Page 47 of Marked By Moonlight

“De rien,” he grumbled, not at all pleased. Then he tore his eyes away from the door long enough to shoot me a dark look.

“Seriously. What are you doing, going to London? I told you, you were in danger.”

“In London?” I protested.

“Everywhere.”

I crossed my arms, annoyed. “You expect me to go home and hide?”

“Yes,” he muttered. Then he sighed and shook his head. “I just want you safe.”

I ticked a list off my fingers. “I want me safe, you safe, and no Szabo. But I also want communication. Trust. Honesty. Does that make me greedy?”

A lock of hair fell over his eyes, making his expression even more menacing. “Am I allowed to say yes?”

“No.”

He snorted, then wrapped his big, callused hand around mine. “Okay. Communication. Trust. Honesty. You start. What are you doing, going to London?”

I gave him a look. “Not what I meant.” But since I owed him my life, I relented. “Gordon wanted me to visit an old acquaintance—”

He groaned and lowered his face to his hands. “You fell for that?”

“I was suspicious at first, but it’s fine.”

“How isthatfine?” He pointed toward the door of our compartment, where Szabo still lurked, out of sight but still too close for comfort.

Okay. Another point for the dragon.

“Is there any chance Gordon sent Szabo to protect me?” I tried, then slumped at Marius’s expression. “No, I thought not. But I’m sure — totally sure — Gordon didn’t expect any trouble. It’s just some old lady who—”

“It’s neverjustanything with Gordon.”

“That may be, but I can’t believe Gordon would send Szabo to harm me.”

“He wouldn’t,” Marius conceded. “But someone else would.” He frowned, pointing toward Premier Class. “Did you tell Gordon what train you were taking?”

“Hetoldme. He made the reservation.”

Marius snorted. “Gordon makes deals, not reservations. That’s what his minions are for.”

I froze. “Like Celeste?”

Marius nodded slowly. “Possibly.”

Definitely, I decided. But why would she sic Szabo on me?

“There’s no limit to what that woman is capable of,” Marius muttered.

“Including working with Szabo?”

He nodded. “Celeste was the one who sent Szabo to check on us at the château. Remember that night in the garden?”

I made a face. How could I forget?

“Are you saying she’s keeping her finger on the pulse of Gordon’s operations?”

He huffed. “There’s keeping a finger on the pulse, and there’s sinking your teeth in like a fucking vampire.”