Hanna and the Hitman - Honey Phillips Page 0,11

this form. But before she could give in to the urge to rub against him, he gently set her away from him.

After she replaced the ugly boots with the pretty little sandals, he handed her clear knee-high boots that did nothing to hide her legs or feet but still enclosed them in warmth. Fortunately, the cloak he fastened around her shoulders was fur-lined and did conceal her skimpy outfit.

“We will be watching,” Njkall said grimly. “If Zemma desires to leave, all you need to do is to get her outside the grounds. We can take care of it from there.”

“Without violating your contract?” Aidon raised an eyebrow.

Njkall shrugged. “We have no control over disappearances within the port.”

Aidon grinned, showing an impressive array of teeth and—were those fangs?

“I can see that one has to be very careful about the terms of a contract with you.” The grin disappeared, and he frowned at the other male. “Don’t attempt to play those kinds of games with me.”

“I believe you to be an honorable male. We treat fairly with those who treat us fairly.” Njkall hesitated. “And if you can either free Zemma or assure us of her safety, we are deeply in your debt.”

The Hothian extended a hand. The two males clasped forearms, then Aidon turned to Hanna.

“Are you ready, pet?”

She reached inside for the courage that had been so lacking recently and nodded firmly. “I’m ready.”

Chapter Five

Aidon strode back toward town, this time choosing the main thoroughfare. Some effort had been made to smooth out the icy streets, and it would be easier for Hanna. He deliberately moderated his steps so that she could keep up, but despite his urgency to return to Pardor, he found he was in no hurry to confront Chotgor.

“Is there anything I should know?” Hanna asked. Her voice trembled slightly, but she was not lagging behind him.

“I suspect it will look like a party—a very drunken, unrestrained party—but it is not. Someone like Chotgor is here for only one reason. He’s collecting fighters for his stable. And if he can’t entice them with promises of wealth and fame, he has less pleasant ways of acquiring them.”

“What do you mean?”

“There will be gambling, and it’s very easy for a youngster to lose so much that his only alternative is to sell himself.” He shrugged. “Or someone might drink too much and wake up in one of Chotgor’s cells. And of course, there’s always outright kidnapping.”

She shivered and pressed closer to him, and he found himself putting his arm around her even though he knew that a Sarranian would never care as much for his slave’s comfort.

“Is that what happened to you?” he asked gently.

She nodded and tried to burrow even closer. “I was hired to provide the flowers for a wedding, and the bride wanted me to use wildflowers. I went down to the lake to gather wild roses. That’s the last thing I remember until I woke up in a cage surrounded by other cages filled with animals, people I didn’t recognize.”

He growled. “Who took you?”

“Khuda—she was in the cage next to me—said that they were Derians.”

“Did they…harm you?” He immediately regretted the words. Of course they had harmed her. But she understood what he meant.

“No, not like that. They threatened it enough, but Khuda said the captain wouldn’t let them hurt me unless I misbehaved.” She looked up at him, her eyes miserable. “I didn’t have the courage to try and fight. I’m almost positive there was another human woman on board, and I think she did fight. I only caught a glimpse of her once, and then she disappeared.”

“You did the right thing,” he said sincerely. Just the thought of her fragile body overcome by a Derian male had his natural form threatening to break through. He forced it back, but it took more effort than normal, and he felt his Sarranian disguise falter for a second. Fuck. He couldn’t afford this kind of weakness now.

“Are you all right?” Hanna was still looking up at him, but her misery had been replaced by concern. Concern for him. His chest ached. When was the last time anyone had shown any concern for him?

“I’m fine,” he snapped, and she started to pull away. He immediately drew her back under his arm. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long time since I was on my planet, and it makes me difficult to deal with.”

She smiled up at him. “I understand. I’m homesick too.”

Homesick? He supposed it was true in