“Shank,” I say, running my fingers over the ugly crescent scar, “made from a plastic comb that was sharpened to a knife’s edge. They cornered me in the Rec. Room after the social worker left with their friend who pretended to be sick. I can’t go back. I really need your help,” I plead quietly.
“You got it, sister,” Enrique assures me, looking from me to Michael with a “holy crap” expression on his face. “Listen, I’ll pay for the coffee while Michael goes and hails a cab. You just sit tight here.”
Tears brighten my eyes at his words. Unable to answer him, I nod my head. Reaching across the table, he grasps my hand and squeezes it before letting it go. Michael and Enrique rise from the booth, moving toward the cashier at the front of the diner.
Following Enrique with my eyes, I watch him walk casually by a booth at the front of the restaurant that contains two men. Feeling the hair on the back of my neck begin to rise, I recognize the violet gaze from the man on the train—Jax. Feeling like I’m moving in slow motion, I get up from my seat, backing away from the front of the restaurant.
Jax and the other one from the train immediately follow me. I glance at Enrique, who smiles reassuringly from the cashier’s register, but his smile falters as he sees the fear on my pale face. Turning, I almost knock over the waitress as I run for the back door. Pushing the glass door aside, I run into someone directly in front of me because I had been looking over my shoulder. Arms wrap around me, pinning my arms to my sides as my feet leave the ground.
“Don’t struggle, Kricket,” Trey’s deep voice says in my ear, causing a shiver of fear to fly through me.
“Let go!” I say breathlessly, struggling against Trey’s massive chest.
“Everything has to be difficult where you’re concerned. So be it,” Trey sighs with regret as he shifts me in his arms. Squeezing me tight with one arm, he brings the other hand up to my face, covering my mouth and nose with a cloth that reeks like ammonia. My eyes water as my fingernails dig into his wrist, trying to make his hand move so I can breathe. “Don’t fight, we won’t hurt you," he says softly, but I continue to struggle. My vision blurs as spots dance in my eyes and then, everything goes dark.
CHAPTER 4
WAKING UP
The unfamiliar scent of man and leather, combined with the tinny taste in my mouth, makes me realize that I probably shouldn’t be wherever I am. Not opening my eyes, I listen to the sounds around me while the soft leather beneath my cheek sways in a gentle motion.
“What’s the first thing you’ll do when you get back, Wayra?” A male voice asks from ahead of me.
“You mean after we give our report?” Wayra asks.
“Yes,” The male voice responds.
“I’m heading straight to Sequelle’s and eating an entire venish.”
“No one can eat an entire venish.”
“Is that a challenge, Jax?” The swaying beneath my cheek gets more pronounced.
A stern voice next to me says, “Watch the road, Wayra.” Peeking through my eyelashes, long legs in tailored pants stretch out next to me in the backseat of the limousine. I recognize his voice. It’s Trey’s, I think, feeling the blood leave my face.
“I’ll take that wager. No Etharian can eat an entire venish,” Jax replies. “I’ll lay thirty-two fardrooms on it. Are you going to get in on this, Trey? Wayra’s giving away his money.”
“No.” Trey sounds bored.
“C’mon. You have more money than the Regent. That’s probably why you’re here now. He probably despises royalty with wealth.”
“I’ve seen Wayra eat an entire venish before and Manus didn’t send me to do this mission. I volunteered,” Trey replies evenly.
“You volunteered for this? Are you cracked?” Jax asks.
“I’m getting there,” Trey says with a sigh.
“Why would you volunteer to leave Rafe? Was Charisma pressuring you? You know, all those girls want one thing: a commitment ceremony,” Wayra says the last part like they’re dirty words.
“No, they all want a title,” Jax counters.
“I’m not the one to inherit. Victus will. I’m minor royalty. I get invited to the swanks, but no one seeks my favor,” Trey begins to explain.
“No one but the ladies seek your favor you mean,” Wayra cuts in. “I’ve been with him to a few of his obligatory parties. His military status goes over well with the blushers.”
“Hey, you have to take me to a swank when we get back. I could use a few blushers hanging on to my every word,” Jax says excitedly.
“Just make sure that’s all they hang on to, Jax,” Trey responds. “Anything else will get you a commitment ceremony in those circles.”
“I’m just a Jarhead. They’d probably string me up before they allowed a commitment ceremony to take place,” Jax replies, not sounding too concerned about it.
“What’s a Jarhead?” Wayra asks.
“Oh, that’s what the humans call Cavars. It’s their military soldier—a marine.”
“Where did you learn that?”
“Their internet,” Jax says. “You didn’t think I was working the entire time we were here, did you?”
“If you had been, maybe we’d have bagged her months ago,” Wayra replies, sounding irritated. “I could’ve been eating venish by now.”
There is silence for a few moments until Jax says, “What do you think they’ll do to her?” My heartbeat increases, knowing that he’s talking about me.
“Not this conversation again, Jax,” Wayra growls. “They’re gonna do whatever they do. It’s not our concern.”
“Yeah, I know, but…”
“But what?” Trey asks quietly.
“But, she’s just so…small and alone. You read her human files…they read like some grim tragedy. Maybe she’s already paid for her desertion,” Jax says with a note of concern.
“Maybe you should represent her, Jax,” Wayra teases him, making my heart twist a little. “You can tell Skye she’s been punished enough—that because of her, we weren’t all thrown into a global incident.”
“Maybe I will,” Jax says. “Maybe I can get her a proper representative. I can hire a wigg for her.”
“Where are you going to get the money for a wigg?” Wayra laughs.
“I’ll start by taking yours, chester,” Jax counters.
“Don’t call me a chester. I’ve never forced myself on a woman in my life…although, I have been with a couple of westers,” he replies, sounding like he’s grinning.
“When have you been with a wester? What woman would try to force herself on you? I’ve seen more attractive faces on sloats,” Jax laughs, and Trey joins him.
“I get plenty of blushers,” Wayra replies, not sounding as irritated as I would have thought. Silence fills the car for a few moments.
“How many circas of vista did you give her, Trey?” Jax asks, sounding concerned again.
“Two.” Trey answers. “Why?”
“Because, she should be awake by now. She’s so little…maybe two was too many,” Jax says slowly.