Page 43 of Princess of Thieves

“That was close,” Tuck says after a while. “How did they even get in here?”

LJ rips out, “I thought your multi-thousand-dollar security setup was supposed to stop that, Will.”

“It’s not the security,” Will says. He shakes his head and turns back toward the room. “It did what it was supposed to,didn’t it? She’s still safe.” He nods at me. “And besides, what do you want me to do? Get tower-mounted rifles and shoot down any law enforcement who approaches? Don’t be stupid.”

“You could have done more than you did, though,” LJ fires back. “He flashes his badge at the scanner, and that’s all it takes to get through the gate? Jesus Christ. We’re lucky I spotted him driving up from my window. Otherwise, who knows what he could have—”

“He couldn’t have done anything,” Will cuts him off. “An LEO needs a warrant, and he knows it.” He shrugs. “It was a close call, I’ll grant you, but nothing more than that.”

“Except...” Tuck interjects, chewing his lip, looking at me, then Will, then LJ. “How did he know to come here? Why would he think Rob is involved? I’m not blaming you, Maren,” he adds hurriedly, “but maybe you left some kind of paper trail. I know your email here is encrypted, but—”

“I didn’t,” I interject. “I swear, there’s no way I could have. Gisbourne knew I was here before, but I told him I wasn’t coming back.”And I thought I meant it, too, I add mentally, but here we are. “I guess he could send someone out on a hunch, but that’s certainly not enough to get inside.”

“And that’s what I’m saying,” Will says with an exasperated sigh. “Whoever that kid is, he’s some rookie. He’s not gonna fuck up procedure just to show off. So if he wants to get in here, he’s gonna need a warrant. And for a warrant, he needs proof, and he’s got nada.”

“You’re missing the goddamn point!” LJ roars, getting to his feet. “He shouldn’t have been inside the property at all.”

“There might be something else, though,” Tuck says, scratching his head. “Some traces or hints you left somewhere. It’s so easy to do that. Maybe they got something from her cell phone—”

“The cell phone thatyou guysgave me,” I point out.

“It isn’t your fault, Princess,” LJ says, cutting off any further accusation. “No matter what Tuck says.”

“Hey,” Tuck says, lifting his palms in the air, “I definitelydo not thinkit’s Maren’s fault. I want to be clear about that. If it’s anyone’s fault, I think it’s—”

“Don’t even,” Will says, pointing a finger at Tuck. “Don’t even start with—”

“That’s enough.”

The voice cuts through the room, drawing all our attention. My pulse pounds in my neck and temples, and a surge of heat floods over my body in spite of myself.

It’s Rob, standing in the doorway.

He doesn’t look better—doesn’t look like his usual self still—but he does look determined. His jaw is set, a light reddish-gold stubble shading his skin, his hair is mussed, and the flannel of his shirt is a little rumpled, but his eyes are serious and hard.

“Y’all need to stop arguing about whose fault it is, and we need to figure some shit out,” Rob says, striding into the room. Even the heavy footfalls of his boots sound familiar, sending a pang of recognition through me, and with every step he takes, it’s like I can feel his aura reverberating, drawing nearer and nearer to me. “We’ll finish this pissing match up later.”

It’s not painful, being this close to him, not sharp and acute the way it was when I first found out what he did, but it’s still there, that awareness, that blunt edge of truth—intense, strong, distinctly uncomfortable.

“LJ, follow that guy on your bike,” Rob orders. “Leave now and you can catch up. Figure out whatever you can about him.”

LJ grinds his teeth, throws me a glance, but I give him a nod. He nods back and jogs out the door. Seconds later, the roar of his motorcycle revs outside, then fades into the woods.

“Tuck.” Rob nods at the couch. “I want you to dig for breadcrumbs. Public records, the dark web, whatever it is youneed to do. Figure out who knows what about us—and about her.” He doesn’t look my way when he says it, but I feel my heart squeeze all the same.

Tuck nods and scrambles to his feet. “What are y—”

“I’m doing what I need to do,” Rob says. He looks at Will, long and hard, then pivots on his heel, staring at me with those green eyes burning. “I want to talk to Maren.”

Chapter Twelve

It takes me a minute to find my voice.

“Talk to me?” I say, incredulous. “Talk to me? What could you possibly have to say? And now, all of a sudden, I—”

I can’t even. I stand up and start to stride for the door, but Rob’s faster. He reaches out and catches me by the wrist.

“Maren, wait,” he says. “Please.”

---