“I was,” Arthie replied, as if it happened every day. In reality, she had been terrified. She’d long considered herself unafraid of death, but Matteo was right. She had much to do, and she couldn’t die just yet. “For a few seconds. Matteo brought me back.”
Arthie found it suddenly impossible to look at any of the others. She rapped her knuckles on the crate beside her. “Right. On to business, we—”
“‘Brought me back,’ eh? That’s one way to word it,” Matteo said, his gaze heavy on her. He might as well have been undressing her for the way he stared. Arthie felt her skin tingle in response.
Flick made a surprised yelp, no different than the high society ladies who tittered at the sight of an exposed ankle. Arthie met his eyes, waiting for that spike of irritation, that irked tick that should have risen in her blood. Instead, she was suddenly shy.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jin growled at him, and the kitten stopped her chomping and flattened her ears against her head.Thatwas when Arthie felt a spike, only it wasn’t irritation or anger, it was satisfaction. Like she was a child who’d done something forbidden and her elder brother didn’t approve.
In answer, Matteo found himself a rickety chair and sat back like a pleased and pompous king. He propped his elbow on the arm of it, never once taking his eyes off Arthie.
Flick looked between him and Arthie and opened her mouth. Whatever she was about to say, Arthie decided she did not need to hear it.
“We didn’t reunite for small talk, did we?” Why was her voice more hoarse than it needed to be? “Can we redirect our attention to that ledger?”
And not what I might have done with Ettenia’s most eligible bachelor in a bedroom of his own house.
“Oh, Arthie,” Flick said with the edge of a smile. “I missed you too.”
Matteo laughed, and it sent a shiver up Arthie’s spine. She was losing it, she truly was. She crossed her arms, but Arthiehadmissed her. And the crew when they were together.
And Jin.
Who was now most certainly pretending not to pay attention. He had every right to be angry at her—unless, of course, he was angrier after what Matteo said. But could he understand that she’d kept so much of herself from him out of fear? Out of a loathing for herself and what she’d done before she’d pulled him out of that fire?
“Wewerefocusing on the ledger before you two interrupted,” Jin said.
And Arthie, try as she might, couldn’t fling a response back quickly enough. No, she felt as though she really had interrupted them. Matteo was watching her as though he knew what she was thinking. As though he had been there, a silent part of her years with Jin.
“Now we all can,” she finally said.
Jin rapped his umbrella on the dusty floor. “Well, long story short, the ledger is rubbish. The Ram’s already emptied at least one warehouse.”
“No—” Flick started.
Arthie snorted at his quick dismissal. “So you’ve decided it’s completely useless because of a single warehouse?”
“Maybe out of—”
“Oh, are you the only one who can make educated guesses based on the facts we pick up?” Jin snapped.
“I’ve been reading—”
“I came here because of your parents,” Arthie seethed.
“And I should fall at your feet, is that it?” Jin seethed back.
“Enough,” Matteo said over them both. “Poor Flick hasn’t been able to get a single word in. This won’t do.” He pointed from Jin to Arthie. “Can we agree that the Ram is our enemy?”
Arthie felt like a child being scolded, but she nodded. Jin did too.
“Right, and can we agree we need to find Jin’s parents, for you, Jin, of course, but also to strip the Ram of, essentially, her allies?”
Jin laughed without mirth. “Because there’s always a reason for what Arthie does.”
“Are we to assume you don’t care for the same?” Matteo asked, still in his chair.
Jin eyed him. “Let’s not forget that the Ram killed me, Andoni.” He gestured in Arthie’s direction. “And since when do you speak for her?”
