Mara shook her head and popped her coin purse open. “No, really. I don’t—”
“It’s guaranteed to bring you the most restful slumber you’ve ever experienced.”
His boast made her head snap up. “Hey, that I can use. How much?”
The vendor’s smile stretched wide, revealing a mouthful of stained, crooked teeth. Apparently none of his potions contained a cure-all for bad oral hygiene. “For you, ten merca.”
She nodded and pulled out the necessary currency.
“Never settle for the first offer,” said a deep baritone behind her. “Especially from a thief.”
Her hand reflexively tightened around the merca resting in her palm. Pivoting, she stared blankly at Jerrick. She was so shocked to see him it took a moment to find her tongue. “You’ve got it wrong…he’s sort of the victim here.”
“That’s what he wants you to think.” Jerrick focused on the vendor, a hardened glint in his eyes. “The boy works for him. They run quite a lucrative business, from what I hear.”
Mara glared at the vendor. “That’s despicable. He’s a child.”
The old man had the audacity to shrug his thin shoulders. “I pay him a quarter of the profit.” He slid a nervous glance Jerrick’s way before giving her a pleading look. “Look, no harm done. Please accept this vial as my apology.”
She pinched her lips together. “No thanks. I doubt it even works.” Judging from his shady business dealings, it’d be a miracle if it did anything beyond rob innocent people of their hard-earned merca.
“But it does, m’lady.” The man’s head bobbed with vigorous enthusiasm. “I give it to my wife whenever I tire of her endless nagging. Believe me, her snores are far easier for my ears to take.”
What sounded suspiciously close to a chuckle snuck from Jerrick. Mara turned and nearly keeled over in shock at the sight of him grinning. The expression made him look approachable and…downright gorgeous.
“Take it.” Jerrick gestured towards the vendor. “If his persistence is anything like his wife’s alleged nagging, it’s the only way you’ll get rid of him.”
Mara reluctantly plucked the vial from the vendor’s outstretched hand. The man gave Jerrick a wide berth as he scurried to the safety of his kiosk. Tucking the vial into her pocket, she peered up at Jerrick. A soft laugh scooted between her lips. “The sisters of fate really are sprinkling their good-luck dust on me.”
The corner of Jerrick’s mouth quirked. “Sure, give them all the credit. Not like I was the one who kept you from getting scammed.”
“Mm, true—for which I owe you my everlasting thanks. But the bit of fate I meant is us running into each other.”
“Fate had nothing to do with it. I was waiting for you.”
“Really?” She blinked, trying to wrap her mind around the idea of him casing the front of the hotel, on the lookout for her. Wait a minute. How did he even know where to find me? Before she could vocalize the question, he took her elbow and steered her around the sailcloth-shaded kiosk, angling them away from the light flow of pedestrian traffic. His eyes never left hers, but his big body seemed on high alert. For what, she didn’t know. Maybe thieves were naturally edgy that way. Probably came with the territory.
A beam of sunlight snuck across the kiosk’s roof and bounced off the side of Jerrick’s head, making the sun-kissed streaks in his sable hair more pronounced. “What are you doing with him?”
She cocked her head. To say his question was vague and cryptic was an understatement. Still, she had a good inkling he wasn’t talking about the devious vendor. “By him, I assume you’re referring to Dash?”
Jerrick’s jaw clenched, providing her with the answer. She wrapped her arms around her chest to ward off the sudden arctic front blowing off him. “It’s kind of a long story.”
A tight smile barely cracked his expression. “Lucky for you, I’ve got time to waste.” He swept an assessing glance down the walkway. “But we’re not airing our business here.”
“Okay, so where do you—?” Mara broke off when Jerrick stepped around her and slung an arm across her shoulders. In the amount of time it took her brain to formulate a protest at his presumptuous behavior, he’d hustled her away from the kiosk.
Down the street, he ushered her inside a small dining hall. The clatter of eating utensils provided a musical backdrop to the buzz of conversations floating inside the cramped room. Jerrick led her to a table situated close to the kitchen, and she plopped onto one of the clear Lucite chairs. She frowned at the cacophony coming from the kitchen. “It’s noisy back here.”
