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"No," Lynch replied "She was nothing like you You would never have cut your own hand off to save another" He sheathed the knife at his belt before he was te for her, then let her be"

"You’ll never have her either," Balfour said He knew Knew that tomorrow Lynch would be called before the Council to either present Mercury--or hiht I won’t"

"I could intercede"

"At what price?" Lynch replied, knowing Balfour would ask for her "You can’t buy erous," Balfour replied He glanced down at the groaning mech on the floor by Lynch’s feet "You do realize that this has nothing to do with the revolutionary?"

Lynch paused

"You have four hundred and fifty Nighthawks," Balfour , no erous coh to make…certain people…fear you"

The prince consort "I would never have ainst him"

Balfour smiled "I know that I never feared you, Lynch You’re predictable I knohich way you’ll ht around one’s neck" He gave a terse nod, his gaze flickering to the door And the pair of blue bloods who slid through it Garrett and Perry Balfour straightened, gesturing to his man to fall in beside hi, there would coave him an excuse" Balfour saluted slowly "I will see you in thethe knife "You’re attending?"

With one last save him his back and smiled at Garrett and Perry as he passed them "I wouldn’t miss it for the world"

Twenty-four

Lynch scratched out several words with the pen, then his eyes slowly lifted The candle flame in front of hi the pen down, he rubbed at the tired line between his brows and glanced at the clock on theto sleep He needed to put his affairs in order and see that certain events took place as he willed theht whisper of sound

He cocked his head Silence Still, the unnerving sensation of a presence filled the roo over his skin Lynch shoved to his feet and crossed toward his bedroo the handle, he edged it open The curtains to his bedroom fluttered in the breeze, thecracked halfway Before he even took a step into the room he knew; he could scent her, clean and fresh, stained with the faint sickly sweet scent of the orbs And then he could see her,touch

Rosa

"What the hell are you doing here?" he whispered harshly, bringing the candle up

Rosa lifted her chin, staring at hi tendrils of coppery hair clung to her shoulders and hung around her tearstained face, the torn scraps of the gorgeous dress she’d worn still clinging to her legs With her red hair and pale skin, she wasn’t the type of wo about the defiance in her eyes that made his breath catch "I wanted… I needed to speak to you"

Lynch sed the hard ball of emotion in his throat and strode past her to the , placing the candle on the tallboy beside his bed "I believe everything that needed saying was said" He peered out, hunting the shadows for hidden eyes "Do you think I let you escape for nothing? Dauild He’ll be expectingtheshut, he drew the curtains across with a harsh jerk and took a steadying breath Hell, he hadn’t expected her here His fingers trehtly on the curtains A part of hiht?" she asked A note of doubt crept into her voice "Did he threaten you? What did he say?" The rustle of skirts swept closer Then stopped "He didn’t hurt you, did he?"

Would she care? His fingers tightened on the sill, then he slowly pushed away and looked at her

A faint flush of color crept up her cheeks and her gaze dropped Toying with the tips of her gloves, her shoulders slightly hunched, she ed to draw in a deep breath "You shouldn’t have let hio, I could have--"

"Gotten yourself killed," he replied, with just a touch tooto hiure and despite himself, his body yearned for her Just one touch He knew if he went to her, she’d turn her face up to his eagerly, but would it reat judge of character once, but now she’d shattered his perceptions with the web of lies she’d woven He couldn’t see the truth anymore and it made him doubt each and every one of her actions

"Why did you coht of his gaze drove her shoulders down "I wanted to say…I’m sorry" That last was a whisper "I couldn’t--I had to see you"

Running his hand over the back of his neck, he crossed to the liquor decanter and poured hilass of blud-wein Hell

She took a deep, shuddering breath "I know you won’t believe me I can’t blame you for that, but I wish--I need you to know that I never meant any of this to happen" She took a step closer, her skirts swishing "I’ood at this I never have been It was easier when I was Mercury, easier…as Mrs Marberry"

"Easier to lie?" he asked, tossing back the blud-wein

"It wasn’t all a lie"

Lynch put the glass doith a ringing sound He turned--and then wished he hadn’t Those vulnerable eyes burned hiered for it

Just let go, whispered his darker side Take what she’s offering You’ll never get another chance

And a part of him hated her for that, for the fact that his heart and body still wanted what it wanted, regardless of her betrayal

"You should go"

His quiet words lifted her head so sharply he ht as well have slapped her Determination stared back at him "No," she whispered "I won’t I know that I lied to you I know you’ll never forgive me, but please, what I felt for you--"

He couldn’t storate and stared into the ashes Her letter was still there, a forlorn cru I’ll forget it" His own lie "And no doubt you will too"

"That’s not true"