Page 168 of The Sinner's Bargain

Cyrus’s phone went off in his pocket and he unearthed the device to peer at the screen.

“Mr. Lacroix wants to know if we’re heading back.” But even as he spoke, his thumbs were moving across the screen answering.

Thoran was waiting in the foyer when we returned. My heart leapt at the sight of him, and I rushed into his arms.

“God, I missed you,” he breathed into my shoulder.

I squeezed him harder. “Missed you, too. How was work?” I drew back to smooth hairs off his face.

His warm, golden gaze drifted between my eyes to linger on my lips. “Long, but there’s somewhere I want to take you tomorrow. No work. I already told Vance.”

I beamed and hopped up on my toes to kiss him. “I can’t wait.”

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

NAYA

Dinner was an unusually quiet affair. Oliver, who was typically buoyant and talkative during most meals, had grown somber and pensive the last few days. He barely ate his food but stared at the plate as if not seeing it.

I tried pulling him into the conversation, and it would work for a few minutes before he’d fall silent once more.

A glance in Thoran’s direction assured me I wasn’t imagining things.

“Everything all right, Oliver?” he asked finally.

Oliver raised his head and nodded. “Just a lot of things on my plate.”

“Can we help you with anything?” I asked softly.

I truly adored Oliver. From the very beginning, he’d been such a beacon of light and warmth. He never made me feel like I didn’t belong and went out of his way to welcome me, even if I didn’t really know him very well beyond dinner conversation. I had no idea what he did or where he went during the day. I never ran into him during my wanderings of the house, so I assumed he went out. But if something was wrong, I wanted to help.

His round face lit up with his familiar smile. “You are very sweet, but I have it handled.”

He didn’t stay much longer after that when he pushed his chair back and excused himself, claiming there was a whole chapter of the Island of Dr. Moreau waiting for him. It tickled a far corner of my brain that he’d been reading that book for a while. Not that I was one to judge anyone’s reading speed, but I wondered if I should bring him a new book from the shop.

“Should we do something?” I asked Thoran once dinner had completed, and we were getting ready for our evening walk.

He threaded my arm into the crock of his as we started our usual path towards the office. “I’ll talk to him.”

I started to open my mouth when Cyrus appeared at our side, his expression set.

“There’s someone at the gate,” he said.

Thoran frowned but didn’t ask questions as he turned his attention on me. “Go upstairs. Stay in our room. We’ll continue our walk once I handle this.”

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