“Good.” Jerrick removed his black leather jacket and sank into the seat neighboring hers. He grabbed the cup resting in the saucer in front of him and flipped it right side up before glancing at her. “Easier to keep our conversation private.”
The close proximity of his large and rather intimidating frame made her nerves tingle. So much so, her fingers trembled when she righted her own cup. The wariness prickling her skin didn’t resemble the flush of heat she felt whenever Dash invaded her space. Not that Jerrick wasn’t bone-melting sexy, because he was. But he was also a stranger who exuded a dark, dangerous energy that any woman with half a brain would wisely steer clear of.
A male server approached and filled their cups with the Jufferi tea sloshing in his carafe before rushing off to collect eating utensils for them. Her hand still shaking, Mara lifted her cup, thankful when she didn’t spill its contents all over her pants. She took a cautious sip and blinked away tears when she scalded her tongue on the aromatic brew.
Jerrick leaned back in his seat, but the tiny hairs standing at full attention along her nape didn’t let her forget his presence.
“I’m going to give you a piece of advice.”
“Hmm?” Frowning, she glanced over her shoulder and met his penetrating stare.
“Don’t make friends with someone who’ll only fuck you over.”
She settled the cup back in its saucer before peering up at him. “Trust me, I’m in full agreement with you there.”
He made a sound halfway between a snort and a grunt. “Then why the hell are you hanging around with a thief?”
“Hey, you’re the one who dragged me here.”
His eyes narrowed and she puffed out a sigh. So much for cracking through his ice with a little breezy humor. “Dash and I have a…complicated relationship.”
Relationship? The word spun in Mara’s head, mocking her. It was too pretty a name for what they shared. She refocused on Jerrick and realized he was watching her intently. Patiently. “Maybe I should start from the beginning.”
“Good idea.” Jerrick’s rich baritone came with a heaping side dish of sarcasm.
The server returned with utensils and scribbled their orders on his touchpad. Once he scurried off, Mara made short work laying out the story of her and Dash’s predicament, filling in the most pertinent blanks before their morning repasts arrived.
“So that’s why he returned for the rune.” Jerrick didn’t seem much interested in the fluffy eggs piled on his plate and instead stared at her.
She, on the other hand, was starving. All this talk of Dash was stimulating her appetite. Looking to appease her complaining stomach and get her mind on more productive thoughts, she nibbled on a corner of the yummy, toasted nut bread. “Um, yeah.” She covered her lips, self-conscious about talking around a mouthful of food.
A little spark of vengeance twinkled in Jerrick’s eyes. “And that thing around his neck really zapped him?” He’d seemed particularly intrigued in that part of the story—to the point of cracking a wide grin.
“Yep, but the collar’s under control now. No more of that nonsense.”
“Pity.”
She rolled her eyes before taking another bite of the toast. “You’re kind of bloodthirsty, aren’t you?”
“Only when it comes to that son of a bitch.”
The nut bread’s flavor suddenly resembled sawdust when she took in Jerrick’s s
tony expression. If he and Dash managed to iron out their troubles long enough to track down the Rhyann rune, it’d be a freaking miracle.
“Dash insists he never slept with Leena.” The other female’s name sat on her tongue like a rotten fish head, but she tried not to show her distaste. For one thing, it made her look worse than a jealous shrew. Plus, the woman was Jerrick’s ex. She didn’t want to say or do anything to offend him.
“He’s a liar.”
“True, but perhaps not about this.” She gestured with the hand holding the piece of toast and a sprinkle of bread crumbs landed in her lap. With a quick brush of her fingers, she swept them free. “Do you think there’s any chance you might have misread the situation?”
“They were buck naked in bed together. What do you think?”
She picked off a corner of the crust, not seeing any hope on the horizon. “Okay, if you can’t do this for Dash, will you do it for me?”
“I’m a thief. We’re not known for being very altruistic.”
