"Perhaps you killed someone dear to him - by accident or design."
Edward stepped out of the cabin. Nic backed up, putting himself between me and my boss.
"When did you get here, sir?"
"Not very long ago. Imagine my surprise to hear gunshots, find out that once again, strangers are shooting at you with silver. Are there no secrets anymore?"
"Apparently not. I see you managed to escape from the latest round of people who were trying to kill you."
"Escape makes it sound as if I were running away. I ran to them and now they are... gone."
I knew what gone meant, so I let the matter drop.
Edward's gaze wandered from the top of my wild and tousled head, past the sarong blanket, down to my dirty toes. He said nothing, but I felt his censure just the same.
Edward turned to Nic. "Why are you still here?"
"We've been working together," I said.
"Is that what they call it nowadays?"
Nic's hands curled into fists. I touched his shoulder and slowly his fingers relaxed.
Edward saw the interaction and scowled. He believed that the fewer attachments J��ger-Suchers had, the less they had to lose. And a person with little to lose was much more dangerous than one who had everything. That he allowed Jessie and Will, Damien and Leigh, to work together, to be together, meant he was softening.
And the idea that this man was a softer version of the one he'd always been was a frightening thought, indeed.
"Now that I am back" - Edward gave Nic a hard stare - "you can go away."
"We already played that tune, Mandenauer. I'm not leaving."
"Just because Elise has shown extremely bad judgment in letting her personal feelings interfere with her job does not mean that I will."
Edward stalked into the cabin. Nic followed, ignoring me when I plucked at his sleeve.
"Shouldn't we go see Lydia?" I asked.
"Soon."
Nic sounded distracted. I had no choice but to trail them both into the living room where Edward turned to me. "Make him go away or I will."
"Wait." I jiggled my ear. "Time warp. We're having the same conversation twice."
"Sarcasm does not become you, Elise."
Huh, and I thought I was getting the hang of it, too.
"We will not have the same conversation, either." He lifted a yellowed brow.
"What more can you tell me?" Nic asked. "She's a werewolf. I don't care."
I glanced at him in shock. "You don't?"
He shrugged. "I'm getting used to it."
"She has not told you of her other hobby."
I stilled. Nic might not care that I was a werewolf, but I doubted he could as easily forgive my being a murderer.
"You have to go," I blurted.
Nic merely rolled his eyes.
"That list of names?" Edward murmured. "She killed every one of them."
Instead of drawing his gun and arresting me, Nic merely appeared resigned. "Is that true?" he asked.
"Yes."
He nodded slowly. "You're not just his right-hand woman, you're an assassin. And a damned clever one, since you're freaking hard to kill."
I didn't bother to answer what hadn't been a question.
"You do not seem upset, Agent Franklin. You are not horrified to discover you have been sleeping with a killer?"
"The people on that list were monsters," he said. "The world is a much better place without them in it."
My eyes widened. I wasn't sure what to say.
"Such an attitude for a law enforcement officer." Edward tsk-tsked.
"Sue me." Nic kept his gaze on my face. "He sent you after them on the nights of the full moon, didn't he?"
I nodded.
"He's using you."
"It's all right."
"It isn't. Killing upsets you." He narrowed his eyes, tilted his head. "A lot more than it's ever upset me."
The travesties I'd read about in Edward's dossiers... Rapists, serial killers, child molesters, scientists experimenting with new ways to birth ancient horrors - both monsters and monster makers. They'd have given me nightmares if I hadn't ended their existence myself. Hell, they did anyway. Nevertheless -
"Who are we to play God?" I murmured.
"Better us than Mengele," Edward snapped. "Or another like him."
"He has a point," Nic agreed.
Instead of being thankful for the support, Edward merely scowled. "I am going to take care of the latest body in the woods."
He slammed out of the cabin.
Nic crossed the room, pausing right in front of me. I tensed, not exactly sure what he planned to say or do. Though he hadn't flipped out at the news I was an assassin, as well as a werewolf, that didn't mean he wouldn't. Nic was an FBI agent; he should arrest me. Or have someone else do it. Instead, he leaned down and softly pressed his lips to mine.
The embrace was completely different from most of those we'd shared since he'd walked back into my life. On almost every occasion he'd been angry with me, furious at himself for wanting me. So what was the matter with him now?
Nic lifted his head. "I was scared."
"Of me?"