Elemental Assassin 05 - Spider's Revenge

him—everything.
    But every time I tried to let Owen know exactly how crazy I was about him, something got in the way. Like a bounty being put on Bria’s head. My being the Spider and coming home covered in blood. Or simply my own twisted emotions and the fact that while I excelled at killing people, I wasn’t so good at letting them get close to me in any way that didn’t involve my silverstone knives.
    Owen wasn’t alone. Finn strolled in behind him, wearing a similar suit and coat, although Finn looked far more at ease and far smarmier in the expensive fabric.
    They walked over to the counter and took the two seats closest to the cash register. Owen leaned over, and our lips met. It was a brief, chaste kiss, the casual kind that lovers exchange all the time. But just the faintest touch of his lips on mine filled me with all sorts of wicked, wanton ideas, like telling the waitresses to go home early and letting Sophia mind the restaurant for half an hour or so while Owen and I went into the back and explored the sturdiness of various appliances. Mmm.
    Owen must have known what I was thinking because his grin widened, and he gave me a sly, slow wink.
    Finn arched an eyebrow. “Do I need to leave you two alone?”
    “Maybe,” I murmured, surprised at the depth of feeling that Owen stirred in me just by walking into my gin joint. “But since I know that you won’t, there’s no point in asking.”
    Finn huffed out his indignation, and I rolled my eyes. Owen just laughed. So did Sophia, who stood behind the counter shredding lettuce for the rest of the day’s sandwiches.
    “So what are the two of you doing out and about together?” I asked. “Or do I even want to know?”
    Finn gave me a smug smile. “Owen’s decided to move some of his business interests over to my bank and let me handle them personally.”
    I looked at Owen. “You know that Finn will do everything in his power to rob you blind, right?”
    “Of course,” Owen rumbled. “I also happen to know that he’ll do everything in his power to do the same to the tax men on my behalf.”
    Finn pouted, an exaggerated, wounded look on his face, but I just shook my head and chuckled right along with Owen. The two of them ordered, and Sophia and I worked to dish up their food, along with that for the few other people still lingering in the restaurant during this off hour.
    Finn requested a burger, piled high with tomato, lettuce, red onion, and thick slabs of Colby-jack cheese, along with steak-cut fries and a triple chocolate milkshake. Owen opted for a barbecue beef sandwich with coleslaw, baked beans, and a side of creamy macaroni salad.
    While the two of them ate, I saw to the other customers, fetching food, refilling drinks, bringing over extra napkins. When I was sure that everyone had everything they needed, I nodded my head at Sophia, telling her that she could take off for a while. The dwarf disappeared through the swinging doors that led into the back of therestaurant to join the waitresses who were already in the break room eating their own lunches.
    I assumed my usual spot on the stool behind the cash register. Across from me, Owen and Finn continued munching on their food.
    “So,” I said in a casual voice, leaning my elbows on the counter. “What’s the real reason that the two of you came here? Because I know that it just wasn’t for the food, no matter how good it is.”
    They both froze, sandwiches halfway to their mouths, and exchanged a quick, guilty look that confirmed my suspicions. Finn sighed and lowered his half-eaten cheeseburger to his plate.
    “Well,” he said in a careful tone, not quite looking at me. “There have been some new developments concerning Mab.”
    “And what would those be, exactly?”
    Finn sighed again. “She’s actually going to be leaving her estate tonight.”
    I frowned. “Why the hell would she do that? She should be tucked away in the deepest, darkest part of her mansion and looking for someplace lower to go, given how close I got to her the other night, how close I came to killing her.”
    Finn shrugged. “Yes, but Ashland society waits for no woman, not even Mab. There’s a big shindig tonight, and apparently the party is being held in Mab’s honor. Kind of hard to skip out on it, even if everyone knows that you’re being hunted by an assassin. And at this point, not showing her face would hurt Mab more than the chance that you could get to her tonight.”
    I nodded. Mab might