“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” The man spat at Zaxe’s feet. “Coward.”
He shook his head. “A coward is the man who attacks those he believes weaker.” It took the man a few seconds to understand he’d been called out.
“I was just going to smack you around a bit and lighten your wallet. Now we’re going to kick your ass.” His friends came up alongside him.
Adrenaline flooded Zaxe. Anticipation thrummed through his veins. A part of him was looking forward to this, even knowing it could bring future problems.
The man raised his clenched fist.
“Leave him alone, Samar.” A woman slipped through a tiny gap between two homes. The space between the stones didn’t look large enough for her to have fit, yet she had.
She was tall, about six feet, and slender. Unlike most of the women in the marketplace, who’d been wearing vibrant and patterned skirts and tunics, she was garbed similarly to the men. Where their shirts were bright, hers was plain. To make it easier to blend in?
If that was her goal, she’d failed. This was a woman who would never fade into the background. Not with her exotic features. Her skin was lighter than most of the population, hinting at mixed parentage. Her hair was a profusion of skinny black and red braids that were pulled away from her face and hung behind her shoulders. But it was her brilliant green eyes that captured his attention and held it. They held a combination of acceptance and wisdom that only came from a hard life.
“Stay out of this, Jamaeh. It’s not your business.”
Zaxe was inclined to agree. The last thing he wanted was for someone to get hurt on his behalf. Ignoring Samar—and it was good to have a name to go with the face—Jamaeh came to stand beside him.
“You shouldn’t get involved.” The slightest hint of honey and mint teased his nostrils, making his mouth water for a taste of her. Then his brain kicked in, warning she might well be a part of this scam.
She hooked her arm around his and smiled. “Sorry I lost you back at the marketplace.” Giving Samar and his buddies her attention, she continued, “He’s a business associate. I’m sure you understand.”
Why was she lying? Was she really trying to be helpful or did she have motives of her own?
But Samar was shaking his head. “Sorry, Jamaeh, but he doesn’t get a pass. And neither do you.” His gaze turned calculating. “I might be persuaded to overlook it.” He leered, running his gaze over her body, leaving no doubt as to what he wanted.
Her arm stiffened, but she gave no other outward sign of being bothered. “Now, Samar, we’ve had this discussion before. That’s not going to happen in this lifetime or the next.”
“Oh, it will. You think you’re so much better than us, but you’re nothing but a bastard half-breed. It’s only a matter of time before you’ll be begging for my attention.” He cupped the bulge in his pants, making plain what his demands would be.
“Enough.” Zaxe’s voice was low but filled with command.
Samar shook his head. “I say when it’s enough.”
The braying of a mulkey and the clatter of wheels announced the arrival of more people. The beasts of burden, known for their placid manner and ability to survive on little water, were bred and traded on many worlds.
“This isn’t over,” Samar warned before spinning around and heading back the way he’d come, his friends right behind him. Interesting that they didn’t want an audience. Or were they using the arrival to beat a retreat and save face?
“You’ve made an enemy,” Jamaeh cautioned as they disappeared from sight.
“So have you.” Zaxe was more concerned about her than himself. He’d be leaving. She lived here.
A cart rolled around the bend in the road, carrying two men, the mulkey plodding along, his shod hoofs clacking against the hard ground. The driver of the cart perched on the bench seat and nodded as he passed.
“Samar has been trouble for me since we were kids. I can handle him.”
Zaxe wasn’t so sure. The man hadn’t liked being called out in front of his friends, especially not by a stranger and a woman.
He should be on his way back to his ship, but he needed the answer to one question first. “Why did you get involved?”
She squinted against the sunlight as she stared up at him. “I was watching you in the marketplace.”