Page 86 of The Thief
She’s beautiful, safe, and mine.
She looks up when I enter, and the smile that spreads across her face could power half of Dublin.
"Freddie."
That's all it takes. Her saying my name, relief and happiness and something deeper in her voice. I cross the room in three steps, pull her into my arms, and hold her like I'm never letting go.
She fits against me perfectly, warm and solid and real. I bury my face in her hair and breathe in the scent of her shampoo, feeling her heart beating against my chest.
"I'm okay," she whispers, hands fisting in my jacket. "I'm okay."
But I'm not okay. The thought of losing her, of Trace getting his hands on her, has shaken something loose inside me. Something I didn't know was there until it was threatened.
I’m falling in love with her.
The realization hits like a sledgehammer. It’s not just attraction, not just a protective instinct. It’s love. The real thing, the kind that makes smart men do stupid things and careful men take risks they can't afford.
Christ, when did that happen? When did she stop being a job and start being everything?
"Freddie?" Her voice is concerned now. "What happened? Are you hurt?"
"No. No, I'm fine. Just needed to see you."
I pull back enough to look at her face, check for any signs of fear or trauma. But she looks calm, and steady, like someone who's spent the evening learning domestic skills instead of hiding from killers.
"Henry wants you to go home," I say.
"Is it safe?"
"Safer than anywhere else. We dealt with the immediate threat."
"All of it?"
"Most of it."
She nods, understanding that there are things I can't tell her here, in front of Jessica. Details that belong to our world, not hers.
"I'll get my things," she says.
Jessica moves to the kitchen to give us privacy. Good woman, she’s been married to Stephen long enough to know when conversations need space.
"What really happened?" Alastríona asks quietly.
"Twelve men attacked Henry's house. They’re all dead. But Trace wasn't with them. It was a distraction."
"To get to me?"
"That's what we think. But you're safe, and that's what matters."
"And after? When he tries again?"
"Then we'll be ready for him."
She studies my face, seeing more than I want her to. "You were scared."
"Yeah."
"Really scared."