“I’ll pay you…or something.”
One side of Jerrick’s mouth tugged upward. “The something part has me intrigued.”
She pinched her lips together. “I was going to offer my cleaning services. Gods, you males are all the same.”
Jerrick laughed. The sound was both delightful and unexpected. “I can see why he couldn’t keep his hands off you last night. You’re the perfect blend of sex and sass.”
Mara felt her cheeks start to burn. Rather than crawling beneath the table like she longed to do, she bit off a big chunk of the bread.
“Not to mention my brother’s always had a hard spot for pretty humans.”
It took a full thirty seconds for his words to register. When they did, she choked on a mouthful of toast.
“Brother?” she sputtered, gaping at him.
Chapter Thirteen
Dash paced in front of the door connecting his and Mara’s room. If he kept at it, the rug wouldn’t have any nap left. “This is stupid. I don’t have anything to apologize for. She wasn’t the one suffering all night with a killer case of blue balls.”
He halted, reaching for the door’s lock pad. Pansy ass. Growling, he yanked his hand away and shoved it deep in his trouser pocket before stalking towards the bed. Midway across the room, he executed an about-face and stormed back to the door. Before he could temper the urge, he punched the green button.
The door instantly slid open and he grunted in surprise. She must not have armed her side of the door. “And here I suffered all night for no reason.” He stepped into Mara’s room. A sound similar to yowling Gorinna cats filled the air. Frowning, he glanced around.
No one occupied the bed—not that he’d expected it with the horrendous caterwauling damn near making his eardrums bleed. A person couldn’t sleep in the face of that torture.
Movement across the room caught his eye. Stepping past the bed, he spied Piper shaking her hips in front of the tall looking glass bolted to the dresser. She lifted her arms over her head and waggled her fingers as her screechy soprano accompanied the atrocity pounding through the room’s recessed speakers. Her yowl turned into a shriek when she spotted him in the looking glass.
She spun around and stamped her feet, coming damn near close to falling off the side of the dresser. “Are you trying to kill me of fright?”
“Don’t blame me. This music is gods-awful enough to kill anyone.”
Piper snapped her fingers. The yowling blessedly stopped. “You wouldn’t know fabulous music if it bit you in the behind.”
“Yeah, well, from the sound of that crap, something was getting bit in the behind. And not in a good way. What the bloody hell was that racket?”
The sprite slapped her hands on her hips and tipped her nose in the air. “It’s called frodelling. Perfect for grooving to.”
She couldn’t be serious. Shaking his head, he ambled to the bathroom and looked inside. The water shield hung limply to the side of the bathing cubicle, revealing an empty stall. Moisture still beaded its glass block tiles. He pushed from the doorframe. His gaze detoured again to the bed. It in no way resembled the sheet-tangled mess back in his room. The visible proof of Mara’s toss-free slumber really chapped his ass. He had half a mind to throw the pillows to the floor and stomp on the coverlet.
“What are you looking for?”
He swung around and met Piper’s puzzled frown. “Mara. Where the hell is she?”
“Dunno. She was long gone before I got up.”
His gut clenched at the idea of Mara alone and clueless in an environment teeming with characters who’d gladly give her a taste of Tul’dea’s seedy side. Swearing beneath his breath, he rushed from the room.
Once outside, he skulked the busy streets, his thoughts centering on one thing only—getting his hands on Mara’s rear end and spanking it until she promised not to run off unescorted again. That line of thinking got his blood pumping for more than one reason. Pushing aside the tempting visual of his hand splayed around the sweet curve of her butt cheek, he peeked inside an opened shop door. The sweet, clinging perfume of roses tickled his nose. Just inside the doorway, a shelf filled with feminine toiletries marked the source of the flowery aroma.
No female in existence could walk by a girly shop without stopping inside. It was some sort of law amongst their species. Maybe he’d be lucky, and the shopkeeper had seen Mara recently. If he were really lucky, Mara might actually be inside, looking over the trove of goodies. Mentally crossing his fingers, he walked into the shop.
