Page 79 of Apprentice to the Villain

But the urgency within him slowed, and he reached up to cradle her face again. He kissed her tenderly, like he dreamed of nightly, like he’d always wanted to, like he’d imagined doing ever since the first time he saw her in Hickory Forest. With her soft hands and her amused smile. Her gentle defiance.

It was at this moment, of course, when he was savoring her—when he wasn’t ready to stop and reflect on what he’d just done, the line he’d just crossed—that a voice called defensively from beyond her partially closed bedroom door: “Who’s in there? I have a weapon!”

They were caught.

Chapter 47

Evie

Evie was not one for melodramatics (yes she was), but she did startle rather easily. So, when a voice shattered the most erotic and passionate moment of her young life, she screamed. Very loudly.

The door was yanked open, and a man stood in the entry. It was impossible to make out his features in the dark hall, but it didn’t matter. Trystan had already begun to charge at him, though the man was gone before Trystan reached the doorframe. “Stay here, Sage!” he yelled.

She snorted. “Yeah, right.”

She hopped off the desk, landing on shaky legs. Weak in the knees—he’d made her weak in the knees with one measly kiss.

The real issue being, there was nothing measly about it.

Still trying to catch her breath, she grabbed one of the candles from the side table and rushed down the hall after them. The intruder had sought cover in her father’s study, but the boss did not relent, following in after him and tackling the man to the ground, hands tight around his throat.

There was a fire lit in the hearth, which was odd, considering she’d assumed her old home abandoned. The room was warm, though, despite the terrible events that had occurred in it. She fought the chill in her heart even as she felt her cheeks heat. “Sir, are you— Hey!” She knew the man below him—knew himimmediately.

“You blithering nincompoop!” Trystan screamed in the man’s face, releasing his neck with a ragged sigh. “I could’ve killed you.”

The man went to his knees, coughing and rubbing at his throat. “Well, that’s not so out of the ordinary for us, is it, brother?”

Malcolm Maverine hadn’t changed much, save for the once long and lustrous brown locks now shorn close to his head. He was still broad shouldered, still carried an easily amused expression, and still seemed to annoy the ever-loving shit out of his older brother.

“Malcolm, I don’t mean to be rude or a poor host,” Evie started, extending her palm toward him, “but what are you doing in my house?”

Malcolm rubbed his head, taking her hand and standing. “May I pour us all a drink before I tell you? I fear it’s far too painful to reveal without liquid courage.” He went to a sideboard that she didn’t recall being there before and poured three glasses full.

A drink was just the ticket. It would allow her body to catch up with her mind, though both parts of her seemed to agree that she was still upstairs, still kissing Trystan, The Villain, herboss. The kiss had been entirely mutual, though he’d been the first to pull away, and then she’d promptly…mauled him. But he’d seemed to enjoy the mauling. He’d seemed to enjoyher—but there was so much distance in his expression, she’d begun second-guessing it all.

Yes, a drink.She took the glass of amber-colored liquid from Malcolm and downed it in one gulp, then could not keep herself from coughing. “Oh, that’s disgusting!”

Malcolm frowned. “I’m afraid it’s all I have left of the Redbloom Tavern.”

She cringed, feeling mildly guilty at the thought that if this was the last of that horrendous liquor, it was rather a good thing.Trystan remained off to the corner, arms crossed over his chest, his face stony. He was silent and barely looking at her.

It was terrible.

But Malcolm’s words caught up with her. “Wait, what do you mean? What happened to the Redbloom Tavern?”

Trystan carefully took his drink from Malcolm’s hand and downed it in three long sips. He didn’t flinch. Unbelievable. “Lose it in a game of cards, Malcolm?”

Malcolm glared at the accusation, finishing his own glass and refilling hers, which she hadn’t asked for, and under any other circumstance, she would have refused—the stuff tasted like copper-tinged medicine—but it was warming her gut and washing away her frenzied overthinking of that kiss. She took another large swig.

“I lost it because of you, Tryst,” Malcolm said quietly.

The boss went rigid. “What do you mean?”

“When they found out The Villain was my brother, people stopped coming. Never mind that I have no association with you or your business. The Maverine name was enough for them tohateme. A few nights ago, I was away, and a group of retired Valiant Guards banded together and burned it to the ground. It’s…gone.”

Her heart twisted at the pain in Malcolm’s voice. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Malcolm. That’s evil.”

The boss’s face flinched like he’d been struck, and she regretted her words almost instantly, knowing how he’d take them. She took another sip of the horrid drink; her head felt lighter, floaty. It would be wise to put it down.