Chapter 3 #2
Twenty minutes later, I was a tad surprised when she walked up to the main entrance where I waited. Dressed in the same kind of cargo pants, boots, black sweater, and jacket, her wet hair plaited in two braids. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes sharp when they met mine.
Irritated.
I would take annoyed over devoid of life any day.
“Ready, little viper?”
“Don’t call me that.” She folded her arms, only making me smirk. “Where are we going, anyway?”
“Market.”
“Market?” Her lip curled. “You got me up to go to the market?” She puffed out. “Only a man would think that is a mission.”
A laugh came out of my throat, surprising even me. My head shook with a smile.
“I didn’t say that was all.” I turned around, heading out into the late morning.
The rich smells of things like f?zelék and lángos wafted through the outdoor market, curling up my nose and grinding at my empty stomach. The heavy clouds held in the conflicting odors of horse manure, body odor, and the delicious foods being cooked to sell.
Tucking deeper into my hood to prevent my face from being seen, I glanced over at Hanna, also hidden under her hood.
Her body was rail thin now. I knew she hadn’t eaten a proper meal in a long time.
Those of us who survived Věrh?za had lost so much weight and had been so starved that we still couldn’t eat a normal meal.
Our stomachs rejected it, but the whiffs of stew and fried bread dripping in cheese and sausage made me think I was up for the challenge.
“Want something to eat?” I nudged her.
“Aren’t we here to shop?”
“We can do both.” The pack on my back was full of items for the clinic.
I needed to wait for my connection to make contact.
After the meeting last night, I had come straight down here, leaving a mark on a particular spot.
A sign I needed to meet up. We called him Dzsinn, Genie, for all the things he could get you.
I had found him in the early days of Sarkis’s army.
He had never let me down but was expensive as shit.
He was deep in the black market, illegally bringing stuff in from the Unified Nations.
No one knew his name or anything about him.
The man had deep connections, getting top-of-the-line items. Most we could never afford, but I was hoping he’d make a deal this time.
“Come on. I know you’re hungry. I could hear your stomach growling over the motorcycle engine all the way here.”
She rolled her eyes but didn’t fight me when I dragged her up to a Porkolt and Paprikás booth, getting us a plate to share.
“Oh gods,” she groaned, her teeth sinking into a bite of roasted pork and egg noodle dumpling, the sauce dripping from her chin. “This tastes so good.”
I watched her dig in for another bite, her lashes fluttering in bliss from the warm food. It wasn’t all that good, but compared to what she had eaten in the last few months, this was gourmet.
My stomach clawed to inhale all of it, twisting in hunger, but I stood there, holding the plate for her, watching her scoop up more, devouring and tearing into the meat like a feral cat. Her eyes flashed with a predatory look, darkening, a soft growling hum vibrating in her throat.
My breath caught. The sound and mannerisms sent blood to my dick and fear to my mind. My gaze rolled over her as she tore into another piece of pork. I slowly reached for a piece of meat.
A growl ebbed from her throat, her eyes peering up at me through her lashes, her lip lifting, showing her teeth. Guarding her food like a wild animal.
It only took her a moment to realize what she had done. Horror streaked over her features as she jerked back away from me with a gasp. “Oh gods,” she whispered, panic swirling over her face, appearing as if she was ready to dart away.
“Hanna,” I said, low and soothing, setting the plate on a table next to us.
She shook her head, tears filling her eyes, moving farther away from me. When I took a step toward her, her muscles twitched like a trapped animal.
“Hanna.” I held up my arms, showing I was no threat. “It’s okay.”
“Okay?” she spat, wildness straining her vocals. “It’s okay I’m turning into one of them? A monster?”
“You aren’t going to become one of them.”
“How do you know that?” Her voice cracked, her lids blinking rapidly. “I already am! I almost attacked you.”
“I would take someone down for eating my food too.” I shrugged with a smirk.
She shot me a look. “Scorp . . .” She started to turn away.
“Hey.” I grabbed her arm, pulling her back to me. Widening my legs to become more even with her eyeline, I placed my hands on her biceps, forcing her to look at me. “Everything will be okay. I will make sure of it, little viper.”
“How?” Her chest heaved out a gust of air, her eyes glossing with more unshed tears.
“I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out. You know I have no moral integrity.
” A smirk hitched up the side of my face.
“I’ll go far as I need to.” My attention dropped to where sauce still streaked her chin.
Unconsciously, I reached up, my thumb wiping it away, skating slowly over her skin and across her bottom lip before I licked it off.
Hanna sucked in, her gaze coming to mine. She stared at me unabashedly, peeling at my skin, at the barriers around me, suddenly making me feel off kilter. Exposed.
“Why?” Her blue eyes searched mine with complete honesty.
“Why what?” I cleared my throat, dropping my hands from her, my gaze going to the side.
“Why do you care?”
My attention snapped back, my mouth parting to speak, though nothing came out. The question rolled around my head, with no answer coming off my tongue in response.
Her gaze didn’t relent. Bold and unyielding.
Shifting back, I folded my arms, peering down at my boots, her regard burning into my skin. The silence growing between us felt like claws and teeth.
“We better finish our list.” I pushed my shoulders back, grabbing the plate and discarding it in the trash, leaping over the last few moments. Brushing my hands off, I started to head away when I lifted my head and spotted a man standing at the corner of a booth, his eyes on me.
Shrouded in a dark cloak, he tried to hide his identity, but I knew exactly who it was. Dzsinn’s chin dipped, acknowledging me, then he stepped back, disappearing behind the stand, his average height and weight disappearing in a throng of dark clothing like a ghost.
“Come on.” I motioned for Hanna to follow as I subtly shadowed Dzsinn.
“What’s going on?” She picked up on the shift in my demeanor, her head snapping around, trying to find the reason.
“Remember, it wasn’t just shopping we were coming for,” I replied, weaving through the crowd of shoppers. Hanna was right behind me, following my lead without missing a beat.
I headed to our designated meet-up spot, a dark, seedy pub called The Lantern, where only the shadiest of smugglers and outlaws went. There was no sign, just a symbol of a lamppost stamped on the wall to tell you where you were.
“Stay close,” I muttered to her as we started down the steps. Normally I would never take anybody with me to this place, let alone Hanna, but instinct told me she could handle herself and wouldn’t do anything stupid. It said a lot when I didn’t trust half the people I served within Sarkis’s army.