Several females huddled in pairs, sniffing appreciatively at the pretty packages adorning the lace-strewn shelves. None of them resembled his infuriating Sher ’tian. Swiveling on his heel, he ambled to the rear of the shop, where a human female hunkered over a large book spread open across the payment desk.
“L’argo te.”
The female’s head lifted at his greeting and her oversized eyeglasses slid down the bridge of her nose. She pushed them back in place, blinking at him behind their magnifying lenses. She returned the traditional greeting before setting her micro-computing pen aside. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, I’m looking for a female human who might have been browsing your shop earlier this morning. Her hair is blonde, close to the same shade as yours, only a bit longer. About here,” he said, marking the area just above his biceps.
The shopkeeper took a step back, her eyes widening behind the glasses. “Dash?”
He blinked. Oh shit. This was what he got for running out of the hotel half-cocked and without so much as his measly hat to provide obscurity. Of course, the last place he’d expected to run into someone from his past was a girly toiletry shop.
While he returned the stare of the petite female in front of him, Dash realized he faced another problem. He had no clue of the woman’s identity. Which didn’t speak well if he’d entertained her in bed. Good gods, I know I haven’t slept with so many females I can’t remember their faces.
“Fancy meeting you here.” He mentally blotted the sweat beading on his forehead. “How’ve you been?”
Her glasses slipped down again and she peered at him over their cobalt blue frame. “It’s me, you pea brain. Avily…Avily Donahoe.”
It was his turn to give her a disbelieving look. “I don’t think so. Avily is a kid.”
“Sure—fifteen years ago. When you last saw me, you bonehead.” She stepped out from behind the payment desk and sidled up to him until she stood close enough he could easily count the freckles scattered on her fair skin.
Yes, the pert little nose and sparkling green eyes were the same. Could this really be Leena’s baby sister? The same pipsqueak kid who’d trailed after him and Jerrick like a lost pup? “Hell, kid, you’ve gone and grown up on me.”
“Well duh, you moron.”
Laughing, he grabbed her waist and swung her into a fierce hug.
“Dash, I have customers.”
Her indignant hiss only made him laugh harder and squeeze tigh
ter. Avily gasped for breath and he gave her a quick kiss atop the crown of her shiny hair before planting her on her feet. “Sorry, couldn’t help myself. It’s just incredible seeing you after all these years.”
Avily peered up at him, worry shrouding her expression. “What are you doing back here? You know there’s a price on your head, right?”
He nodded and the scowl slipped back in place.
“Then I really don’t get what you’re doing here.” She tapped one silk-slippered foot. “I don’t remember you being such a dumb ass. What happened?”
“A woman.” He gestured towards her feet. “Running late for work this morning?”
She stopped her toe tapping. “For your information, these are part of my summer stock. They’re damn comfy too. Now tell me about this woman who’s turned you into a total dumb ass.”
Leave it to Avily to fixate on his personal humiliation. “Her name is Mara. We met under rather…unusual circumstances.” He cracked a wry grin. “And she’s an even bigger pain in my backside than you were all those years ago.”
Avily’s face lit with unabashed curiosity. “Ooo… I can’t wait to meet her.”
His head physically ached at the idea of Avily and Mara, possibly the two most exasperating females born to humankind, occupying the same room. “Not sure if you’ll have the opportunity. Soon as we pick up the rune, we’re out of here.”
“Rune?” Avily’s eyes doubled in size behind her glasses. “As in the Rhyann rune?”
Damn, did I say that part out loud? Dash scrubbed a hand across his jaw. “Uh…I need you to keep this conversation under wraps.”
“Sure, no problem.”
He dropped his hand and gave her a measuring look.
A pinkish hue crept along Avily’s cheekbones. Her feistiness, something he remembered all too well, appeared on the brink of eruption. “Are you staring at me because you think I’m incapable of keeping a secret?”
He waited a beat before answering. “Of course not. I was just thinking how pretty you’ve become.”
Lover Enslaved: Thieves of Aurion, Book 1 Page 13