Page 110 of Devil in Her Details

Dagger straightened, burning all of her into his memory. Then he turned to the window before he could change his mind. The sill was cold under his hands, and outside, the first grey of the sky beckoned Brighton from its slumber. The world carried on exactly as it had before and would continue to do so without any mercy.

Dagger gave one last look her way.

Don’t forget me, little lynx.

He slipped from the window and dropped to the ground below.

The time had come to return to his own world.

A world where Lilly Trenton did not exist. And Christ, if this did not feel like one of those very moments he might die.

Chapter Twenty-Three

He was gone.

Lilly had opened her eyes to a cold, empty bed.

Of course he was gone. She had known he would go. She hadn’t quite thought he would slip away like a thief in the blasted night, but she’d never thought he would stay. They had said their goodbyes with their bodies, not their words. She didn’t resent him or herself for that. How could she? They had done something beautiful.

However, other, less sensible parts of her had apparently not received the logic. The man had left God only knew when, which meant he had lain there awake and made the decision to go while she’d slept through the only goodbye she was ever going to get from him. Other than exploding in each other’s arms. She could not decide if that was a kindness or the single most aggravating thing he’d done so far.

She moved the eggs to the other side of her plate.

“You haven’t eaten anything.”

Lilly glanced at her brother. He wore the same expression he’d been sporting since yesterday. Sour. He had his own breakfast in front of him, half-finished, accompanied by his morning coffee.

She moved the eggs back. “I’m not hungry.”

“Lilly.”

She sighed. “Just ask what you want to ask, Carlisle. It’s not like I’ve ever tried to keep secrets from you once they were half exposed already.”

His eyes narrowed on her. “How long have you known those men?”

She shrugged. “Not long.”

His brows furrowed. “Then how did you come to hire Dagger Fury specifically?”

“I’m working on a commission for him. A belt.”

“A belt?” Carlisle asked skeptically. “Just a belt?”

“Yes.” Better not tell him it was for daggers. “Just a belt.”

He set his utensils on his plate. “Why didn’t you write to me the moment Calvington began troubling you again?”

Well, in all fairness, she’d expected this question much sooner. Telling Carlisle she didn’t want to bother him, however, would only provoke his ire, even though it was the truth. “What can I say, Carlisle? I didn’t think the matter would ever escalate this far.”

“You still should have sent word.”

“Allie and Leo were here for the first part,” Lilly admitted. However, she also hadn’t told them. “And I was planning to write. You can ask them. Things just . . . got out of hand much sooner than I ever imagined.”

Her brother’s eyes sharpened. “Things with Calvington, or things with that man?”

Lilly didn’t shy away from her brother’s gaze. “Calvington, of course.” And Dagger, naturally.

“Really?” Her brother’s eyes narrowed. “Then why did that Dagger carry you into the dining room of Peregrine’s?”