Page 44 of The Thief
"And now?"
"Now I'm whatever I'm needed to be."
"Including my bodyguard?"
"If that's what it takes."
We're sitting closer than we should be; close enough that I can feel the heat of his breath on me. He’s close enough that I can smell his cologne, and notice the way his hands move when he talks.
It’s dangerous territory. Getting attached to a man like Freddie is a good way to end up hurt.
"You don't have to protect me," I say.
"Yeah, I do."
"Why?"
"Because someone should. Because you matter."
The words hit harder than they should. Nobody's said I matter in eighteen months. Nobody's cared whether I live or die since Dad was buried.
"I can take care of myself."
"I know. I saw you with those men in Belfast, remember? But taking care of yourself and having someone watch your back aren't the same thing."
True. I’ve been fighting alone so long, I'd forgotten what it felt like to have someone in my corner.
"What happens now?" I ask.
"Now we figure out how to keep you safe while we deal with Trace."
"Deal with how?"
His face goes hard, dangerous. "However we have to."
It’s a death sentence, delivered with the same casual tone Denis used earlier. In their world, threats get eliminated. Permanently.
"And after? When Trace is dead and the war's over?"
"Then you decide what kind of life you want. Stay here, go back to Belfast, go somewhere else entirely. Your choice."
"Is it? Or will Henry expect me to take over some piece of his empire?"
"Henry expects a lot of things. Doesn't mean you have to give them to him."
We're quiet for a while, the weight of unspoken possibilities hanging between us. Outside, Dublin settles into the evening, unaware that empires are being planned and wars are being fought in houses like this one.
"Can I ask you something?" I say.
"Shoot."
"Ava—what did she do to you?"
Freddie goes very still. It’s a dangerous question, I realize. But I need to know what I'm dealing with; what ghosts are haunting the man who's supposed to protect me.
"I thought I was in love with her, but she was married to Trace."
I swallow hard at his words. She was married to the man who's killing everyone. He said he thought he was in love with her. "But you weren't?"
