Heart of Steel - Meljean Brook [50]
It was true. “I haven’t had a significant find in some time.”
A laugh slipped from her. “No?”
“No. Enough for room, board, a few extras.” He lifted his cigarillo case as an example, then understood why she was laughing. He had made a significant find. “And the sketch, of course.”
“Yes, the sketch. Though now there are two sketches of interest to us: the forgery, because whoever possesses that must have taken it from my lady and killed my crew. And the original, because whoever has it stole a significant sum from us both—and stole your freedom from Temür Agha. So I’m proposing an arrangement between us.”
“To find the sketches.”
“Yes. You know people. I know other people. Between the both of us, we will hear word of at least one sketch. Perhaps we’ll be lucky and find the original and the forgery in one person’s hand.” She sat back. “The arrangement I propose is to share information and retrieve the sketches together. No trickery. No slave bracelets.”
“And not much money.” Not that it mattered. If she hadn’t proposed this, he would have.
“No. Do you find that a significant obstacle, Mr. Fox?”
“It never has been before.”
Satisfaction and determination set her expression like stone. “Good. I have a few items to sell. They won’t amount to much, however, so I doubt we’ll be buying information. Your charm and my blades will have to do.”
Fascinating. She was friend to the richest man in London, yet relied on her blade? “You won’t borrow it from the Iron Duke?”
“A debt has more weight than the coin that pays it,” she said. “I don’t like to owe anyone. Especially friends. Why do you not borrow from your sister?”
“Oh, no. I’ve heard that story before: To support the needs of her wastrel brother, a sister shackles herself to a leering, dissolute rake who beats her every night and brings diseases home from a whorehouse every morning.” He shook a clenched fist. “I vow I will starve and throw myself at my own leering rake before I subject Zenobia to that.”
Laughing so hard that tears formed in her eyes, almost a minute passed before Yasmeen caught her breath. She wiped her cheeks. “You’re the most absurd romantic. She’d leave you to rot first.”
“That’s true enough.” Both statements were. “So do we have an agreement, then?”
All trace of laughter faded. “As long as we both understand: We are partners. I will not give you orders, and even if I take you to my bed, you will do nothing to undermine me or assume superiority. If you betray me, I will gut you.”
If I take you to my bed. This was one of the finest moments of his life. “I understand.”
“You don’t have anything to add? No stipulations of your own? Warnings?”
“I’ve already given warning that I intend to fall in love with you.”
Her gaze hardened. “The time for games is past, Mr. Fox.”
“It’s not a game.” He matched the gravity of her tone. “Not for lack of trying, I’ve never been in love. I desperately want to be. And I’ve come to realize that you’ve been in my thoughts so long, you’re the only one for me.”
“I won’t encourage you.”
“It’s too late for that. You encourage me with the way you blow the smoke from between your teeth when you’re frustrated. You encourage me with every quick thought and irritated glance. The flick of your eyelashes, the fullness of your lips.” He let his gaze slip over her features, worshiping each one. “Your sneer.”
Her lips smashed together, and she seemed to fight another laugh before finally relaxing into a smile. “Very well. Fall in love with me, if you like. But don’t expect me to do the same.”
“I don’t.”
“All right, then.” She leaned forward, green eyes locked on his. “Shall we seal our agreement in blood?”
“I’ve already promised you my heart.”
“Not our blood.” She tossed a glance to the next table, where a tangle of men beat each other senseless. At the bar, a whore had her legs locked around a sailor’s thick neck and her hands over his eyes while a female aviator pummeled his stomach. The other end of the tavern was a mass of shouting and punching, tables tipping and glass breaking. “Theirs. And we’ll see how well we watch