Unease snaked through Willow. Christian’s brother’s lips twisted cruelly whereas Christian’s lips were enticing. How could they be brothers?
She retook her seat.
He sat at her side. “Willow Hawke,” he mused. His eyes roamed over her body. “Youarethe pretty one.”
While she was used to the attention of men, Simon’s interest made her skin crawl. “I should be flattered.”
He smirked. “You should be.”
But she wasn’t. Christian was nothing like this man. Simon’s eyes were hard, unkind, and black, whereas Christian’s were compassionate and lively.
“I don’t know what kind of relationship you have with Dalcop…” Simon stated.
“Christianand I are traveling together.” She hated when he insulted Christian. “That is the extent.”
His eyebrows rose. “He seems very protective of you.”
She shrugged. “Most men are.”
An ugly grin curved his lips. “I can see why.” His gaze again moved slowly to her breasts. “Regardless, you seem close to him.”
“I knew him a long time ago. As I said, now we are traveling companions, nothing more.”
The corner of his lip turned up. “You and your family work for coin, don’t you?”
Willow leaned back in her chair, grateful to separate herself from him. “Why?”
“I have a proposition for you.”
She internally cringed as she assumed his proposition would be sexual. But she let him speak. She could always punch him when he was done.
“Work for me,” he suggested.
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, wondering what type of work.
“That book I saw you with is very important to me.”
He must be mistaken. The book Brother Nicolas had given her was not the one she had stolen from Christian. It was not the book Sage had. He must be after the wrong book.
“Dalcop is not going to hand it over to me.” He grinned. “But you can get it from him.”
Shecouldacquire it from Christian. He had already offered it to her.
“Get the book from him and give it to me,” Simon enticed with a smooth voice.
“Why don’t you ask Christian for the book? You are brothers.”
Simon chuckled softly. “We have never been close. If he knew it was important to me, he would purposely keep it as far away as possible. Until I find it. And I will.”
“Why do you want it? What’s so important about that book?”
Simon narrowed his eyes. “My father wants it. He asked me to procure it.”
Willow chewed gently on her lower lip, weighing her options.
“My father is a wealthy man. He would pay a knight’s wage to possess that book.”
“Is that what you’re offering?”
He smiled. “I like you. Yes. A knight’s wage to bring the book to me.”
It was a hefty payment. He didn’t know it was a book of maps. She swiveled her gaze toward the door. It would hurt Christian if she agreed to get the book for his brother.
“You know as well as I that he will never bring the book to me. He is not coming back. Not even for you. But you Hawkes are skilled trackers. You can find him.”
Prickles of warning snaked up her spine. Willow clenched her teeth. Christian had left her once. He was certain to do it now. A knight’s wage was a lot of coin, and her family could use the coin. If she brought that much back to them, they would be proud of her accomplishment. It was just a silly book.
She turned to the door again, but it remained closed. Disappointment flooded through her. It didn’t take this long to retrieve the book from the saddlebag and return. The little hope she had harbored in her heart died. She was nothing to Christian.
She inhaled a deep breath. “I’ll get you that book.”
