But she had to barrel on, to get it all out before she lost her nerve. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stayed. It was selfish of me to do so-"
"I wanted you. To be with you. It was me more than it was you. "
She shook her head. "It was selfish. And wrong. I led you on. And I'm sorry. So it's best if I just leave now. "
"Macey. " Now there was a hint of anger. "Don't be playing a fool. You're safe here. They can't get in. I made sure of it. "
She had to blink away the sudden stinging in her eyes. "I know. But that's what you don't understand, Grady. I can't stay here. I can't be safe. I have to go out there and. . . stop them. "
She thought he'd argue. She even, deep inside, hoped he'd drag her into his arms and kiss her senseless, convince her to stay. And maybe she would. . . for a little while longer. But he merely looked at her, his expression unreadable. Except for those eyes: the steady, glittering blue of a stormy lake.
"I have to stop them before they hurt anyone else I care about. Like you. "
His jaw moved and tension rolled off him into the space between them. "I suppose you mean that as a compliment. "
"Grady-"
Someone pounded loudly on the door.
Grady flung her a dark look, then strode to the foyer. He'd hardly opened the door when a familiar voice demanded, "Where is she?"
Macey turned when she heard Chas. She couldn't see anything but his legs, for Grady blocked the entrance. A little shaky, she drew in a calming breath and walked over.
"I need to find Macey. Do you know-oh, bloody hell. " Chas had seen her.
"It's probably best if you let him in. " Macey looked from one to the other, then outside to make sure no one else was lurking. "We don't need to have this conversation on your front stoop. "
Grady gave the newcomer a measured look, but stepped back to allow him entrance. Macey led the way into the living room as Chas hissed, "This is just bloody great. I've been looking all over the damned place for you, and here you are, hiding out in a fucking love nest. What the hell are you thinking?"
"Mrs. Gutchinson is dead. They killed her too. Tortured her. " She kept her voice steady and hard, even as the horrific images threatened to swarm her thoughts. "I found her. "
Chas didn't give an inch. "I'm sorry about that, and about your friend, but we've got a bigger bloody damned problem on our hands. Vioget is missing. "
Her breath caught. "Sebastian's gone? Since when?"
"No one's seen him since this morning. He never came back from his visit to the church. "
"They took him. Alvisi and Iscariot. "
"Of course they did. He's either dead and they have the rings, or he will be shortly. Which is why the last thing I needed to be doing was wasting my goddamned time looking for you. "
"Maybe you should have been looking for this Vioget person instead. "
They both turned to Grady. Chas's expression held a glint of dangerous humor. "Indeed. But now that I've found Macey, there will be two of us doing the work. "
"Three of us. " Grady gave her a meaningful look.
"Goddammit, I knew you were trouble. " Chas vibrated with impatience and anger.
"Grady, I told you-"
But before she could finish her sentence, Chas moved. His fist connected sharply with Grady's jaw at the perfect angle, and the man dropped like a stone.
Macey turned on him in fury. "That wasn't necessary. "
"The hell it wasn't. Let's go. " He spun her toward the door and, as he led the way he said over his shoulder, "Fix your damned blouse. The buttons are wrong. "
"I can't keep coming after you and saving your arse," Chas said as they got out of a cab.