By Grace Alone (The Death Dealer Book 2) Read Online Free

dinners as the men elbowed each other over Ridley’s revealing outfit. They acted as though there weren’t already exotic women of Nareroc wearing them all over Glenbard. Their leers annoyed Grace and she thought, Let them try any nonsense . Both women had sharp knives within easy grasp.
    “I heard that a sergeant came in this afternoon,” Ridley commented.
    “Probably about Constable Taylor’s death,” Grace replied softly.
    “Did you overhear anything?”
    “No, but I would have thought Marcus would say something to you.”
    Ridley put down her mulled wine. “He hasn’t said anything to anyone. Well, except for Thom. He’s probably been out arranging meetings with the Death Dealer before he plans to tell the Guild.”
    “Let’s not talk about it then,” Grace said hurriedly. “I’m privy to too much Guild information as it is.”
    “Right!” Ridley brightened at the subject change. “You just had a birthday and you didn’t let me fuss yesterday.”
    “Please don’t fuss today.”
    Ridley waved for people to come over. Jim, Marcus, and Rosemary surrounded the table. They bore a fresh smelling pie. Grace was pulled from her seat by Jim and forced to dance and sing with them. She left hours later, full of pie and warm feelings of friendship.

Three
    “My landlady will talk,” Grace said upon opening the door. “She’ll think I’m a woman of ill-repute.”
    “She seemed pleasant enough when I told her I was bringing your shawl.” Marcus held up a garment of Ridley’s before he sat at her writing desk and propped his feet up.
    “It’s awfully hot for a shawl. The old bat is a vicious gossip, you know.”
    “Let’s drop the modesty and clothing talk. You and I have a problem.”
    “Don’t like what the guard said?”
    “Don’t be flippant with me,” Marcus growled.
    This was a man who was normally slow to anger. Grace knew she was riding his nerves already, and that it’d be best not to rouse him.
    “Atkins isn’t the first fool to kill a guard. We planned to make the troublemaker’s brother disappear, find his brother, and then do the same to him. In the past, the city guards have slapped a few wrists, taken a few bribes, and then it was over. But Nathaniel Moore has decided this isn’t enough. He’s reminding the guards that they have a sworn duty. My spies say he was rallying the men on the Golden Road District and Serenity Place. No, bribes won’t work this time. Even if we find Harris, he won’t give up.”
    “What does this have to do with me?”
    “I need you to trail Moore.”
    Grace backed a few steps away from Marcus. When Grace first made her alliance, she knew little to nothing about the Thieves’ Guild or the city she’d moved to. All she was certain of was that worse men had come before Marcus and she was one against many. For the sake of saving her life, it seemed to be a fair plan at the time. But after only a year, Grace could see that Marcus wasn’t as benevolent as she once thought. He could have been worse; much worse. He shared his wealth and good fortune often, but now he toed the line by asking her to trail a sergeant. The guards were who she should have allied herself with.
    “Don’t look so shocked and appalled, girly. A lot of men are at risk if Moore has his way.”
    “I’m not a spy, Marcus. I help people, and you’re not making that easy for me. I should have stopped you from hurting Adam. I could have taken him to the guard house.”
    “And let him be tortured? Let him be mangled so that he felt every wound? Let those dogs pull out fingernails and break bones, tormenting him during every waking hour? Guards delight in punishing men who kill one of their own, and we discussed this already. We did what had to be done, and your righteous act is growing old. You made an oath to me,” he added; his voice a deadly whisper. Grace shivered against the sudden tension.
    “I agreed to help you if you kept being an honest thief.” Even as she spoke the