By the time she had finished her day and was walking home with a loaf of purple bread and a pat of green butter carefully wrapped in paper (the daily allowance of everyone who worked in the bakery) she was almost as afraid to go home as she had been to go to work the day before.
Penny let herself into the house, not sure at all what she might find or how V’rex would act towards her. She also didn’t know how she ought to act around him. What if she did something to set him off? What if he was a ticking time bomb of rage inside and a vat of boiling hate was lurking under his handsome, roguish exterior? What if—?
“Hi, sweetheart. How was your day?”
V’rex was suddenly there in front of her, wearing a white apron which strained over his broad chest and a genial smile on his face.
“Oh, uh…” Penny wasn’t sure what to say. “Fine, I guess,” she said, smiling weakly.
“You don’t look fine.” V’rex’s face was suddenly serious. “Did that big asshole bother you anymore? Because if he did—”
“No—no!” Penny exclaimed hurriedly. ”Nobody bothered me at all—honestly they didn’t!”
The last thing she wanted was for V’rex to come back to her work and start chopping off any more fingers.
“Hey, take it easy, little girl.” He smiled at her again. “Just checking on you. Wanna make sure you’re okay, that’s all.”
“I’m okay—really I am,” Penny assured him, in a rather strained voice. “Uh, what are you cooking?” she added, gesturing to the apron he was wearing.
V’rex made a face.
“Vegetable stew, but I’m afraid it’s fucking bland. Sorry, baby—I’m not much of a cook when it comes to the green stuff. I’m great at anything to do with meat but I know after what you heard from your friend…”
“No meat, no thank you,” Penny said quickly. “I brought some bread and butter,” she added, holding up the loaf and the paper with the softened green butter in it. “So that should go well with the stew.”
“Can’t hurt.” V’rex motioned for her to come into the kitchen with him.
Penny followed him in, musing on the apron he was wearing—the strings of which were tied in a big, loopy bow at the small of his back. This domestic look was completely incongruous to the cold-blooded killer she’d been picturing all day. Could it be she had misjudged V’rex yet again?
She honestly didn’t know.
Fifty-Seven
V could feel her confusion and worry and yes—Goddess damn it—her fear of him the minute she walked in the door.
I went too far at her work today. Shouldn’t have chopped off that fucker’s finger, he thought ruefully. I went overboard and now Skrug isn’t the only one who’s terrified of me—Penelope is too.
He hadn’t meant to scare her like that—he’d only wanted to make it crystal clear to Skrug that he’d better keep his hands off. But the Rage had gotten the better of him. In fact, for a moment he’d had a hard time not cutting the other male’s head off—let alone his finger.
And now Penelope is frightened of me all over again. I’ve lost all the trust I earned in the past two days, he thought in frustration.
As he stirred the pot of bland, minced-up vegetables he was calling “stew,” V considered what to do—how to mend the situation. He supposed he could come right out and tell her that he wouldn’t hurt her and he didn’t mean her any harm… But he sensed words weren’t going to be enough to assuage her new fear of him. What was it that Tarn, the captain of the first ship he’d served on used to say?
Speak with your actions, not your mouth. The tongue can lie but the hands tell the truth.
Something like that, anyway. V’rex sighed as he looked into the contents of the steaming pot. The best thing he could do was show Penelope she didn’t have to be frightened of him. That meant lots of patience and persistence, speaking softly and treating her gently.
Which honestly, wasn’t hard for him. His Kindred side was definitely dominant to his Kru’ell One half, which meant he was naturally respectful of women.
He just had to get Penelope to see that because he was going to have to gain her trust all over again.
Fifty-Eight
“Sorry it’s so fucking bland,” V’rex muttered, stirring his own bowl of vegetable stew morosely. “I used as much sodium as I could without overdoing it, but it didn’t help much.”
