The Girl in the Steel Corset - By Kady Cross Page 0,119
to talk to you. There’s no one I’d rather talk to than you, Sam.”
It was like someone lit a candle inside him, a small flickering flame that warmed him from the inside out. “Not even Griffin?”
“Especially not him. Faith, he thinks he’s smarter than everyone else.”
They chuckled over that and she looked around the room, realizing that they were not at home. “Where are we?”
“You’ll never believe it.” He leaned forward to whisper, “Finley brought us to Jack Dandy’s.”
And then Sam heard a voice in his ear, “I can hear you, you big dolt.” It was Finley, and of course she could hear him, she had the ears of…well, he didn’t know what. And he could hear her because he still had his earpiece in.
“Stop listening,” he hissed, and pulled the little metal device from his ear. He would have crushed it had Emily not made it.
“How’s Griffin?” Emily asked, still smiling over his exchange with Finley. “Did he defeat Garibaldi?”
Sam swallowed. “He did, but Garibaldi stabbed him. It was pretty bad. Dandy and Finley fixed him up. She remembered to use your ‘beasties’ on him, as well—not in front of Dandy, though.”
Emily pushed herself up against the pillows. “How bad?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. He’s still out. He brought the whole building down, Em. I wish you could have seen it. He brought it down like it was made of toothpicks, or sand.”
“I would have liked to see that.” Her brow puckered. “Was Garibaldi inside?”
Sam nodded.
“Good.” Her face took on a tight expression. “I never thought I’d ever say that there was a person who the world would be better off without, but The Machinist’s one of ’em. Though, if I know Griffin, he’s bound to carry some guilt for it.”
Before Sam could agree with her, there was a knock against the open door frame. Sam turned to see Jasper standing on the threshold. Of course he would show up, just as he was about to tell Emily how glad he was that she was unhurt, that he didn’t know what he would do without her.
“Miss Emily, you are a sight for sore eyes,” he told her, and tipped his cowboy hat. “I’m glad to see you awake.”
“Thank you, Jasper. It does me good to see you upright and looking none the worse for wear, as well.”
Sam frowned. “Did you want something, Renn, or are you just going to stand there all night?” Emily pinched him—hard. He flashed a glance at her, she did not look impressed.
Jasper shrugged. “Just thought y’all might like to know that Griffin’s awake.” Then he turned on his heel and left.
“You’re so mean to him,” Emily scolded lightly.
Sam made a face, but he didn’t say anything. He especially did not apologize. “You want to go see Griff?”
She nodded and he stood and helped her out of bed. She had all her clothes on so she didn’t need to stop for anything. They walked down the hall to the other bedroom where Finley and Jasper sat on the side of the bed and Griffin lay against the pillows, pale but awake.
“It’s good to see you all,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I thought I might not ever have that pleasure again. Even your ugly mug looks pretty to me, Sam.”
Sam grinned. “Who do you think lugged you out of there, Your Grace?”
“Thank you.” Griffin was serious this time. “All of you. Thank you for helping me fight, and thank you for saving my life.”
“It’s what you’d do for us,” Jasper reminded him.
“It’s enough that you’re alive,” Finley told him. Sam noticed that the girl was holding Griffin’s hand in her own and his friend didn’t seem to mind.
“Yes,” Griff agreed. “I hear I have Mr. Dandy to thank for that. Is he here?”
Finley told him that Dandy had left some time ago, but that he’d told them to stay for as long as they needed. Griffin seemed oddly relieved that their host was missing, Sam thought. Kind of like how he felt whenever Jasper Renn wasn’t around. Jealousy, that’s what it was. He never would have thought Griffin capable of such emotion, not when he was born to a position in life that meant he could pretty much have whatever he wanted.
Although, the human heart didn’t come with a price on it.
Two days later, a fully recovered Griffin came down to breakfast to find his friends and aunt gathering. Cordelia poured him a cup of coffee, fluttering over him like a mother hen.