Home > Zaxe's Rule (Assassins of Gravas #4)(7)

Zaxe's Rule (Assassins of Gravas #4)(7)
Author: N.J. Walters

He raised his fingers and skimmed them along his lips. She’d tasted of mint and sweet like honey. The brief taste hadn’t been enough. His dick flexed in agreement.

Would she meet him later or would she run? He couldn’t wait to find out.

****

Jamaeh crouched by the side of a building, her vantage point giving her a clear view of the fountain. Would he show? She’d spent the afternoon tracking down those in the neighborhood around her brother’s age. None of them knew where he had gone. They weren’t lying. Most of them were a little afraid of her, and she’d used that to her advantage.

Tapping her regular sources hadn’t worked either. No one in their quarter of the city had seen where he’d gone or who he’d left with. It was as though he’d vanished.

She scrubbed her dry eyes, wishing she’d been able to take a short nap. Sleep had been in short supply of late. Several of the older women in their neighborhood had advised her to let Esau go. “He is almost a man and must find his own way.” All fine and good for them to say, but she had no one else. And neither did Esau. No matter what he might momentarily believe.

At some point, Helldrick would let him down or abandon him. She had to be there to catch him when it happened. It was a promise she’d made to their mother. And unlike her father, Jamaeh kept her word.

The square was bustling, mostly with men this time of evening. Groups of them shared street food, talked of business and politics and family matters. The women were home or in restaurants with family or friends. It wasn’t always safe for a woman to be out alone once the sun went down.

It hadn’t always been that way from what her mother had told her. Things had changed when the former king’s brother had inherited control of the territory. Didn’t matter to her either way. Given her heritage, life was always going to be a challenge. As a male, Esau had more options open to him. She intended to make sure he had the chance to use them.

There was no sound behind her, but a subtle shift in the air had her spinning around. She led with her fist, but it was caught by a much larger hand and held easily.

Humor twinkled in Zaxe’s dark-brown eyes. “That’s quite a greeting.” He gave a gentle squeeze before releasing her.

“You should know better than to sneak up behind someone.”

“What are we looking at?” He peered around her shoulder at the market.

“Nothing. I mean, I was watching for you.” Gods, she routinely bargained with shrewd merchants over the prices of cloth, spices, and other goods. She had more experience dealing with the opposite sex than most women ever would. She saw the sides of them most kept hidden from their families—hard, ruthless, and cunning. Yet this man had her tripping over her tongue like some young girl. It wasn’t to be borne.

“Why do you want to find Helldrick?” The question had been nagging her. She’d changed her mind about coming here a dozen times. In the end, it had boiled down to one thing. They both wanted to find the same man and Zaxe could go places she couldn’t on her own. He also seemed to have an unlimited supply of resources. Better to use his than deplete her own meager savings.

“I have business with him.” His tone didn’t invite further inquiry. The sense of disappointment that swamped her made no sense. If he didn’t have business with him, Zaxe wouldn’t need to find the man. Having him confirm he was an associate of Helldrick left her feeling as though she’d lost something.

Ridiculous.

“Let’s go.” She straightened and made sure her hood was covering her face. Her height and the fact she dressed like a male helped her pass unhindered in the streets.

Before she took a step, he wrapped his hand around her upper arm. “Why are you helping me?”

“Money.” The word was as cold as her heart felt. She yanked her arm away and walked away. He could keep up or get left behind. She’d already been paid. Still, relief flashed through her when he fell into step beside her.

It had nothing to do with the man and everything to do with not being alone on the streets. Or at least that was what she tried to tell herself.

Like her, Zaxe had his hood up, obscuring most of his face. They moved easily around the jovial groups of men enjoying the balmy evening, the three couples out for an evening of fun. The men had a protective arm around their women. No one had ever protected her. Not even her mother had tried. Not really. “You have to face reality,” had been her mother’s often spoken refrain.

Reality sucked.

Casting one last envious eye on the gorgeous dresses the women wore, she turned down a side street. “There’s a coffeehouse not far from here.”

Zaxe had been silent since they’d started walking. “Not where I’d expect to find Helldrick.”

She gave a snort. “You’ve got that right. We don’t have bars, not like I’m told they do on other planets. Here we have coffeehouses. Many have backrooms.”

“Ah.” That was it. He asked no more questions, a silent shadow beside her. He made no sound as he moved. She couldn’t even hear his breathing. It was beginning to freak her out.

She rolled her shoulders, trying to relax the tense muscles. He’s paying you to guide him. That’s it. And if he’s tied up with Helldrick, you don’t want anything to do with him.

Logical advice. Sound advice. Too bad she couldn’t stop sneaking glances, even though his hood obscured his face. When her lips tingled, she resisted the urge to touch them. Some instinct warned that this was a man who missed nothing. Last thing she wanted was for him to think their earlier kiss had meant anything to her.

Light spilled out the front windows of the coffeehouse, the lanterns giving a welcome glow. Having been here several times before, Jamaeh pushed aside the curtained entrance and stepped inside. Male voices rose and fell in conversation. The rich scents of coffee and tea and sweet treats filled her nostrils, along with the more pungent scent from the pipes some of them smoked. There was a smattering of women, the wives or girlfriends of the men. This was a respectable establishment.

At least the front part was.

Snaking around the tables, she unerringly made her way to a heavy wooden door at the back. A large male stood before it, his arms crossed.

“I need to see Reman.”

The guard glanced at Zaxe before glaring at her. “He is not seeing visitors.”

It was the same song and dance every time she came, but she’d been haggling in the markets since she could talk. She shook her head and made a tsking sound. “That’s too bad. I have a client in need of information. Guess I’ll have to go elsewhere for it.”

The interaction with the guard was no surprise. It was his job to weed out the curiosity seekers from those who had real business with his boss. What was surprising was that Zaxe stayed silent, allowing her to handle the situation.

In her experience, that was very unusual. Most men would have felt the need to assert themselves into the discussion.

“Who’s your friend?” The guard nudged his head toward Zaxe.

“Since Reman can’t help me, you don’t need to know.” She smiled sweetly, knowing it would annoy the man.

He huffed out a breath. “Wait here.” He stepped through the door, closing it in her face.

Zaxe leaned closer to her. “Is it always this way?”

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