“It’s fine,” Penny smiled at him woodenly and ate another bite of her own stew. “And please don’t blame yourself—it seems like everything here is bland. I remember at the Breeding and Conception Center, I used flavor sticks on everything they brought us. We were only supposed to use them in the Mother’s Milk but I…Oh!”
She stood up from the small table suddenly.
“Something wrong, sweetheart?” V’rex looked up, frowning.
“I almost forgot!” Penny exclaimed. “The last time I saw my friend, Claudette, she gave me a bunch of flavor sticks because she knew I liked them so much. Hang on.”
She ran to the bedroom and got two of the small wooden sticks from the stash Claudette had given her and came back into the dining area brandishing them triumphantly.
“Here,” she said, handing one of them to V’rex, who looked at it uncertainly.
“Uh, what is this?” he looked at the small, tongue-depressor-type stick and frowned.
“A flavor stick! Didn’t they give them to you when they were holding you in the male dorms?” Penny asked. When he shook his head she said, “Okay, well here’s how they work. You press the stick to your tongue and think about a flavor you really like. Then stick it into the food you want to taste like that and stir it around. The food will pick up the flavor you wanted. Like this—see?”
She pressed the end of her stick to her tongue and thought hard about a recipe her mom used to make when she was a kid. Then she stirred the bowl of vegetable stew thoroughly with the flavor stick before taking a big bite.
“Mmmm,” Penny moaned as the salty, cheesy, crunchy, meaty flavors rolled over her tongue. “So good.”
“Can I try it?” V’rex asked, holding up the spork-looking thing which was the closest thing to a spoon that they had in the Compound.
“Oh sure—help yourself.” Penny pushed her bowl towards him and he took a sporkful of her stew. He put it in his mouth and his eyebrows shot up as he chewed and swallowed.
“That tastes completely different! And completely fucking delicious,” he exclaimed. “What is it, anyway? What did you turn it into?”
“This crazy recipe my mom used to make when I was a kid called ‘cheeseburger soup,’” Penny explained. “She honestly put just about everything in it—the meat, the cheese, tomatoes and lettuce—even pickles. And she served it with a squirt of ketchup and mustard on top.” She grinned and took another spoonful herself. “Tastes just like she used to make—reminds me of home.”
“It’s really good,” V’rex said, smiling. “Your mother must be an excellent cook.”
“She is.” Penny sighed and looked down at her stew. “I wonder…wonder if I’ll ever see her again.”
V’rex reached across the table and squeezed her hand gently.
“You’ll see her, little girl,” he rumbled. “I promise you that.”
Penny cast a glance at the ceiling and was glad to see the red light over the table was dark.
“Thanks, V’rex,” she said, carefully removing her hand. “Um, what about you? What do you want to turn your veggie stew into?”
If he was offended by her tacit refusal of his touch, the big Hybrid didn’t show it.
“Hmmm.” He looked thoughtful as he twirled the flavor stick she’d given him between his long fingers. Finally he nodded to himself, closed his eyes, and pressed the tip of the stick against his tongue. Then he stirred it through his stew carefully and took a bite.
“Did it work?” Penny asked anxiously as he closed his eyes and chewed, a blissful expression on his face.
“It did.” V’rex opened his eyes an
d pushed his bowl towards her. “Try it.”
Penny took a bite and was surprised at the complex flavors swirling on her tongue.
“Hmm, Sweet and sour…salty with hints of umami, like really dark soy sauce…and the slightest hint of seaweed,” she murmured at last. “Tastes kind of like sweet and sour fish and chips sushi,” she decided and smiled at him. “Delicious! What is it?”
“Mandras pie. One of the better charity kitchens used to serve it when I was a slum kid,” V’rex told her. “It was really warm and filling, especially on a cold night. And sometimes, if there weren’t too many of us, they’d let us stay the night after we ate, and sleep in the ashes of the furnace.”
“In the ashes?” Penny asked doubtfully.
V’rex nodded.
