Chapter Twenty-Four
L ou had never experienced such a bloodthirsty desire to kill in all the years she’d worked as an assassin.
Killing had always been a job, never a pleasure. This kill would please her to no end.
As they hit the ground, she pulled a blade and, without a moment’s hesitation, drove it towards Dell’s throat—but before she could make contact, the man grabbed her hands and stopped her. Ignoring the pain he must be in, considering his multiple wounds from their encounters the last few days, his will to live was impressively strong.
Griff cried out, “Don’t kill him!”
She didn’t have the chance. Elena kicked Dell in the head to incapacitate him before pulling Lou off the man, helping her madame to stand as they stared down at the unconscious lump.
Lou spat on the man lying on the ground, unmoving. “Steam-damned blighter. You should have let me kill him, Griff.”
Still supporting Holt’s weight, the man she adored reached out and brushed Lou’s arm. “I know it sounds bizarre, but I am not ready to give up on the man I once knew. Not just yet.”
Lou all but growled at her lover. “He needs to die. He is a threat to you.”
Griff seemed to hesitate. “Not yet. Please.”
Annoyed to no end, Lou nodded in reluctant agreement. “If he comes at you again I shall kill him. Have no doubt about that.”
“Fair enough.” Griff said no more, but helped Holt step over the man he had once called a friend as they left the storeroom. They retraced their path, going up the first flight of stairs toward the now silent kitchen.
On the landing, they ran into Cole and Katerina.
Cole grinned at them. “Glad to see you all are still with us! Had me worried when you didn’t appear on time.”
“Yes, we were a bit worried there for a minute as well.” Lou glanced at Griff to see how he was fairing, considering everything that had just happened. For a moment, as she’d stood there, she worried that perhaps Griff was right not to give up on Dell just yet. But the man had threatened Griff and Holt, the two people she held most dear.
She gritted her teeth, hating that she had allowed such a threat to persist. But she could not go against Griff’s wishes.
“Dell shouldn’t be a bother for a while,” Griff was saying darkly. “The man’s gone off the deep end.” He shook his head, clearly mourning the apparent loss of a friend, or at least the memory of the friend he’d once had.
“Bloody hell, how did we miss his decline?” Cole looked as confused as Griff did.
“We can worry about that later—right now we need to go, before any of Dell’s henchmen or his uncle’s servants find us here.” Griff took a step toward the stairs, guiding Lou and Holt with him.
Clearly the goal was to leave, and she couldn’t say she wasn’t on board with that notion. “He’s right, time to clear out—but Elena and Katerina, go back for Dell. Leaving him here leaves him as a continued threat. We should secure him and bring him with us.” The women nodded and ran back the way they had come down the hall.
Time to go. Lou took up Holt’s other side to help move him quicker, and they headed up the last flight of stairs to the main hall, but unfortunately, the path wasn’t so clear. As they topped the steps, they found the rear hall of the house immersed in battle. All around them, men were fighting. Cole fought a path through for Lou, Griff, and Holt, and if she wasn’t mistaken, the man had a huge grin on his face the entire time.
It was interesting to see someone enjoy violence in much the same way she did. Not that she needed it as a constant in her life, but there was a certain satisfaction in a job well done, even a violent one. Cole seemed to share that sentiment, perhaps even embraced it a bit more zealously than she did. But then, she had seen far more death and blood in her days than most men saw in a lifetime.
As they poured onto the terrace and found the rest of Cole’s men along with Mary Margaret, Elena and Katerina caught up with them.
“The no good bastardo was gone.” Elena announced as she and Katerina joined the fray.
“Steaming hell!” Lou swore as she slashed up with her long dagger to block a stray swipe. Katerina leaned over and calmly stabbed the man.
With the man’s dying cries, the rogues withdrew from the fight and flanked them as they retreated to the ship. Fortunately, Cole had left a skeleton crew aboard and they had moved the Sweet Annie right on top of the manor house once the fighting broke out. It made for a much quicker getaway. This time, the dingy came out and Lou, Holt, Griff, Elena, and Katerina rode it back up to the ship while the rest of the men, along with Cole and Mary Margaret—grinning ear to ear—shimmied up the ropes they’d used earlier.
