Page 74 of The Thief

“So be it,” Joy replied. “There are worse men out there to fear than him.”

Lucian furrowed his brow.

“That’s why Tak keeps trying to make peace with him,” I said. “It’s far better to mend those fences than burn them down. It’s possible they’ll work things out.”

Lucian moved his seat back, then reclined it. “In the city, we lived in separate districts from the humans. If you were dumb enough to call the police on a problem neighbor, the landlord would toss you out, not the troublemaker. As long as no one was getting murdered, they didn’t give a shit what went on in their building. So, I had this one neighbor across the hall who played loud music at night—not even good music. I have insomnia, and it was pissing me off to hear all that thumping against the walls.”

“What did you do?” I asked.

“I hacked into his speakers and switched out the music to the sound of people screaming bloody murder.” A dark smile flashed across his face. “He kept the music low after that. Maybe we should think of something that would get Hamish off our ass.”

Lucian was pragmatic and wildly smart, but he lacked emotional intelligence. He spoke his mind without regard to other people’s feelings. It was obvious he cared about his family, so I knew he wasn’t a monster. But he often made remarks that could be taken personally and saw no trouble with verbalizing his private thoughts. Most people would have asked the neighbor to turn it down, but Lucian had opted for a solution that could have resulted in his neighbor getting evicted or even beat up by neighbors.

Lucian didn’t get mad—he got even.

“Everyone needs to stay off Hamish’s land and away from his pack,” Bear said decidedly. “With Mercy working at the bar, she’ll figure out who’s who in this town. We should do the same. We’re gonna be living here a long time, so don’t throw rocks at a hornet’s nest.”

“How about a grenade?”

“I mean it.”

“If you say so.” Lucian’s eyes closed, and a smile touched his lips. “New-car smell,” he said under his breath with a quiet chuckle.

Chapter 13

Later that evening, following work and a late supper, Bear joined me in the upstairs bedroom. We closed the door and looked through my possessions, searching for some clue as to what the Mage wanted from me. I placed the boxes on the bed and unloaded everything except my personal papers, postcards, and letters. There were no lockboxes or large envelopes filled with money, no pouches filled with gold coins, no rare paintings.

Bear picked up the bunny figurine with the blue flowers encircling its neck and shook it.

“That’s Lucky,” I said, putting my folded quilt on the upper closet shelf. “He won’t be so lucky if you drop him.”

He carefully set it on the vanity. “Maybe it’s worth a fortune.”

I snorted. “Did you see the bottom? Made in Taiwan.”

He sat at the foot of the bed. “Are you sure you got everything from storage?”

“That’s it. The rest was furniture. Some I donated, and the rest I put out on the curb for trash pickup. If I ever had anything of his, it’s long gone now.”

Bear looked at my costume jewelry again. “If you threw it away, there’s nothing you can do about it now.”

“He won’t believe me.” I lifted the box.

Bear jumped to his feet and took it from me. “Let me do that.” After setting it in the corner, he sank onto the bed. “Our job isn’t to convince him. If he thinks you have something, he won’t stop.”

I switched off the overhead light and sat in my round papasan chair in the corner. My thoughts drifted as I stared at the door.

He stroked his beard. “What are you thinking?”

I kicked off my shoes and stretched my toes. “I don’t even know anymore. Do you think the fates are punishing me for what I’ve done? I can’t remember stealing from those people, but does that mean I shouldn’t be held accountable for my crimes? If I used to be a bad person, does it mean I’m still a bad person?”

Bear sat on the floor in front of me. He nestled his head against my knee and let me run my fingers through his short hair. I traced the shell of his ear, loving how comfortable I felt in his company. His hands moved out of sight, and the next thing I knew, he was massaging my foot.

I sank even deeper into the chair and sighed. Even in sneakers, being on my feet all day had taken its toll.

“It’s like you can read my mind,” I purred.

“I know what a good woman needs,” he said in a raw tone that left me wanting more of his touch, his voice, his everything.

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