“I’ll still not have you charming my home and watching my every move.” It made her wonder if Jack was right. Would Mason ever put anyone before his job as chancellor? Doubtful.
“Lilly…” He stepped towards her and ran a hand down her arm, his touch too tender for her to remain angry for long. “The man’s brutally murdered a woman and the Elders have little patience at the moment. I’m trying to keep you from coming to harm, and must do all I can to bring this mess to an end.”
She knew the situation was dire and the Elders would stop at nothing, putting all of them at risk. With a final hard look, she gave in with a sigh, knowing the Elders could easily bring her in for a more formal interrogation—not an experience she wanted to repeat.
“I left the window ajar, given the warm summer night. It would not be a difficult climb, what with the trellis by the window and the rough stone exterior of my home.”
“What did he say about the woman who was murdered? Why was his essence at the scene?”
She shook her head, knowing he’d not be happy. “I have no answers for you, Mason. None of it makes any sense. He says he did not harm her, and I believe him, even if he would not say why he was there in the first place and had no explanation for the woman’s death.”
“Yet he wants you to believe he had nothing to do with the matter.” His voice held that sarcastic edge, leaving Lilly to wonder why she had a hard time resisting him when he could be so trying.
“What if it was another reaper? That would explain it, would it not?”
Mason shook his head. “The only reapers to leave no trace are chancellors and the Elders. And it still would not explain why Jack’s energy was there, or why he’s now on the run.”
She refused to just accept the obvious. “What if it was a reaper, but enough time had passed for their energy to dissipate? Not all reapers leave a strong trace; am I right?”
“Aye, love— and you’re a perfect example of that. The essence you leave behind has always been faint. But if he only happened across the crime by chance, then why not come forward? Do you know of another reaper he’d feel compelled to protect, despite the gravity of the situation?”
“No, there’s no one that I’m aware of, though we’ve not been close in recent years.” It suddenly occurred to her that she might come under scrutiny since she left little trace of her energy, and Jack had protected her in the past and might do so again. “Before you even think it, I can tell you now, I had nothing to do with that woman’s death.”
“Of course not, love.” He stepped her side. “I know this is difficult for you, but it has to be Jack—and I need your cooperation if this is to come to an end.”
“I’ve done nothing but cooperate, Mason, and yet you barge into my home in the middle of the night.” Her anger and frustration got the better of her, but she refused to back down. “Do you not trust me?”
He let out a sigh. “No. I’m afraid I do not. Not where Jack’s concerned and not with a matter of such importance.” Mason turned away and ran a hand through his chestnut locks, his body stiff and bristling. “This was not just another death, Lilly, yet you’re willing to suspend all logic and ignore the facts because of Jack’s involvement.”
“That’s not true.” Though she protested, his shot hadn’t hit too far from the mark—and they both knew it. Even if all the evidence pointed to Jack, it was impossible not to give him the benefit of the doubt.
She refused to believe she could be so wrong about a person. And if she was, then what did that say about her judgment? If she could be so easily duped, it would make her second guess every decision she’d ever made, and all those to come.
“Lilly… I don’t want to see him hurt you again, and frankly, you do not want to be the one defending Jack’s innocence in this case. You’re on shaky ground with the Elders, but if you prove your loyalty, things can change for you—for the better.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I know reaping lives bothers you. Help us find Jack, and I’ll do all I can to make sure you’re moved to a different position.”
“I don’t know, Mason.” The thought of no longer having to reap souls left Lilly light headed. There was nothing she hated more than delivering death into peoples’ lives, however, helping Mason could mean sending Jack to his end.
“I want you to be happy—to find your place amongst us. To start living this life instead of stumbling through it. This life has a lot to offer if you’re willing to be a part of it. But I sometimes wonder, Lilly. I think you’re still mourning your past, and it makes me worry about you.”
Mason was right, though she could not admit it to him. She still held secret the birth of her daughter. She thought they must surely know, but the reaper who’d brought her over to this life had moved on to a different position in a different place, and Mason had not ever brought it up.
“It’s just too much death, Mason. Every day, I’m forced to look into the eyes of strangers with the knowledge they won’t live a week. And I know it needs to be done, but it wears on my soul.”
“Then agree to help me, Lilly. Perhaps…” His brow furrowed in thought, and then a kind smile softened his demeanor. “What if instead of delivering death, you got to grant life? Instead of releasing the souls of those about to die, you could deliver souls to the unborn children.”
The tension in her shoulders started to ease. Though she may not know what became of her own child, she liked the thought of bringing the happiness of a child to others. Perhaps she could finally find contentment in this life, and stop constantly thinking of her past.
She took a breath, too shallow to do any good. “I think I’d like that.”
