Assassin's Heart (Assassin's Heart, #1)(75)

Footsteps on the bridge. I stiffened. It was too late for a commoner. It could have been a prostitute, but more likely it was a lawman, searching for the prisoner who’d killed his brothers and escaped.

The footsteps reached the bottom of the bridge and paused. I could picture Lefevre searching the dark streets for me. The footsteps headed around the side of the bridge. I scrambled to my knees, watching, waiting.

A boot appeared. I jumped to my feet, hunched over in the tight space.

A face peeked under the bridge.

“Lea?” A whispered voice.

Les had found me.





thirty-two


“LES.” HIS NAME BROKE FREE OF ME IN A BREATH OF relief. I leaned against the bridge and slid to the ground.

He ducked under, his long legs bending as he hunched over.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said. “I thought you might like these”—he passed me my weapons and cloak—“and this.” He pulled my mask from under his cloak and handed it to me.

“How did you get this?”

He smiled. “Let’s just say I’m overly familiar with the law office. And most of the lawmen went with you.”

Les had known to bring my mask for me, had known it would make me stronger. A moment ago I’d been on the edge of panic. Then Les appeared and everything looked better.

He sat across from me. “I didn’t realize the law moved so fast.”

“I think they were worried I’d escape.”

“You talked to your visitor for a while.”

I pictured Les listening to Val and me. My stomach sank. It wasn’t as if we’d said anything secretive, but Val had pulled a lot of emotion out of me, things I thought I was through feeling. “You could hear us?”

He shook his head. “I just waited for him to leave. He was in a hurry. Took off running as soon as he got outside. Afraid of the ghosts?”

I furrowed my brows. “That’s unlikely.”

“Anyway”—Les dug through his cloak pockets and pulled out a satchel—“look what I have!”

Lock picks. Relief spread through me, and I scooted closer to him. “Do you know how to use them?”

Les pulled my hands into his lap. He inserted the pick into the lock of the shackles. “It was the first skill I learned. Your uncle figured I couldn’t accidentally kill myself with the picks.”

He smiled, and some of my worry over Val vanished. Les had a way about him that made it easy to overlook the darker sides of life, even though his hands were as red as any clipper’s. He began to hum as he worked on my shackles.

They were so different, Val and Les. Val was arrogant and believed everyone was below him. Les was kind to people, even those who tried to push him away. Val tried so hard to be the person he was, with his appearance and his manner. Les didn’t try at all, and his nature came through in a way that made my heart stutter, my breath catch in my throat.

I’d thought I loved Val. But maybe that love had been built on the prestige of his bloodline, his talents, and his wealth. Les had none of those things, and yet his very presence made me feel safe.

He glanced at me. “What are you smiling about?”

My eyes widened. “Nothing.”

“Hmm.” He twisted his wrist and the shackles popped open, tumbling to the ground. “And you’re free.”

He grabbed my wrists with his calloused hands and rubbed the feeling back into them. He leaned closer to whisper in my ear.

“This was my first jailbreak. I think you’re a bad influence on me, Miss Oleander Saldana.” We were so close I could almost hear his heart beating. His hands slipped down to mine, and he stroked my wrists with his thumb. I looked up at him.

He watched me, all traces of humor gone. Then his lips pressed against mine. He clasped my hands. I strengthened my grip around his, and for that moment everything else ceased to matter. All that mattered was Les—the way his beard scraped my skin and how his lips tightened in a smile against mine until he laughed and pulled away.

“This has been an excellent jailbreak.”

He held out his hand. I took it, and he pulled us both to our feet. My ribs pulsed in pain, and I hissed.

“You’re hurt.” Worry flashed through his eyes.

“My ribs. And my ankle. Landed wrong on both. I’ll be fine as long as we take it easy.”

Of course, I couldn’t take anything easy with my enemies searching for me. “Come on,” I said. “We’ve got a lot to do before we face the Da Vias.”

I ducked out from beneath the bridge. Les followed and we fled the area, heading deeper into the city.

When we’d gotten far enough away from Lefevre and the gallows, we climbed to the roofs. Les had to help me up, and by the time we scaled the top I was winded and in even more pain. When we finally reached my roof, I slid my mask to the top of my head and pulled him toward me for another kiss. I didn’t want to stop kissing him, didn’t want to let him go.

We broke apart for breath. He tucked an errant strand of my hair behind my ear. “We should’ve been doing this all along.”

“Probably. I just had some things to work out.”

“And did you?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Not really.”

He laughed, and we got to work organizing our weapons. Les handed me another stiletto for my boot. “Who was your visitor?”