice little ache behind my eyes.