He held her gaze, his tone serious. “It will not be until this mess with Jack is over with, and that’s only if you give us your full cooperation. Can you do that?”
She nodded, her excitement tainted with guilt. “I’ll do everything in my power to help you find the truth. But that does not mean I’ll frame Jack for something he didn’t do.”
“My dear, when all is said and done and the facts are laid out before us, I do not think you’ll need to worry about an innocent man being wronged.”
Chapter Six
Days passed, and though Jack had yet to be caught, all was once again peaceful. Jack had not returned to crawl through Lilly’s window and Mason had left to further investigate the murder and Jack’s role in it. She’d half expected to play a more active role in the investigation now that she’d made that deal to help him. Perhaps Mason didn’t trust her enough to have her accompany him. If she were being honest with herself, it bothered her—just a little.
She contemplated this thought as she walked down the street to her next reap. She’d be nothing but a liar if she denied the attraction she felt for him, though in all her life, she’d never met anyone who frustrated her more. When in his presence, she felt as if she were caught in a whirlwind, never quite knowing which direction she’d be pulled in next.
The last few days felt far too quiet. With only her reaps to keep her busy, her mind kept straying back to Jack, Mason and the investigation. Perhaps she needed a new distraction. Though there were plenty of other reapers wandering through London—many of them quite handsome and entertaining—she was in no mood, distracted as she was. Mason had gotten under her skin, damn him.
She thought about the men in her life. Indeed, there had been precious few. Her mind strayed to Corwin once more. It left her heart aching and her curiosity piqued.
Was he still traveling the open seas and living up the north when on land, or had his business brought him closer to London? Had he ever found out he sired a child? It’d been over a decade since her death, and she was sure he had moved on by now, married and started a family of his own.
He was too good a man to be left a bachelor; handsome and kind, with fortunes self made. The only thing he had going against him, in the eyes of most Englishmen, was his Scots name. However, that small fact was easily ignored when hi
s wealth was taken into account, and any mother with an eligible daughter would do everything in her manipulative powers to arrange a courtship. Lilly doubted he’d been able to dodge them long.
It was now someone else’s turn to love him. The chance to be Corwin’s wife, his lover, a mother to their children, was long gone.
She never got the chance to tell him of the child she’d carried. Their coupling had been a lone incident, their passions playing out as they got ready to be separated for a year. They would have married once he’d returned from being away at sea, but death had taken her from the living, leaving their daughter to be raised by strangers.
If only she knew who cared for Emma and how she fared. Then perhaps she could send word to Corwin so he could find her. It would be an enormous risk to contact him, and Corwin would likely not want to disrupt Emma’s life, but at the least he could make sure she was safe and happy.
“Hello, love.”
Caught off guard, her heart pounded against her chest, for she hadn’t noticed Mason until he fell in stride beside her. Her cheeks flushed red with guilt.
“You scared the life out of me.” When he laughed, Lilly realized her choice of words. “It’s not funny, Mason. What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you, of course.” He pulled her to a stop, his brow furrowed as his eyes searched her face. “My apologies. I’d not meant to frighten or upset you, love. It’s not that man who has you on edge, is it?”
“No… I’ve not seen him again.” When he brushed her cheek with worry still in his eyes, Lilly sighed, knowing it was silly to be upset with him. “Do not worry yourself. I’m fine.”
She tried her best to smile and put it behind her, for the last thing she wanted was Mason looking into the matter further, only to find she was upset because she was once more thinking of the life she left behind. She continued down the road, needing to get away from his piercing hazel eyes.
He linked his arm with hers, so they looked like any other couple strolling down the cobbled path. “Are you on a reap?”
“I am.” Lilly glanced at him as she continued walking, the pull of her reap guiding her. “Why are you here? Is it Jack?”
“I’ll explain once you’ve finished. Is this your last reap of the day?”
“No. I believe there’s one more after this.” She slowed to a stop and he turned towards her, their bodies only a breath apart. “I can meet you when I’ve finished. I shan’t be too long.”
He ran his hand down her arm and linked his fingers with hers, the small gesture reminding her of how he could be sweet when he set the chancellor aside. “I think I’d rather join you, if you don’t mind. I like to watch you work.”
His sweetness forgotten, she narrowed her eyes in suspicion, less than keen on the idea. “In what capacity? As a friend or as chancellor?”
“Does it matter? It’s all the same, is it not?” When he brushed her lips in a kiss, she pulled back, refusing to be distracted and charmed.
“You know full well it’s not the same thing.”
He shrugged. “It makes no difference to me how you think of it—friend or chancellor, it’s all the same in the end, love.”
“It’s a pity you think so.”
With a strong arm around her waist, he pulled her in close, pressing their bodies together so she could not escape the passion that sparked between them.
