Page 127 of Brushed By Moonlight

“I guess she made it out too?” I ventured.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Marius said without the slightest hint of remorse. “But Henrik will make sure she doesn’t talk.”

A cry went out as part of the building collapsed.

“Wow,” I breathed, staring at the enormity of the fire.

“Yes. Wow.” Roux shot Marius the evil eye.

Marius pointed to me. “She wanted a diversion.”

“I did,” I said quickly. “And it definitely worked. It’s just…just…” I looked to Roux for help.

He crossed his arms, mum.

“Just what?” Marius frowned, looking at the building.

“A little big,” I finished in a bold understatement.

He looked at the burning villa, then shrugged. “I guess I didn’t account for the flammable supplies in the catering truck.”

I winced. Well, that explained the quick spread of the fire.

“I guess not,” I said, choosing my words carefully.

Roux rolled his eyes.

“Not that I’m not grateful,” I added before Marius got riled up. “But next time, could you maybe…um…”

He socked me with a dark look, waiting.

I thought of a similar exchange the night he’d torched a strip of woods in search of the intruder at the château and of everything that had transpired since. Time and again, Marius had come through for me. How could I be anything but grateful? And if his style was a little morebulldozerthanchisel, well, that was just the dragon in him.

I flung my arms around him. “Forget it. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said gruffly, wrapping his arms around me.

“I was the one who dragged her out of the fire. With the paintings,” Roux muttered.

I eased away from Marius to give Roux a quick hug — a very quick one, lest another fight break out. “Thank you. Again. I really, really appreciate it.”

There. Enough to stroke his tiger’s ego? I turned back to the villa, whispering, “I just hope everyone got out all right.”

Marius huffed. “Even Baumann and Dobrov?”

My answer should have been an indignant,Even them,but it was one of those times when empathy took effort.

“Even them,” I finally said. “Gordon is sure to question us about the fire. If those two died on top of that… Well, the fewer questions we have to face later, the better.”

“You mean, the fewer questionswehave to face.” Roux motioned between himself and Marius. “You were never here.”

Right. Of course. I nodded quickly, though I felt a twinge of disappointment. I’d more or less aced my first super-secret mission—

Less,the back of my mind grumbled, considering all the near misses.

—but I wouldn’t be able to take credit for the good to come of it, like recovering the Van Gogh.

Then I chastised myself. My father hadn’t hunted great artworks for recognition. He only wanted to right wrongs and bless the general public with access to priceless masterpieces. Shouldn’t I emulate him?