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Another catch.
“She knew?”
“Of course not. I just told her that you wanted a married male because they were more reliable employees. It was to be a marriage in name only. An act. I was a fool.”
“Yes,” Tomlin said calmly. “When did you fall in love with her?”
“Probably the moment I saw her, but it had been… a long time since I’d allowed myself to feel.” And now here he was stripping himself bare in front of a room full of judgmental eyes - but if anyone would understand the wall he’d erected, they would. “I didn’t admit it to myself until we came here.”
“And you still didn’t tell her?” Borgaz asked.
“No. I told her she deserved better. I told her there was no future for us. But I didn’t tell her why.”
“What did she say?”
He closed his eyes as the pain washed over him.
“She told me she loved me.”
He saw a flash of understanding on Borgaz’s face and on Naffon’s. The others remained unreadable, although Kalpar flipped his knife again.
“What changed?” Temel asked.
“A man showed up at our house this morning. He told her that Marshal was running out of patience and he wanted the survey completed immediately. I told her everything, and she said she was leaving.” He straightened his shoulders. “That’s why I’m here. You can do whatever you want to me. I will accept whatever punishment you see fit. But she is innocent and she loves our - her house. She has found a home here and I would ask that you let her stay.”
“Of course she can stay,” Borgaz snapped and he threw him a quick, grateful glance, but ultimately it was Temel’s decision.
The commander was frowning and his heart sank.
“She truly is innocent in all this,” he said urgently.
Temel sighed. “I believe you. If that is what she wishes, she may stay.”
He gave a great shuddering sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“I am not doing it for you,” Temel said coolly, and he nodded.
“I know, but I’m still grateful.” He hesitated. “Are you willing to tell me how you knew?”
“There is a monitor around the majority of the property. Harkan installed it originally when Matthew Johnson was causing trouble - so he would have a warning if anyone approached. We expanded it. When a human male crossed the boundary and went directly to your property, Tomlin notified me. This isn’t the first incident. A human male tried earlier this year but S’kal’s mate recognized him. She had seen him kill someone in Port Cantor.”
“And you think that was related?”
“I do not believe in coincidences.”
“Marshall said something… He said that he’d tried to send a human before and it hadn’t ended well.”
“He died,” S’kal said briefly.
“I see. So Marshall sent him as well. Why?”
“We don’t know.”
“This device may reveal some information,” Tomlin said, turning to over in his hands, the suddenly cocked his head. “Master Thomas is arriving.”
A few seconds later, Tommy came racing in, flushed and breathless.
“Daddy,” he panted as Temel went to him.
