Page 189 of Dark Night of the Soul

They were fortifying her world like she belonged to it. Because she did. Like she was worth the risk even if I couldn’t put my body between her and it yet.

“Grace signed off on the contractor,” Silas said. “Ophelia argued with me. Natasha watched the whole time like she was memorizing exits.”

Her lips thinned as she processed everything he’d said.

“And I’ve positioned guards outside the perimeter rotating every twelve hours.”

“There are… more men living at my house?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said.

“How many guards?” I cut in.

“Two on the outer perimeter. Two on the manor. Two on the outbuildings. Guard shack duty rotates every twelve hours, too. No one gets close now.”

“And the men?” I asked.

“Quiet Watch,” Silas said. “Loyal. Vetted.” He met my eyes. “All yours.”

Silas handed me an army. On her ground.

“I’ll need names.”

“Here.” He handed over a ready-made list.

“Wait—wait.” Anna pushed to her feet, and she looked one heartbeat from detonating. “You did all this without asking?” Then her eyes cut to me, searching for the lie, checking if I’d ordered it.

I hadn’t. But I should have.

“We had to move fast,” Silas said. “Before anything else happened.”

But she was still looking at me. “Did you know?”

“He didn’t,” Silas said before I could answer. “I didn’t ask permission.”

“So, what—now you’re asking for forgiveness?” she snapped.

“Anna—” I started.

“I should have been consulted,” she said, voice tight, hands curled. “At the very least.”

She was right. And the worst part was—Silas moved without permission, but he treated it like a debt he owed her. Before I ever did. That stung more than it should have.

But we’d been busy trying not to die. Or at least I had.

Silas looked up at her. “You’re right, lass. I should have. But under the circumstances, securing the estate was a priority.”

She inhaled slowly, let it out as slowly. Then sank back to the chair. “All right. And I suppose I’ll be getting the bill for that?”

“No,” he said.

She blinked then looked at me like I was supposed to explain it. I had nothing. This was Silas’s play. His investment. He didn’t spend money he couldn’t justify. That meant this wasn’t a favor, it was a commitment. To her. To protecting what was hers.

Ludwig strolled in, mug in hand, with Ulrich on his heels. “Hey. You didn’t invite us to the party,” Ludwig said. “I feel left out.”

“You’re not,” Anna snapped, still angry, even while she tried to tamp it down.

Ludwig gave her a curious once-over—too slow to be innocent. “Did you have your coffee this morning, missy?”