Page 33 of After 5

He paused, considered. “It was you in the town. The blonde in front of the five and dime.” He smiled. “Seems like a long time ago for me, but only a few days for ye, yeah?”

“I hoped you wouldn’t recognize me and mess up our meeting in Scotland.”

“Aye, I dinnae until now, but I never forget a pretty face. The sword belonged to a friend who died a long time ago. He left me a message to help him, and I failed. If Mortas finds the sword, he could cause damage beyond repair.”

“So, this quest you’re on is tied to the sword?”

He didn’t answer. Months ago, under the influence of the Thunder key, Caiyan was using the sword as a bargaining tool with the Mafusos to swap for his key.

“Didn’t you tell me you stole the sword from the museum to sell to the Mafusos?” I arched an eyebrow at him.Esplain, Lucy.

“Jen, ’tis for yer own safety that I keep my reasons to myself, and ye need to tell yer boss to stay clear until I’m done.”

“Jake is your boss. Why don’t you tell him yourself?”

“Was my boss. Ye need to think of me as a brigand now.”

“There’s no reason for you to do this. We can find you another key.”

“Jen,” he began again. “I need my key to—”

“I know, so ye can protect me,” I mocked. “I don’t need you to protect me. I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself.”

He huffed. “Gian-Carlo has made a deal with me. If I complete a mission, he weel return my key.”

“That’s it?” I placed my hands on my hips.

“Naugh entirely. I have to show my commitment to the family by—” he paused, then sighed. “I wanted to tell ye myself.” He stalled, and my stomach clenched.

“Jen.” He turned and walked a few paces away from me. He ran his hand through his hair in an agitated gesture. “I need to tell ye something.”

“Tell me what?”

“Now, dinnae get mad.”

“Why would I get mad?”

“Jest hear me oot.” He backed the farthest he could away from me.

“Spill it.”

“I have to marry Mahlia.”

I’m not sure when the first plate left my hand, but the third one missed his face by mere inches. He backed out of the kitchen, dodging plates as I flung them like Frisbees.

“Jen, ’tis for the greater good,” he yelled.

“The greater good?” I shrieked. “You couldn’t tell me this before we had sex?”

He stood speechless.

I launched another dish, and he ducked. It shattered against the wall and fell like rain, meeting the other victims on the tile floor.

“Jest calm down,” he said.

My face heated as my blood pressure rose to a level a normal person would have called the paramedics.

“Calm down?” My voice screeched. “I am calm!” I threw another dish, and it felt exhilarating. I continued to chunk the dishes until my arm ached and there weren’t any dishes left on the counter. Sometime between me telling him to never come back and cursing at him, he fled.

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