Captive - Cheryl Brooks Page 0,39
perpetually neutral expression, Nexbit actually sounded rather hopeful.
“Me?” Moe snorted a laugh. “Dunno why you’d think that. Right now, I have no resources and the only people I know are you guys.”
“I’m pretty sure the criminal element would back you,” Temfilk said, tapping his chin reflectively. “After all, they’re the ones facing trial by combat.”
“Trial by combat?” Moe exclaimed. “Seriously? I thought that gladiator stuff was only for sport.”
“It is,” Temfilk replied. “But after spending time in the dungeons, most guys jump at the chance to get out. Even if it means killing someone else.”
Clearly, Moe needed more information about this peculiar form of justice. “How many fights do you have to win before you can go free?”
“Three,” Nexbit said. “From what I’ve heard, hardly anyone gets that far.”
No wonder Klara’s gang worked so hard at going undetected. Interestingly enough, Klara hadn’t said a word. She was also avoiding his gaze.
“You’re awfully quiet, Klara,” he observed. “Surely you have an opinion.”
Her eyes finally met his with more than a trace of alarm. “Don’t do it, Moe. Please don’t do it.”
“Come on now, boss,” Temfilk drawled. “You were gonna sell him as a gladiator, and he wouldn’t have been the first. Why so squeamish all the sudden?”
If looks could kill, the Norludian would’ve at least been losing blood. “Because we want to get away from here,” she growled. “Sticking around to reform the government wasn’t part of the plan.”
“Not a bad idea, though,” Temfilk said. “Think about it. You could consort with the big boss, and it would be Moe instead of You-Know-Who.” He tilted his head, peering at her. “You’ve always wanted to bring Pelarus down. This could be your best chance.”
“You’re talking like this crazy idea would actually work,” Klara retorted. “We’d be more likely to end up dead than living in the palace. Besides, running a city takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Not to mention knowledge.” She waved a finger back and forth between them. “You and I didn’t exactly graduate from college.”
“Book learning?” Temfilk spat on the ground. “We don’t need that crap. We’ve got street smarts, which is much better for running things. We know how these people think. What motivates them. How to get them to cooperate. We know all they really want is decent food and housing with the safety and freedom to enjoy them.”
Klara stared at Temfilk as though seeing him for the first time. “Sounds more like you want to be the big boss.”
“I’d be a damn sight better at it than Pelarus,” Temfilk declared. “Hiring Nedwuts and making people—most of them probably innocent—fight to the death. It’s–it’s barbaric.”
“Yes, it is,” Moe said. “And when our revolution succeeds, you’ve got my vote. But right now, we have other priorities.”
Nexbit rubbed his belly. “Yeah. Like breakfast. Can’t start a revolution on an empty stomach.”
Moe figured hunger was the most powerful motivator for change. And right now, he was pretty hungry. “Let’s find a bank and go from there. If we don’t find one and can’t buy food, we’ll steal it. Then we’ll start a revolution.”
Klara didn’t want to do anything of the kind. Not if it meant risking Moe’s life. She couldn’t explain how she knew it, but she was quite certain that if Moe were to die, her own death wouldn’t be long in coming. Without him, she would dwindle away to nothing, not caring whether she lived or died. Having his children might make a difference. At least then she would have something left to live for.
She shook her head, realizing how foreign such thoughts were to her nature. She’d fought long and hard to keep on living. Meeting up with Moe couldn’t have changed her that much. Keeping her gang safe had been her top priority for years. The need to ensure Moe’s safety surpassed that in a few days. The more time she spent with him, the more she needed him.
This revelation bugged her quite a bit. She hadn’t lost a gang member yet, so she couldn’t vouch for how she would actually feel, but if losing Nexbit or Temfilk would be like losing a limb, losing Moe would be life-threatening.
She didn’t even want him going into a bank alone. Nexbit would simply have to morph into some stranger and go with him. The trouble was she wasn’t even willing to trust Nexbit with his safety, and she’d trusted her own to him a hundred times over.
Finding a mate had never been important to her. In