Page 29 of The Goblin in the Sink Drain
“That’s because your ass is hanging out for all the world to see, Sloane.” He stomped over, covered her backside, and lifted her into his arms. “I’m taking her back to her room, and I’m chaining her to the bed.”
“Kinky.” Sloane burst into giggles. “Chainsh wonsh hold me.”
“Then I’ll wrap my hands around your throat and?—”
“Perfersh.” She drilled a finger into his chest. “Verpersh?”
Feeling helpful, if gummy, I supplied, “Pervert?”
“Yesh.”
As he marched from the room, I couldn’t help smiling. Sloane felt well enough to give him hell, which meant she would be fine. I was feeling pretty good about the whole thinguntil I remembered the magnus crouched before me with zero amusement on his face.
“You could have hurt yourself.” He hooked his hands under my arms. “You two must be more careful. I know you worry about each other, but Sloane is going to pay for this little stunt.”
A jolt of panic fluttered down my spine. “How so?”
“Ana.” Regret and remorse battled for control of his expression. “We won’t hurt her.”
Gently, he lifted me into a bridal carry and eased me back onto the bed. “I know that, but…”
After yesterday, my faith in everything had crumbled like the crust on week-old bread.
“I meant that when I completed the bond, she got a spike of energy from the clan. The jolt woke her, and she must have thought her body had healed enough to get up and move around, but it was only that initial burst of magic acting like adrenaline.”
A tinge of regret mingled with my relief. “She’s really a Walsh now.”
“Your situation is different from hers. There’s no rush for you to decide.” He covered me with my sheet, tucking me in tight. The activity had drained me more than I realized. “You’re always welcome to join us, Ana, and I hope you will, one day.”
Neither of us pretended I would suffer the same fate. To get free, I would have to break the ties myself.
nine
“Morning, darling.”
The bright scent of fresh chives hit my nose, and my stomach growled like I had swallowed a rabid wolf.
“Fayne.” I stretched, the muscle in my left arm protesting, and sat up straighter. “This looks amazing.”
Thinly sliced potatoes had been layered with cheese, eggs, spinach, and chives then baked to a golden brown and cut into tidy squares. She carried four of them on a plain white plate with a fork beside them.
“Eat up.” She placed the dish on a tray that swung over the bed. “You need your strength for today.”
“What’s on the agenda?” I shoveled in the food, barely tasting it, which was a real shame. The texture was incredible. Tender potatoes with spongy egg reminiscent of a crustless quiche topped with crispy cheese. “Can I see Sloane when I’m done?”
“Slow down.” She tapped my wrist. “You’ll choke yourself.” She sat at the foot of the bed. “We’ve got a lead on where the cougar pride is holding the salon staff. We have people in place, monitoring the situation in case Sartori hands down a kill order.”
A piece of egg shot down the wrong pipe, and I coughed bits of potato all over the tray. “Kill order?”
“The employees held value to Sartori while you held value to him. He has no need for them if he has no further need for you.” Fayne didn’t mince words, and I liked that about her. Most of the time. “We must be prepared for emergency extraction if conditions merit it, especially with Mercer Bates primed to take charge of the Sartori interests.”
Fayne had been witness to Mercer’s plans, so I wasn’t surprised to learn she was acting on the intel fast.
Hard as it was to ask, to tell myself I shouldn’t care, I gave myself no choice. “Carmichael is still alpha?”
“They’ve tightened security since Rían dropped in. We don’t have eyes on the inside, so it’s hard to say.”
Uncomfortable with the debt between us, I reached for her hand. “Thank you, for coming for me.”
