In the room where I spent more waking hours than anywhere else, my eyes caught on the broken glass I’d left on the side table. Gideon’s gaze slid over it too, but he made no remark. He was smart enough not to poke a dragon—at least, not unless he thought he really needed to.
I dropped into my usual chair, and he sat down across from me. As I laid out my idea the same way I’d explained it to Dad, he nodded here and there. After I finished, he set his chin in his hand, staring toward the wall with a distant expression.
It couldn’t be that stupid if he hadn’t dismissed it yet. He was actually considering the plan.
“It’s high risk, of course, but whatever move we make against the Steel Knights will have to be,” he said eventually. “I’d imagine that if we can control most of the parameters, it just might work. Which location were you thinking of?”
“I haven’t thought it through that far yet,” I said. “But it doesn’t matter. Dad shot it down.”
Gideon shrugged. “Why does that have to stop you? You’ve acted without his permission before.”
“But never directly against his orders.” I grimaced. “This is bigger than me. It affects all of the Nobles. I can’t mess it up.”
“That’s true.” His fingers drummed against his thigh, and I was struck again by the sense that he was agitated—in a way I’d rarely seen him unless he had some difficult problem in front of him. “Has there been any news about Mercy?” he asked abruptly. “How late are we expecting her to get back?”
I hesitated, studying him more closely. Was he worked up about the situation with her and Jasper? I mean, I was, but I had a reason to be. I’d never seen Gideon care much about what happened with the few women he’d spent time with over the years. Hell, I’d never seen him look this anxious over Kaige’s or Rowan’s safety, for that matter.
“Apparently she’s fine,” I said. “She’s done with her meeting with Jasper and on her way home. It seems like she managed to please Jasper incredibly well.”
Gideon’s fingers twitched and his jaw tightened in a way that made me suddenly sure he was just as uncomfortable with the thought of what Jasper had expected from Mercy as I was.
How the fuck had that happened? When the fuck had that happened?
A flare of possessiveness shot through me, as if I should be the only one allowed to care, but at the same time… My best friend had finally found a woman who could get under his skin. Maybe I should be congratulating him. It was kind of nice to know he was human enough under his often robotic exterior to fall for someone.
“Just how bad have you got it for her?” I asked.
Gideon tensed even more than before, his gaze jerking to me. “What are you talking about?”
Was that a blush turning his cheeks faintly pink? I’d have laughed if I hadn’t felt so heartsick at the same time. “Come on, Gideon. I’ve known you since we were nine years old. You think I wouldn’t pick up on it when you finally had your first crush?” We’d leave aside however long it had actually taken me to notice.
Gideon sputtered. “I don’t have a crush on Mercy.”
I rolled my eyes. “With that reaction, I know for sure you do. Some things make more sense to me now.”
He gave me a side-eye. “What?”
“Well, for starters, you’ve started tolerating her company, and you don’t complain about her when she’s not around like you do with just about everyone else.” I kicked his shin lightly. “It’s okay, man. It’s normal. I was getting a little worried something in there was out of whack for you.”
Gideon let out a frustrated sound. “Maybe I find her more… compelling than I’d have expected. It doesn’t matter. My focus is still completely on my job, and I obviously wouldn’t interfere with anything you have going on with her.”
I forced myself to snort. “If you didn’t get the memo, I don’t like her much.”
This time he rolled his eyes at me. “I’ve known you for thirteen years too, remember? I know what you’re doing. I don’t think she deserves it, but I’m not going to argue with you about it when you have… the reasons you have.”
“Good,” I said, abruptly grouchy. “Then let’s stop talking about it.”
Silence hung between us, but it didn’t feel as comfortable as it usually did. My throat constricted. There was more I should say. More that Gideon deserved. If Mercy would have him, why should he have to go without just because I was forcing myself to?
“Gideon,” I said finally, “just to be clear, if anything happens between you and Mercy while she’s insisting on staying here, I swear to you it’ll never cause a conflict between us. You’re free to pursue anything you want with her.”
Gideon chuckled disbelievingly. “Are you giving me your blessing?”
“Call it whatever you want. You’ve never liked a girl before, so it’d be very shitty of me if I cock-blocked you the one time you really wanted one.”
Gideon opened his mouth, but the sound of smashing glass cut him off. Shouts rang out downstairs. We glanced at each other and leapt to our feet in unison, dashing for the door to find out what fresh hell was going on.