Page 109 of Hand-Fasting and Other Hazards
“You’ve been fed, the TV is on, you’ll be fine, right?” Nia asked, though she already knew the answer. She patted the dog’s head anyway, the motion soothing. “Watch the house while I’m gone, okay? Bite your dad when he gets home for making me worry.”
Jade gave a little huff, her tail thumping a few times against the couch cushion.
With a deep breath, Nia stepped out into the cool evening air. Her boots struck a steady rhythm against the pavement, her steps quick and purposeful. She left the polished charm of the historic district behind, turning into a quiet lane lined with shuttered businesses and back entrances. She liked this part of Stella Rune—the edges where people came to lose themselves for a while, to slip away from the polite smiles and carefully trimmed hedges of the town center. Here, it was wild but comfortable, and nothing needed to be hidden.
Halfway to the club, a strange sensation washed over her.
It started as a whisper of unease, a flicker at the fringe of her awareness as she reached the edge of downtown. She slowed, her eyes sweeping the street. The glow of the neon signs reflected off the damp pavement, but their colors felt muted, the shadows around them deeper. She glanced at a nearby alley. The darkness filling it seeming to breathe, to shift in a way that made her skin prickle.
Her hand brushed against the inside pocket of her leather jacket, feeling the edges of the envelope tucked safely inside. She had done this before—countless times. She knew the power of leverage, how to wield it for good even when it meant walking dangerous lines.
Still, her fingers tightened around the envelope.
The sound of footsteps echoed faintly behind her, matching her own in a way that felt too precise, less like an echo, and more like she was being followed. Nia stopped, her breath catching in her throat as she turned to scan the street behind her.
Nothing.
The sidewalks were empty and the faint hum of traffic in the distance was the only sound. She searched the shadows, her heart pounding faster, her grip on the envelope tightening as she turned back toward the club.
“Get it together,” she muttered under her breath, forcing herself to keep walking.
The club’s sign came into view, its garish neon spilling onto the street in a cascade of electric pink and green. The sight loosened the knot of fear in her chest, the familiar buzz of the place pulling her forward. She focused on the steady rhythm of her boots, the warm chaos of the club ahead offering an escape from the gnawing unease still clinging to her.
As she reached the door, a flicker of movement caught her eye.
She glanced back over her shoulder. In the distance, a figure jogged toward her. For a moment, her pulse quickened as a prickle of fear crawled up her spine. Then the man stepped under a streetlamp, his features illuminated by the warm, steady light. Dark hair, broad shoulders, the easy, loping stride. A man she would now recognize anywhere.
Relief flooded her, stealing her breath.
Lochlan.
Nia didn’t think. She moved. Her boots barely made a sound as she crossed the pavement, closing the space between them. When she reached him, she didn’t hesitate, wrapping her arms tightly around Lochlan’s middle and pulling him close.
The scent of him hit her first—fresh, clean, unmistakably him—as she buried her face against his chest, letting herself breathe him in. Her hands gripped the worn fabric of his jacket, anchoring herself to him.
Lochlan’s arms came around her, his hands spreading across her back in a way that felt both protective and desperate. He leaned back just enough to catch her gaze, his honey-colored eyes scanning her face as though searching for reassurance.
Then he cupped her cheek, his fingers warm against her skin, and kissed her swiftly.
He tasted of toothpaste and exhaustion, the kind of weary relief that made her chest ache. His breath caught as he sighed against her lips, and she smiled.
“You’re here.”
“I’m here,” Lochlan replied, his voice low and rough.
Her smile widened against his lips, and she kissed him again, lingering this time, as if trying to convey all the things she couldn’t bring herself to say.
“I would have waited,” she said breathlessly, her words muffled against his chest. “But I didn’t know when?—”
Lochlan let out a soft chuckle, the sound warm despite the weariness clinging to him. “My exit was a little dramatic,” he admitted. “I forgot my charger and couldn’t get one on the train.”
She leaned back, one brow arching. “And?”
He paused. “And I found nothing I went looking for,” he said softly. “But discovered everything I needed to.”
She searched his face for answers.
“Later.” He shook his head, a small, rueful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Now, why did you want me to meet you at Salt?”
