in. Backtrack and I’m sure you’ll find your way to wherever you came from. Stay out of Samar’s way and you’ll be fine.”
Her good deed for the day was done. Whoever Zaxe was, she needed to stay as far away from him as possible. She had enough problems of her own without getting involved with his.
It was harder than it should be to walk away from a man she barely knew, yet with each step she took, all her instincts screamed she was leaving behind something special. It was the same response she had when she stumbled on some new find on her trading route. Only those were things, items to barter and sell. It had never happened with a person.
Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she put one foot in front of the other. This was just another in a lifetime of difficult choices. It had to be the worry over her brother making her more fanciful and emotional. She’d never had any trouble walking away from a man before.
“I want to hire you.” His voice was closer than it should be. Quieter than a wild liger, a giant cat that stalked the mountains in the Western Territory, he’d somehow managed to be a few steps behind with her knowing.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at him. “And just what is it you think I do?” He’d heard Samar’s insinuations. Zaxe wouldn’t be the first man to think he could offer her money for sex. While she didn’t look down on women who were forced by circumstances to do just that, from a young age, she’d vowed she’d find another way.
“Well?” A fist gripped her stomach, but she kept her back straight. The circumstances of her birth couldn’t be changed, but she had pride. Sometimes it was the only thing sustaining her.
“You’re a local and I need a guide. A thousand amants a day.” A light breeze gusted up, ruffling the edge of the cloak around his face.
That was a lot of money. “For what, exactly?” In her experience, if something seemed too good to be true, it was. There was no such thing as easy money.
“Not what you’re thinking.” He ran the tips of his fingers over her cheek. Warmth spread out from that point, radiating throughout her entire body. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, but I’d never disrespect you by insinuating you could be bought. I need a guide around the city. I need information. I can get it myself, but it will take less time if I have someone who knows where to look.”
It was the first time in her life someone other than her mother had told her she was beautiful. Not even her father or brother had ever said such a thing. Unusual, half-breed, different, bastard—those were the terms usually applied to her.
Don’t believe it.
This stranger was a smooth talker who wanted something from her. “A thousand a day. I do nothing but guide. Money for each day upfront.” She held out her hand.
“You want me to pay you now?” The slightly raised brows and tilt of his chin suggested he was more amused than offended.
“You want me to trust you. You have to trust I’ll show up tomorrow morning.”
He shook his head. “Tonight. The places I need to visit and people I need to see? It has to be tonight.”
More confirmation that this was a dangerous man likely up to no good. “Fifteen hundred.” If she was going to stick her neck out, it was going to cost him. “And I don’t go in anywhere I’m not comfortable.” There weren’t many, but there were a few places she wouldn’t step foot.
“Agreed.” Zaxe pulled out some money, counted out her fee, and handed it to her. “Meet me here at nine this evening.”
“Not here.” She took the money and stuffed it into her pants pocket. “The marketplace fountain at the opposite end. It’s easier to move to any section of the city from there.”
Zaxe held out his hand again. When she frowned, he shrugged. “I want to shake on the deal. Make it official.”
Didn’t matter to her one way or another. She still got paid. When her hand slipped into his, she realized it was a huge mistake. His large hand engulfed her smaller one. This was no pampered aristocrat. The skin was hard in places, calluses that only came from hard work. When she tried to withdraw, he tightened his hold and tugged her under an