Free Entangled With the Thief by Kate Rudolph

unexpected to see you here. And you’ve brought a guest?” The man looked Luke up and down. There was something familiar about him, but Luke couldn’t latch onto it. It was almost like there was a disconnect between his eyes and his brain.
    “A colleague,” said Mel. “Would you like an introduction?”
    “You’ve been standing in the center of the room for more than two minutes. Marco will figure out you’re up to something very soon.” The man turned to Luke and nodded. “I’m Bob, by the way.”
    It meant nothing the Luke, but the man clearly knew Mel, and was, perhaps, her friend. With deliberate nonchalance, they made their way to the side of the room where they could speak. They hadn’t escaped the prying eyes of the crowd, but they were no longer the center of attention.
    Mel continued their conversation as if they hadn’t just added a third member to their party. That, more than anything, let him know that Bob could be trusted. At least when it came to Mel’s concerns. “Choose now. Do you want revenge or to help Cassie? We can’t do both tonight.”
    It burned him up that Nunca was in the same room as him. Luke had not hunted the man down before, but it seemed that fate had put the two of them together. But if the choice was between revenge for an old wound or acting to save his sister, it wasn’t a choice at all. “I can always find him later.”
    Mel stared at him for a moment, their eyes locked. She quirked up an eyebrow. “Give me your word on that.”
    “I’ve made my decision; it's not my fault if you don’t trust it.” The gathering moved on around them, people mingling, admiring Marco’s works. “Now, are we going to get to work, or are you going to spend the rest of the night worried about my focus?”
     

     
    Mel considered it a great sign of character that she didn’t smack the alpha hard against the cheek. But with Bob standing right there, and the rest of the room ready to latch onto anything interesting, she kept her impulses in check. Besides, the reaction wasn’t entirely his fault. Things were going belly up if she didn’t fix them quickly.
    What the hell was Bob doing there?
    She couldn’t ask him in so many words. He clearly had a reason to be there, just as she did. She only hoped they weren’t after the same goal.
    “I’m going to go mingle,” Luke said, enacting phase one of their plan and leaving her alone to speak with Bob.
    Bob spoke before she even had a chance to turn and face him. “You’re keeping interesting company. And clearly it’s of your own free will.”
    Two could play at that game. “I thought you hated fancy parties.”
    Bob shrugged. “Marco’s a friend.” And she wasn’t. He’d made that abundantly clear when they worked together to steal the Scarlet Emerald. “Are you after what I think you’re after?” he asked.
    “Are you going to tell Marco?” she replied. She hoped Bob still respected her enough to give her a warning, and hated herself for knowing she barely deserved one.
    “He knows what you are, I’d say that’s warning enough.” Bob took a sip of champagne from the flute he held loosely. “I’ve got useful information if you tell me why you’ve chosen your particular partner.”
    He wouldn’t lie. It wasn’t that there was honor among thieves, but they had been partners many times before, and Bob wouldn’t let idle curiosity ruin a business relationship. And she trusted his discretion. “He’s got my scry stone and some witches hurt Cassie.” She couldn’t say the actual word where Marco was sure to hear it, but Bob understood.
    His eyes widened slightly, but he kept his expression neutral. “So are you doing it for the payment, then?”
    She didn’t answer.
    Bob didn’t press the issue. He offered his information, fulfilling their bargain. “The weight sensor is malfunctioning. He’s spreading it around that he has no product available, but it’s just a cover until he can fix his security.”
    “I