employer?” She was trembling. Not with fear but fury. Every muscle in her lithe body was coiled as she began to pace before him. She stopped suddenly and glared at him. “Wait, you can’t tell me, because then you’d have to kill me.”
He inclined his head, letting her draw her own conclusions.
“You’re maddening. All men are maddening.” She spun around and stalked down the street.
Zaxe glanced at their new shadow. “Coming?” There was no reply, but Baraj did fall into step behind him as they followed Jamaeh. People glanced in their direction but quickly looked away once their gaze fell on Baraj. A man like that, considering the job he did, would have a reputation that preceded him.
Jamaeh picked up her pace. She was trying to lose him. Her courage was admirable, but it would do her no good. He knew where she lived and would venture that their shadow did as well. If she’d done business with Reman before—and didn’t that make his blood run cold—he’d know her address, no matter how well she thought herself hidden.
He walked faster, easily falling into step beside her. “Don’t run.”
“Think I can’t evade you? This is my city.”
She was so independent, so self-assured, he hated to burst her bubble, but her safety came before her ego. “I know you can’t. Furthermore, you can be assured Reman knows where you live.”
He waited for the denial, but again, she surprised him. “You’re right.” She rubbed a hand over her face and dug her thumb and forefinger into the inner corners of her eyes, as if trying to relieve the pressure there. “He knows everything. By the hells of Melton, you probably already know where I live.”
“Yes.” He might not tell her the truth about himself, but he wouldn’t lie to her.
Her shoulders slumped slightly. He wanted to offer comfort. The need so foreign, he almost didn’t recognize it. Zaxe loved his sisters, but given their upbringing and training, he’d forced himself not to comfort, instead encouraging them to be stronger, more self-sufficient. It had kept them all alive, but it had hurt him in ways he’d never truly understood. Now those long-neglected urges were roaring to life, demanding release.
He reached out a hand and then pulled it back. An emotional involvement wouldn’t do either of them any good, especially not with Baraj watching and listening. Everything they said and did would be reported back to his boss and used against them.
“We should hurry. We have plans to make.” Frustration made the words come out gruffer than he’d intended. Her spine straightened, and her eyes snapped with anger.
“Of course. Sorry for the delay. I don’t want to hold up your plans.” The sarcasm was as sharp as a blade. Jamaeh was one tough lady. Life had left her little choice.
He understood her better than she knew.
There was little chatter as they wound through the side streets, the residences getting smaller and not as well kept as they went. An air of desperation permeated the lane she turned up. The buildings were narrow and jammed next to one another, with no space wasted. These were not private homes, but apartment buildings three floors high.
The itch between his shoulder blades worsened. There were eyes on them beyond Baraj’s. The silence screamed. The tension could snap any moment.
“They’re with me,” Jamaeh announced.
The neighborhood seemed to release a collective sigh. Zaxe caught the slightest movement from several windows. This might not be the best part of the city, but it seemed people looked out for one another here.
Or maybe they were just on the lookout for an opportunity.
She pulled a set of keys out of her pants pocket and unlocked an outer door. The vestibule was large enough for only one of them at a time. The inner door was opened and they followed her inside. The stairs were narrow. They single-filed it up to the top floor where she unlocked a door painted a shocking purple.
“You stay outside,” he told Baraj.
“I’m to watch you.”
“And you can. From out here. You’ll hear it if we try to leave. Better yet, watch from the street. You can see all the windows from here.” Jamaeh’s apartment faced the street.
Baraj shook his head. “Might be a back door.”
“Call in another man to help. You’re not coming inside.”
When he shifted his weight in preparation to walk forward, Zaxe held up his hand. “Fifty thousand Alliance credits are on the line. You contact Reman. You step one foot inside this home and the deal