“Then how about I accompany you as your lover?” He nuzzled her nose with his, and then bit her lip, drawing stunned stares and whispers from passersby.
His words made her heart race, though her head told her to keep her distance. “I guess I’ll not deny you that claim. For now.”
***
With her reaps finished, Lilly leaned against Mason, wrapped in his arms as his carriage took them to their next destination. Having stayed apart the last few days and with few distractions, she was happy to have Mason’s company once more.
“Where are we going? You’ve yet to tell me what all this is about.”
“There’s still no sign of Jack, and the Elders are growing impatient.” Mason pulled her tight against him, brushing his cheek against hers. “I want you to come with me to Jack’s home. You may notice something that got missed when I went through there the first time.”
When Mason’s carriage pulled to a stop, Lilly sighed, dread creeping into her gut. Jack was so terribly private, and she could not imagine invading his quarters. She followed Mason as they entered Jack’s home, the servants sent to their rooms so they’d be out of the way.
He led her to the sitting room, but as Lilly glanced around, she was hit with a flood of memories. How many times had she and Jack sat by the fire, wrapped in each other’s arms after a long day? He’d been a comfort to her, always so tender and sweet.
Yet now was not the time to get sentimental. Pushing away all the intimate moments rattling around in her head, she steeled herself for dealing with the business at hand.
“What exactly are we looking for, Mason? I doubt he’ll be leaving a bloody knife out in the open for us.”
Mason wandered around the sitting room, running his hands over the wood paneling, his eyes squinting in observation as he bent forward for a closer look. “I’m not sure, but I’m hoping you’ll know it when you see it. Look for something that doesn’t quite fit or make sense.”
“Well, I doubt he’d keep anything of importance in the sitting room.”
“Perhaps not, but sometimes things are best hidden in plain view.” Mason righted himself. “Where would you like to start our investigation? You know Jack best. If he wanted to hide something, where would he put it?”
Lilly let out a ragged breath, dread filling her. “His sleeping chambers.”
“Let’s have a look, then.”
With each step up to the second floor, Lilly fought the urge to turn and run out the door. To be in his most private rooms, prying and going through his things—would Jack ever forgive her for her betrayal? And alongside Mason, no less. It only made matters worse.
She paused over the threshold of Jack’s room, not wanting to enter, but Mason gently took her hand and pulled her in. Her face flushed, and it felt as if she could no longer take a full breath. One quick glance around the room left her trying to escape the onslaught of intimate memories.
Though it had been a few years since they parted, to be in his sleeping chambers brought it all back to the present, as if barely a week had passed. She had tried so hard to make it work between them, and this brought it all back.
“Lilly…” Mason stepped to her side and cupped her face, his thumb brushing her cheek. “I know this isn’t easy for you, but you need to be strong—for the two of us. For make no mistake, love. You won’t be the only one under scrutiny.”
“I don’t understand, Mason.” She gave him a good look, and saw not only weariness, but the lines of stress marring his face. He looked like he had not slept a decent night’s sleep since this all started, and it made her worry. “What is it?”
“You know the Elders don’t trust you, certainly not with a matter of such importance.” Mason ran a rough hand through his hair, his eyes refusing to meet hers for a moment. And then when they did, she wished he’d look away. Mason took her hand and brought it to his lips, but the gesture, sweet as it was, made her worry even more.
“What aren’t you telling me, Mason?”
“I vouched for you.” He twined his fingers with hers. “It was the perfect opportunity for you to regain the trust of the Elders, for they’ll not let you stop reaping if they don’t think you trustworthy.”
Lilly groaned. “Why would you do such a thing? Damn it, Mason.”
Letting go of her hand he cupped her face, his skin hot against hers, his touch tender. “It’s the only way if you have any hope of moving on from reaping. Is it not what you want?”
Her shoulders sagged as she thought of the consequences. “Yes, but not at the expense of your own relationship with the Elders—especially when I’m still n
ot convinced of Jack’s guilt. I don’t want to be responsible for causing you problems.”
When Mason pulled her close, she rested her head on his shoulder, her emotions a tumult.
“You won’t cause any problems if you fully cooperate. I know this is hard on you, but neither of us have a choice now. As for Jack, he cannot blame you for helping with the investigation if you had no other option but to do so.”
Lilly took a deep breath, her head filling with Mason’s scent—male with a hint of wool and smoke. She held onto it until her lungs burned, and then let it out in a ragged sigh. “I guess it’s a lie I’m willing to believe for now.”
“It’ll be worth it in the end, if you can move into a position you enjoy. You might then be willing to take full advantage of this life.”
Jack - A Grim Reaper Romance Page 5
