Page 45 of Blood Stone

His pragmatic answer was no answer at all.

She sighed. “So I will never know what happened, then.”

Nial lifted her chin so she was looking him in the eye. “It has happened. You cannot change it. Regret Finka’s passing, yes, but now it is time to move on, Winter.” His eyes were very blue in the dim light filtering through the heavy curtains over the window. He gave her a small smile as he carefully hoisted himself off the bed with minimal disturbance to her. “And now, I will make you some coffee, for we are all in for a long night.” He paused. “Make that a long week. I saw your portfolio was thick with papers. She signed the contract?”

Winter nodded. “She didn’t like it, but she signed. Watching those two bargain was...interesting.”

“Then Kate will not hold up production on the movie, if she has both money and Sauvage in the bag. One week, and we must have everything completed here in Los Angeles and be ready to move onto location.”

“That’s most of what I have to do tonight. Prep work,” Winter agreed.

Nial gave a dry smile. “Garrett may not have liked having you added to his entourage, but he has no compunction about using your labour.”

“That was my idea,” Winter told him. “If I am to pose as his assistant, I should reallybeof assistance, or people will notice. That MacDonald is far too observant, for one. He listens, even while he’s working on his own stuff.”

Nial held up a finger. “Coffee first. Then business. There is a proper order to these things.” He strode from the room.

“He just likes to lick the spoon,” Sebastian observed. “The glutton.”

“He makes better coffee than you do,” Winter replied, stretching and rolling over to look at him.

Sebastian picked up her hand. “If Nial had been lying, he would have simply told you we found the body in the culvert, where the police did. You know how to lie as well as we do, Winter. The simple lie is the most foolproof. Why would he embellish a lie, to you of all people, with details about the motel room and muggers?”

“Maybe, because if the storyhadbeen that simple, I would have suspected it was a lie because of its sheer simplicity?”

Sebastian shook his head. “You really want to think badly of us, don’t you?”

She sat up. “No! Of course I don’t, Bastian. But thetiming...”

“The timing is unfortunate, yes,” Sebastian agreed. “Coincidences have hanged innocent men before now.” He grimaced. “Would we kill to protect you? Of course. In a heartbeat – if killing was needed. Did we kill Finka? No.” He turned her hand over, lifted it and kissed the palm. “But the thought crossed my mind,” he added, his lips tickling her flesh.