“Sure. It was always good to have a warm, safe place to sleep where you didn’t have to worry about freezing or getting knifed in the middle of the night.” He shrugged. “I guess I associate Mandras pie with all that—with warmth and safety and comfort—the same things you associate with your mother’s cheesbrugger soup.”
“Cheeseburger,” Penny corrected him, smiling a little. But she couldn’t help thinking that the little slice of his childhood he’d revealed had sounded awfully sad. “It must have been hard for you to be on your own like that, after you lost your mom,” she remarked carefully, not sure how much he wanted to talk about it.
V’rex shrugged.
“I got by. That time on the streets toughened me up—taught me that life doesn’t owe you anything—it’s what you bring to it that counts.”
“And…that’s when you learned how to pick pockets?” Penny asked.
“Yup.” He nodded. “Believe it or not, I was a cute kid—and really small for my age until I was around sixteen cycles, when I shot up. But back then, I was so little and adorable, nobody suspected me.” He made a face. “It’s different now, of course, since I’m not little or cute, but I think I can still pull it off.”
“Show me,” Penny said. The blue toga she was wearing had three pockets—one on each hip and a third over her right breast, just below where the toga tied. She broke her used flavor stick in half and put half of it into the right hip pocket of her toga, leaving the other half by her bowl. Then she arched her eyebrows at V’rex. “Well? Can you get it?”
He gave her a lazy grin.
“Sure, sweetheart—I can get it. I’ll even show you how I do it. Come on—stand up.”
Penny stood up from the table and the big Hybrid did the same.
“Okay, now,” he said, his deep voice taking on a lecturing tone as they stepped to one side of the table. “There are several ways to pick a pocket. To start with, pretend we’re strangers, walking past each other on a crowded street.”
“Okay.” Penny took a few steps back and walked towards him as V’rex walked towards her as well.
I don’t see how he’s going to manage though, she thought. Since my left side is towards him and the stick is in my right pocket.
Nevertheless, she walked straight towards the big Hybrid, pretending she was on a busy street and minding her own business.
V’rex was looking away as they met, as though he was distracted by something. His broad shoulder hit her left arm and he muttered,
“Scuse me,” and walked on past.
Penny turned around, frowning at him.
“Was that it? I don’t think—” Then she put her hand in her right pocket and found that the half flavor stick she’d put there was gone. “Hey!” she exclaimed.
V’rex grinned at her and held up the half stick.
“Gotcha, sweetheart.”
“How did you do that?” Penny demanded. “I didn’t feel a thing!”
“It’s called the bump and distract,” V’rex told her. “Watch…”
He brought her back to stand facing him and then pushed his shoulder into hers. At the same time, he reached his long arm around her body and this time Penny felt him touching her pocket—but only for an instant and only because he wanted her to, she was sure.
“See, you’re so focused on the feeling of my shoulder bumping into yours that you don’t notice my hand in your pocket,” V’rex explained. “Any pick worth his salt can do it. It’s even easier from behind. Here, put this back in your pocket,” he told her.
Penny did as he said, putting the half stick in her left hip pocket this time.
“Good, now pretend we’re on a crowded tram together,” V’rex instructed her. “I’m just another passenger, standing right behind you.”
He turned Penny around, his big hands on her shoulders, and then positioned himself right behind her. He was close, but not touching her, though Penny could feel the heat from his big body against her back. It made her stomach flutter, despite the fact that she knew she shouldn’t let herself be so attracted to the big, dangerous Hybrid.
“Uh…” She glanced over her shoulder. “I know you’re supposed to be inconspicuous and just another passenger, but I think I’d notice a seven-foot tall warrior standing behind me.”
“You got me there, sweetheart.” V’rex gave her a rueful grin. “I was a much more successful pick when I was little. Once I got my full growth, it was a lot harder to move through a crowd doing finger-work.” His face darkened. “Of course, by that time, I was into other things.”
“Other things?” Penny asked faintly. She wondered how he had gotten his start in the gang he’d been in. Had there been some kind of initiation? Maybe killing someone? Maybe chopping off their fingers…?
