He was right about that. “Easier to see in hindsight. And I’ve dealt with Reman before.” But tonight, a veil had been lifted. Oh, she’d known he was deadly, but it had never been focused on her before. She looked around her home, wondering if she’d see it again once they left for the Edowan Desert. Anything could happen on a normal trading trip. The desert was not a forgiving place. She usually avoided the outcasts, and now she was going in search of them. If she made it back, Reman would demand payment for what he perceived as a slight.
She wrapped her hands around her tea, chilled in spite of the stifling heat. Even with the sun gone down, the city hadn’t cooled much. It would get better in the coming hours.
“Did you know Helldrick was my father before tonight?” He hadn’t seemed shocked when Reman had thrown it out there.
“Yes.”
“Did you know before you hired me?” She couldn’t accuse him of seeking her out as she was the one who’d gone after him. Maybe it was fate their paths had crossed.
“Yes.”
“Why do you want Helldrick?” Even though she was certain she knew the reason, she wanted confirmation. Mouth dry, she sipped some tea. Zaxe made her nervous, and not just because he was a big, dangerous man. She should be trying to figure some way to slip away and run, but a part of her wanted to get closer, to try to understand exactly who he was.
Was that how her mother had felt about her father? That path led to destruction.
“Your father has made enemies.”
Her snort had the corners of his lips turning up slightly and the corners of his eyes crinkling. She wished he’d kept his hood up. The man revved her up, forcing her to acknowledge the sexual sizzle she experienced around him.
That was the problem, one of the reasons she hadn’t walked away when common sense dictated she should have.
Now look where I am.
“That’s an understatement. No one likes Helldrick.”
“Not even you?”
“Especially not me.” She drained her mug, set it down, and sat back. Relaxing was beyond her, but she could at least pretend. “I loathe the man.” And that was the kindest word she could come up with.
“Why?” Zaxe leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his clasped hands. He really was relaxed. It was hard not to resent him for it.
“Why not? He abandoned my mother when she was pregnant. Then he came back a few years later, threw some money around, got her pregnant again, and left.” She pressed her lips together. He didn’t need to know her sordid family history.
“Then why is he back now?” There was something in his tone that made her straighten. He knew more than he was telling her. Secrets, they all had them.
“Why don’t you tell me? You seem to know more about this than I do.” Exhaustion weighed down on her. She was hot and sticky, her head throbbed from all the tension of the evening, and her stomach was in knots.
“His other son is dead.”
“Reman said as much.” It had come as a complete shock to her, but it did explain her father’s sudden interest in Esau. Of the two of them, he’d always paid more attention to her brother, coming to visit on rare occasions after he was born. She’d tried not to resent it, but it hadn’t always been easy. “I don’t care what you do to Helldrick.” The man was little more than a stranger, even though he’d had a huge impact on her life. “My only concern is my brother.”
“You’re protective of him.” It wasn’t a criticism, exactly, but her back went up.
“I’m all he has. Our mother was weak and left us to fend for ourselves. I was the one who took care of us. I never even laid eyes on Helldrick until I was five.”
She needed to stop talking. Being so tired and worried about her brother had loosened her tongue. And then there was Zaxe. He asked questions and waited, surrounded by a quiet intensity that drew her in. He wasn’t asking to be polite so he could get past it and talk about himself. Nor was he rushing to fill the silence. He genuinely seemed interested.
It’s a trap.
It had to be. Not like he really cared about her. She stood and rubbed her hand over the back of her neck. “Look, I know