Page 23 of Greed: The Savage
Heart dropping, Addien followed his gaze…and his meaning.
Malric could out her at any moment. She waited for it and knew he’d relish it. He had the information about why, and he was oh so eager to lord it over her. She knew it.
Malric’s low baritone cut through the silence. “Miss Killoran will not make the same mistake again, Dynevor.”
Stunned at being saved for a second time by the marquess, Addien stared wide-eyed at him.
The earl narrowed his eyes on the gentleman more than ten years his senior. “Do you?”
“I’ll see to it.”
“And how will you see to it?” Dynevor probed.
“Going forward, Addien will answer to me,” the marquess said while Addien’s head spun. “I will see she’s properly instructed on how to behave in noble households.”
Malric stared at Addien. “Isn’t that right, Miss Killoran?”
She gave a shaky nod. “Y-yes.”
The moment she and Malric were excused, the marquess brought the door shut behind them.
At some point, Latimer had retired, leaving her and Malric alone. At least, for the moment.
She knew what she had to do.
She knew and utterly hated it.
God, she’d rather claw out her own eyes than thank this man for anything. But she was grateful and she owed him her thanks. It took everything within her, but Addien grudgingly got the words out. “Ye’ve got my thanks, Malric.”
“Aww, Addien.” Malric offered a tight-lipped smirk. “When you say it like that, I can almost believe you.”
She gritted her teeth.
The thing of it was, shedidmean it. What did he want? For Addien to get on a knee? Kiss his feet? Heap praise upon his arrogant head?
“Ye got my thanks and that’s enough, Malric.” She slid a derisive glance over his person. “Do with it what you will.” What she’d given was more than most people from the Seven Dials gave.
Addien made her way unbidden.
“Oh,Addien?”
She ground her feet to a standstill.
“There isonemore thing. When I told Dynevor, I would see you schooled on manners and proper decorum, I wasn’t feeding him a line. You have work coming. There’ll be no tests or trials. I’m not your tutor. I’m not your governess,” he said coldly. “I’m your superior. It’ll be up to you whether or not you succeed in Polite Society.” His flinty gaze cut through her. “And if there is another hint of what happened today at Lady Darrow’s, I will not hesitate to report you.”
Pinpricks of ice shivered up her back.
Thisis what she’d expected from the wretch.
“Are we clear?” He slipped a silky threat into that whisper.
“Abundantly, Malric,” she spat.
Like some empty-headed fool, she’d let her guard down. It was a mistake she’d not make again.
Chapter 6
Thornwick was never wrong.
