Page 14 of The Hitman
“But—”
“Now, Leo.”
Fists clenched, Leo shakes his head at Jaxon before stomping out of the room.
My heart stutters when those dark eyes pin me in place, but I’m not about to let this slide.
“What’s the matter with you?” I ask.
“Me? This is the second time I’ve found you two skipping lessons for playtime.” He tugs on the ponytail that was holdingmy cape together, and it flutters to the floor. “I have half the mind to fire you.”
The muttered threat lacks any bite. Almost like he’s trying to regulate his emotions, but isn’t sure where to start.
“So fire me,” I dare him, though I silently pray he won’t. “But good luck finding a replacement with my qualifications on such short notice.”
“Nannies are a dime a dozen,” he utters coolly. “What I need is one who actually does as she’s told.”
He’s different today. The circles under his eyes are deeper than they were this morning, and there’s a strange reddish-brown stain on his collar that captures my attention.
Lipstick… or something else entirely?
“I’ve already taken responsibility for what happened on Monday.”
Jaxon voiced that I should’ve been teaching Leo instead of bonding with him, but all he’s worried about is keeping him from falling behind. He doesn’t understand that children need more than textbooks to survive.
“As I explained before, Leo needs time to adjust to these changes. I won’t apologize for giving him a single day to warm up to me.”
Jaxon toes the bottom sheet of the fort with apathy. “And what do you call this?”
“A lesson, presented in a way that looks like play.”
He arches a single brow before stepping beside me. “All right then. Show me.”
“Show you?”
A wisp of a smirk dimples his cheek. “I don’t believe I stuttered, Miss Finley.”
The whooshing sensation in my stomach robs me of a smartass remark. We’re standing close enough that his scent—dangerous and alluring—swarms my senses. He smells like gunmetal and bourbon, and against all logic, I hear myself murmur, “Fine.”
I clear my throat before walking toward the entrance of the castle. After opening the flap, I motion for him to follow me inside.
He’s tall enough that his head nearly touches the highest point inside, but he doesn’t complain. In fact, his eyes flick from corner to corner with surprised appreciation.
“Leo’s shown the most interest in history and physics. So I thought this would be a fantastic way to let him get creative with both.”
I point to the flashcards tapped to the thin walls. “This one explains how castles used murder holes, which were basically trapdoors in the ceilings where defenders could drop boiling oil or rocks on invaders. Super effective, very messy.” I direct him to the opposite side of the fort. “And over here we have a handy breakdown of defensive architecture. See the sloped walls, arrow slits, and drawbridges?”
A hint of curiosity leaks through the cracks in his armor when he nods.
“Leo also engineered this gate over here to open with a pulley made from a shoelace and a salad tong.”
He approaches the oven grate we borrowed from the kitchen and tugs on the shoelace. The top of the drawbridge lowers to the ground with athump. “Impressive.”
“Right? We even covered the feudal system.” I shrug, grinning up at him. “Pretty sure I’ve been promoted from peasant to noblewoman, thanks to my knight status.”
“All right,” he says, finally relaxing some. “I get it. Your methods may be unorthodox at best, but you’re obviously getting through to him.”
“Exactly.” I hold my head high, mimicking his stiff posture, despite how intimidating he looks in the dimly lit space. “We’re just having a little fun, warden.”
