Page 1054 of One More Kiss

There was a light tap on the door, then it opened. Jett stood there, silhouetted by the hall light.

My heart leapt to my throat and I sat bolt upright. How long had he been standing there? How much had he heard?

“Do you need anything, Liandra?” Jett’s eyes drilled into me. His gaze was fire, and I wanted to dance in the flames.

This would be my chance to ask him but I couldn’t. My throat had closed up and words wouldn’t come.

His eyes softened, now gentle and caressing. I felt like I was about to burst into tears from the intensity and I’d done that once already tonight.

He spoke again. “Anything at all?”

There was no way I could talk. I did the only thing I could. I shook my head.

“We’re good here.” Clara spoke up for me. “Just having some girl talk. We should turn in, it’s getting late.”

Jett’s gaze flicked to Clara then back to me. “You’re sure?”

I nodded, and he withdrew from the room, shutting the door behind him. I sensed his reluctance, but I couldn’t reach out to stop him. I couldn’t.

Clara got up and went to the door, opening it and looking each way down the hall. She turned back to me, waving her hands in front of her face as if to cool herself down. “Oh boy. The way he looked at you just now.”

She put her hands on her hips, ready to battle on my behalf. “Why wouldn’t he help you with your sister?”

I swallowed. “I haven’t asked.”

Clara frowned. Whatever she saw in my face made her come over and sit beside me. She put her arm around me in a sideways hug. “I think,” she said slowly, “that it’s time for you to trust again. Not all men are evil. They don’t all steal children, or shoot at people. And that man there? I don’t know much, but I’m willing to bet he’d do anything for you. I think you should ask him to help you save your sister.”

I leaned into her, soaking in the comfort she offered for a moment before I stood. I couldn’t afford to be weak. “I need to use the bathroom. You should go back to bed.”

Clara smiled. “Just think about it.”

I paused with my hand on the door. “I will.”

* * *

“You coming?”Clara was up and dressed, ready to go. I didn’t know how she could be so sprightly when she’d had as little sleep as I had. Maybe she got a few hours in while I’d been out fighting with Fin.

I groaned, then shoved my covers back. “You go. I’ll be right down.”

Shark had tapped on the door ten minutes ago, telling us to meet in the war room. I guess that was the official name for the kitchen slash conference room we’d been in the day before.

He hadn’t opened the door, unlike Jett last night. Once Clara acknowledged we’d be there we’d heard his heavy footsteps heading away from us down the hallway.

By the time I arrived downstairs the coffee was made and there was a plate of toast sitting in the middle of the conference room table. I sank into a spare seat and gratefully pulled my mug over. “Whoever made this is a God. Or Goddess. Thank you.”

“God. And you’re welcome.” Shark grinned and nudged the toast plate towards me. “Can’t promise this will be as good as the coffee, Jett did the toast. But it’s better than his eggs.”

Clara laughed. “I’ll give him a lesson later.”

Jett was hunched over a laptop at the end of the table. He looked up and shrugged. “I’m more of a sweets kind of guy. I keep the cookie jar full, don’t I?”

Shark slapped him on the back. Ouch. That would leave a bruise. “That you do, and I’m forever grateful.”

Jett grabbed the remote control for the television and switched it on. “Let’s go over the security footage again. I want to see if we missed anything. At first I thought we were dealing with a small team, but now I’ve met the Fae. He’s good. He might have been working alone.”

“Why does it matter?” I snagged a piece of toast and paused before taking a bite. “We beat him last night. He’ll go back home with his tail between his legs.”

I wished I believed that.

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