with a broken nose.”
“It’s not broken, merely bruised.” She dropped her hand and fixed him with a raised eyebrow as one might a raving child. “Would’ve thought a man with as many brawls under his belt as you would know the difference.”
“Still bloody hurts.”
She inched closer, brushing her shoulder to his with one hand on the bench between them. He dropped his next to hers so the sides of their hands touched. Long, pale, with perfectly rounded nails, her hand looked out of place resting on the rough-hewn bench next to his calloused and blunt one. He lifted his little finger and stroked it over hers. So soft that if he wasn’t looking straight at it, he would’ve imagined he was touching air. His other fingers lifted up to brush over the top of her knuckles and down the length of each finger. He held his breath as he wondered if she would draw back from the impropriety. Ridiculous considering she’d seen him half naked, but there was something so intimate about touching another’s hand, brushing over the skin, tracing down the lines of the palm. He’d never given much thought to hands beyond their usefulness as a tool to eat, lift things, and fight. But now . . . Out of the times he’d kissed her, he’d never been so nervous as now when all he wanted to do was lace his fingers between hers and share the flow of his heart pulsing through his palm to hers.
She flipped her hand over and captured his fingers between her own. With a deep sigh, she settled against his shoulder. He closed his eyes, grateful for the small reprieve they had together, and just for a few moments tried to imagine their world without Nazis. Ironic that that was what had brought them together in the first place.
“Why did you do it?”
He cracked one eye open. “Do what?”
“Go back.”
His other eye slid open. “I had to.”
“Without me? I thought we were in this together. No lies. You promised you would never lie to me. You said you would be right behind me.” She turned to him, pain drawing her face taut as anger spiked her words. “You weren’t there.”
“I said I would be somewhere behind you, and I was. Those men would’ve caught us.”
“So you turned back to use yourself as bait.”
The crack in her voice drove through him like a hatchet. He crushed her fingers between his. “I did it because I had no other way to keep you safe.”
Her lips pinched white as if trying to hold back a heated rush of rage. Ever so slowly, she pulled her hand from his grip and pressed it to the side of his face. Fingernails dug into his skin. “Do not ever leave me alone again. Hear me, Barrett Anderson? Ever.” Her other hand rose up, capturing his face in a viselike squeeze. “If you do, I swear you won’t live long enough to regret it.”
She kissed him, hard and quick, to drive her fatal threat home.
The door banged open. “Excusez moi.” One of the girls from inside with too much eyeliner leaned a bony hip against the doorframe and took a long drag from a cigarette. “About to open for business. Unless you feel like entertaining with us, Madam suggests you get upstairs.”
Chapter 25
Morning brought news of the RAF bombing half of Berlin, and Madam promptly closed down the house for the night to celebrate. With any luck, it was the beginning of the end for this bloody war.
Picking up a table stained with whisky and other unsavory spots, Barrett carried it across the room as his dark thoughts crashed in on one another like thunderclouds.
“Don’t lie to me.”
I’m going to betray your trust.
“Don’t lie to me.”
I’m working with your father because he expected you to fail on your own.
“Do not lie to me.”
He’s paying me enough to start my life over far from here, and I only get payment if I hand deliver you in person.
“Do not ever lie to me.”
I ache for you more than my own soul.
Barrett set the table down harder than he expected. Two girls hanging colorful shawls like banners rushed over, their hands a flurry of concern over his arms and face.
“M’sieur, est-ce que tu vas bien?”
“Fine, fine.” He waved them off before Kat could turn around and catch them at it again. Any time he made the slightest noise the girls took it upon themselves to offer their nursing services, promising that every