The Beginnings Omnibus: Beginnings 1, 2, 3 & Legend of Ashenclaw novella (Realm of Ashenclaw Beginnings Saga) Read Free Page B

Rose spun back towards him, letting the information sink in. And then sudden realization crept over her.
    She recalled in the recent past having been approached by thugs and rogues on the street on numerous occasions, threatening her and worse, but she had never suffered any repercussions. She had simply ascribed their words as empty threats from wretched, cowardly men. Now she was beginning to picture a different scenario. One in which a certain lover forbid any actions to be taken against her.
    “I want you to join us… join me,” he went on. She scowled at first and then placed a hand to her chin in a contemplative posture for a moment, followed by a long bout of silence. “I will tutor you personally in the ways of the underworld and you will have riches beyond compare,” he added as outward encouragement. That enticed her more than a little.
    “I—but, what of Marielle?” Rose asked, sincerely concerned with how her Madam might react to the news.
    “I will make it worth her while,” Ganthorpe replied, smiling that wide grin that seemed wolfish to her now, with just a hint of the boyish charm that was more familiar.  “I know what it is like, Rose, to have nothing and to have to steal to survive.”
    “I own enough coin now,” she lied, fending off his accusation, but Ganthorpe recognized the hint of falsehood beneath her words clearly. She knew he’d detected the slight variation in her voice, even though she’d tried to mask it from him.
    “Besides, you can’t help yourself, can you?” He asked rhetorically, seemingly knowing her answer. He gazed upon her as if he knew exactly how she felt, as if he thought them to be truly kindred souls. He was slightly older than she, but the excitement of perpetrating the heist or the pick-pocket was without comparison, and they both knew the thrill and exhilaration it offered.
    “I do have a strange desire to thieve,” she admitted with a sheepish grin.
    “Well? What say you?” he asked her, crossing his arms over his chest. Rose simply moved forward, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
    “I will follow you anywhere,” she admitted, startling even herself with that admission.
    “So, you don’t want to kill me anymore, I hope?” he asked, pushing her back to witness her reaction.
    “Not at the moment,” she winked. He looked to her as if he could not tell if the threat was truly meant behind the smile that followed.
    He was inwardly happy, she could tell by his expression, and he relaxed again.
    “There is nothing quite like the thrill of employing your skills to relieve a wealthy merchant of his wares, eh?” he asked her again, raising an eyebrow. “Now, all I need is to teach you how to use that dagger of yours,” he added arrogantly.
    “I can use one just fine,” she retorted, producing a hidden blade from somewhere beneath the loose fitting silk robe she wore and holding it to his neck. It was a very thin blade, like that used to skin a piece of fruit, and was small and very lightweight. She had removed the handle, leaving only the sharp steel behind. “You see, I am not without certain skills of my own.”
    She pulled the knife away from his neck and tossed it on the desk.
    “I see that I have underestimated you, Rose,” he smiled, obviously impressed. He spoke as though her actions further supported his decision to approach her on the subject. “It won’t happen again.”
    “A girl’s gotta protect herself, right?” she said, removing her robe, this time genuinely disarming herself. “Would you like to check me further for concealed weapons?”
    “Truly remarkable,” he laughed as he grabbed her by the neck and kissed her hard on the lips. “A Rose with thorns,” he observed, holding her at arm’s length.
    “You have no idea,” she replied. As she shoved him forcefully onto the bed, some of the goose down billowed out from the tear of her failed assault.
    They remained intertwined until the sun appeared from behind