Atlin had told him once, in the particular tone she used for things she considered important enough to say once and not repeat, that this was the reason his people would die for him. Not the fear. Not the reputation. The fact that he bled the same percentage of his income into Ironwake's operations that he required of them and had never once suggested that the arrangement was anything other than equitable.
He had not responded to this because it did not require a response. It was simply true.
"The Von Vellacourt matter," Atlin said, without looking up from the ledger.
He had been waiting for her to bring it up. She had been waiting for him to bring it up first. This was something they did occasionally, when neither of them wanted to be the one who introduced a topic. In this case the he