Griff and Holt were both safe, and finally Lou had the chance to try for some of that peace of mind.
But peace of mind merely brought more racing questions to the fore. Perhaps retirement was the way to go…but then again, Griff had yet to speak of their future beyond a few vague generalizations. Certainly he’d declared her his forever, but the truth was his mother—as with most mothers—remained a sticking point.
If he were to ask her to marry him, could his mother accept a former Madame and assassin as a daughter-in-law?
The trip back to London went as quickly as the trip north had. Fred checked in on Holt, under Lou’s watchful eye, helping to bind up his ribs and treat the various cuts and bruises that came with his abduction. Most of his injuries required time to heal, and Lou was determined to be there to make sure he allowed himself that time.
At the air-port, she and Giff rode down to the ground with Cole and Holt. Katerina, Elena, and Mary Margaret followed behind them.
On terra firma once more, Lou smiled at the dashing captain. “Thank you for everything. You are always welcome at The Market for as long as I run the business.”
Ever the perceptive one, Cole asked cheekily, “Thinking about retirement?”
“One never knows where their future lies.”
Her evasion did not go unnoticed by Griff. “Woman, I’ve already told you where your future lies. With me.” His growly tone told her more about his earnestness than the words themselves.
Lou’s heart soared, though she tried to keep her face impassive. “I did not suggest otherwise. I suggested I was unsure if I would retain ownership of The Market, nothing more.”
Holt and Cole both chuckled at their bickering, but it was Cole who offered advice. “You two had best head home and sort out the details before Griff gets too grumpy. In fact, I’ll see Holt and the ladies safely to their destinations while you get a head start. I’m certain we would all prefer the quiet of the drive without you two.”
“Absolutely—besides, I need to speak to Cole about his future plans. I’m hoping he and his crew might swing back to Scotland and collect our missing villain. You two go work out your squabbles.” Holt’s lips tilted up at one corner in a half-smile.
“We should talk. I’m intrigued by your suggestion.” Cole slapped Holt on the back, causing him to wheeze.
“As am I.” Elena said sternly. “That hijo de puta needs to be dealt with.”
Lou stared as their two friends, Holt and Cole, along with her three assassins walked—one hobbled more than walked, really—away together.
Left alone, she turned to Griff. “Well, it seems they have left us with no choice, and no ride.”
“Not entirely true. We at least have a ride, and I choose to discuss the future with you. It appears I have yet to make my intentions crystal clear to you, so I’d best do so now.”
Lou’s heart stilled. What does he mean?
To Lou’s utter surprise, Griff knelt on one knee and took her trembling hand. “Louisa Stanton, I have no ring to give you in this moment, but I do have my undying love and the deepest parts of my soul to offer. While you may not need me in the way most women might need a man in their lives, I hope that perhaps you might want me. Will you be my wife?”
Lou stood there, astounded he might actually ask her this question in the middle of an air-port terminal mere hours after she nearly killed one of his childhood friends.
It was certainly not the typical romance.
Only one answer welled up from within her as she stared down into his blue-grey eyes. “Yes. Yes, I need you and want you. Yes, I shall be your wife if you truly wish it.”
“I do.” Griff stood up and swept her into a twirling hug that fanned her legs out. “I’ve said it many times, and I shall say it as many more as you need to hear it. I love you!”
Lou laughed as he set her down—until the notion of his mother returned. “Griff, what will your mother say about our deception and who I really am?” She hesitated. “That I’m…a madame. An assassin.”
The man she loved cocked his head to the side. “Are you truly concerned she might reject you? Once we tell her the truth, I believe she will eventually welcome your strength and character into the family bloodline, even if it takes her some time to adjust. And most importantly, you make me happy which should make her happy.”
Lou wasn’t as sure, but Griff seemed confident his mother would accept her—eventually. “I have my doubts about that, but I’m stubborn enough to not care if it means I have you.” She looked into his eyes and smiled. “I trust you.” And for the first time in her life, she knew deep down she trusted someone—no, not just someone, him—with everything, even her heart.