Page 113 of The Mech Who Loved Me
"Prick." Byrnes shot him a smile. "I think I've almostmissedyou."
"There are other changes too." Kincaid's hands settled gently on Ava's shoulders with careful deliberation, squeezing gently. "All good,kitten?"
Ava froze. What was he doing? This was supposed to be.... Everyonewouldknow.
Perhaps that was precisely thepoint.
She knew he still saw Byrnes as competition for her feelings; he'd practically shouted it at her the other day. And although the matter had been settled in her mind—and heart—she hadn't realized it perhaps wasn't settled in his, despite what she'd told him lastnight.
You fool.Ava slowly reached up and caressed his hand. "I'm fine, thank you for asking." Then she smiledathim.
A tiny declaration, but she might as well have grown fangs and hissed at the others. Both Byrnes and Ingrid stared at her as ifshehad.
Then Ingrid stepped forward and kissed Ava on the cheek. "Congratulations."
And Ava panicked a little again, because they were presuming Kincaid had declared his intentions, when the pair of them hadn't quite worked everything out. Kincaid was the one holding back, but if he asked her for... forever... then she'd give ittohim.
Her heart squeezed. She'd give him every part of herself if he only opened himself up to thepossibility.
Byrnes wasn't quite as sanguine. "Do Ineedto—"
"No, you do not. I am not an idiot, and although you all treat me like a child, I can make my own decisions." Ava sucked in a slow breath, trying to fight her sudden anger. "I want this... whatever is between us, I want it with every part of myheart."
And God help her, but her mouth had said the words before she could edit them, and now her feelings were on the table, and they were all looking ather,and—
Kincaid squeezed her shoulders again, and stepped around her to take her hand. "We haven't worked out the specifics," he told the pair of them, "but frankly, it's none of yourbusiness."
"Or mine apparently," Malloryn said, startling all of them. He looked frustrated as he strode out of the shadows behind the stairs. "I think I'm going to make a company policy of pairing members of the same sex together to avoid thisnonsense."
"Because that's working so well for Jack and my brother, Debney." Byrnes snorted. He drifted into the parlor and sank into a chair. "Now I've been told quite firmly to mind my own business, I think we should get to the crux of the matter. I want whoever shot Garrett." He clasped his hands between his knees, looking deadly serious. "And I want his head. I would advise all of you to stay out ofmyway."
Thatwas...it?
Ava's shoulders relaxed. Everything was out in the open right now, and it felt like they'd all accepted it. It felt like Kincaid had evenacceptedit.
He brushed his knuckles against her back. "You can breathenow,luv."
"The sniper's yours," Malloryn said, "butafteryou bring me Ulbricht." He handed Ingrid the folder he carried. "I want the pair of you up-to-date on developments. Ava and Kincaid have discovered a poison that can kill bluebloods...."
Byrnes looked horrified as Malloryn swiftly filled the pair of them in on developments. "Sniper can wait," he finallyagreed.
"The thing I don't understand, Your Grace, is the threat against the Nighthawks," Ava said thoughtfully. "Where was the serum? We all thought the SOG were going to fire poisoned darts at them. But they didn't. Just a single sniper to take Garrett down and spur the Nighthawks into a head-on collision with the mob. Why didn't they use the serum? It would have been the perfectopportunity."
"You mean, what are they saving it for?" Kincaid said, cracking his knuckles with hismechhand.
Precisely. Ava clenched both hands around the back of a chair as she stared at all of them. "Edward Leicester said they needed all the crates of serum by last night. So whatever they're planning, it must be soon, and I think there's something else going on here we haven't seen before. I think they plan to use the serumelsewhere."
Malloryn placed his fingers together, looking grim. "You're right." He met all their eyes in turn. "My spy networks turned up nothing. You're the investigators, where do we gofromhere?"
"Ingrid and I can try and track Ulbricht," Byrnes said, running a hand through his pale hair. The color had faded from it completely now, ever since he'd been turned into adhampiragainst his will. "We were on his trail last month and know his hidey-holes, and his scent. My senses are better than ever, we might as wellusethem."
"And you two?" Malloryn asked, turningtoher.
Ava sighed. "We have several leads to chase up. I think the vaccine issue has trailed off, and this is more important anyway. We need to find out who can manufacture dart guns, or guns with hollow bullets that might be filled with Black Vein, much the way the Firebolt bullets are filled with chemicals. And Kincaid has ties among the humanist population." She paused, glancing at him. "Do you think any of your friends would knowanything?"
Kincaid nodded slowly. "Theymight."
Twenty-Seven