V’rex seemed to sense where her mind was going because he shook his head.
“Nothing you need to know about. C’mon and turn back around, I’m not done with the demonstration.”
Penny reluctantly turned back to face front, though her stomach was still fluttering uncertainly.
“Now like I said, this is a busy tram at rush hour,” V’rex rumbled behind her. “All of a sudden, it makes a quick stop and we all lurch forward.”
He demonstrated by leaning into her, his broad chest pressing briefly against her back.
“Sorry,” he muttered in her ear. “Damn transports. Brakes are all shot to the Seven Hells.”
He sounded so much like a regular passenger she might have encountered on any public transportation that Penny knew she would have been tempted to think nothing of such an encounter.
“Is that it? You did it?” she asked, turning her head to look at him. Once again, she hadn’t felt anything but his chest briefly touching her back.
“Check your pockets.” V’rex gave her a confident grin.
Penny put her hand in her left pocket…and felt half of the flavor stick.
“Oh,” she said disappointed. “It’s still here.”
“Check all your pockets,” V’rex told her.
Penny put her hand in her right pocket…and pulled out the other half of the stick.
“Hey!” she exclaimed. “I left this on the table. And how did you put something into my pocket without me knowing it?”
“The same way I took something out without you knowing, sweetheart.” His grin widened. “But you haven’t checked all your pockets yet.”
“But there’s only one more and I know you didn’t—” Penny began as she looked down at the pocket over her right breast.
To her surprise she saw the flavor stick she’d given V’rex poking out of the small pocket as though it had always been there.
“Wow…” She plucked it out and looked at it and then looked at V’rex. “I’m impressed. I can’t believe I didn’t feel you putting the sticks in my pockets!”
He shrugged.
“It takes a light touch—and long fingers don’t hurt either.” He held up his hands and wiggled the fingers in question as he raised his eyebrows, making Penny giggle despite herself.
“Can you teach me to do it?” she asked, curiously. “Not that I’m interested in living a life of crime when we get out of here, but it might be a useful talent to have.”
“I can try—if you really want to learn.” He nodded and plucked one of the half-sticks out of her hand. He put it in his own right hip pocket and then made a “come on” gesture with his fingers.
Penny walked towards him, trying not to look at the pocket the stick was in. She was just minding her own business, she told herself. Just in a hurry to get from point A to point B.
As she passed V’rex, she bumped him on the shoulder and reached for his pocket at the same time, all while muttering, “Excuse me.” She had the stick in her fingers when a big hand caught her by the wrist.
“Hey, little lady,” V’rex growled down at her. “What do you think you’re doing?”
He lifted her hand, displaying the half a flavor stick and glared at her until Penny felt like she really had been caught stealing.
“I…I don’t…” she began uncertainly.
“I felt your fingers,” V’rex said, abruptly dropping the menacing growl. “Or I wouldn’t have stopped you. Tell me—what do you do now?”
“Now?” Penny looked at him blankly. “You mean after you caught me?”
“Uh-huh.” He nodded. “What do you do now?”
“I…I’m not sure what you mean.” Penny shook her head.
“Think about it,” he said patiently. “You’re too small to fight me so what can you do?”
“Um…” Penny was still at a loss.
“Either make a scene—start screaming that I’m the one attacking you. Or start crying,” V’rex advised. “Anything that draws attention will make a regular guy feel uncomfortable. Chances are he’ll let you go and then you can make a break for it.”
Penny frowned.
“That seems like an awfully cynical way of thinking.”
V’rex shrugged.
“It’s a way of surviving, sweetheart. You use what you’ve got. Now try it again.”
They practiced until Penny could successfully get the flavor stick out of his pocket without V’rex feeling her fingers, both approaching from the front and standing behind him. The big Hybrid praised her skill and Penny had to admit, it wasn’t one she would have thought of acquiring before now. Not that she really had any use for it.
Stolen: Brides of the Kindred 25 Page 28