closed kitchen door, brushing close as he passed her. She felt the jolt of his aura probing hers and had she imagined him glancing up towards the attic window?
Hal returned to his wagon and made a show of tightening the straps. “Price of everything is increasing. You know how it is?”
“Twenty plates,” she countered. No time for bargaining today. If she went straight in with the best offer, Hal would be on his way before Fabian took it into his head to soothe his bruised ego with a confrontation.
“Ten plates will be sufficient.” Hal’s right eye twitched. “I know you don’t have much, Tig. Happy, as always, to take payment in kind.”
“Not today.” Tig pointed vaguely to her split lip. A taste of sour disgust in her throat at the memory of the last time. To her dismay, Hal was already throwing off his jacket.
“When are you going to let me in?” he said walking deliberately towards her. “Give a little, and you’ll find me most generous. Been meaning to take another wife since Alie died.” He leered down at her, drenching her with the smell of perfume and sweat.
“Sunas is my friend.” Tig backed farther into the doorway, noticing this close, the neatly trimmed beard, the braided hair-ribbon, the Sunday best clothes. “It wouldn’t feel right.”
Hal pulled off his gloves and threw them down. They’d been playing this game for a while now. He pushed, she tolerated, longing to slap the arrogant smile from his face. She gave a lop-sided smile instead and removed the hand he’d placed so casually on her breast.
“I’ll think about your offer. Right now, I’m in pain and I need to work. The pottery’s stacked in the workshop. I’ll fetch it for you.”
Hal held up his hands in a gesture of peace, stepping away to allow her to wriggle past him. She made a mental note to talk to Carson, her ex, about Hal’s little business side-lines. Gain a little leverage to get his slimy ass off her back. Hal sauntered after her, leaning on the door-frame as she stacked a week’s worth of hard work into a wooden crate.
“Talking of Carson. You knew he’d been killed?”
Tig almost dropped the mug she’d been wrapping. A pang of genuine regret gripped her, both for the man and for what he represented to her life. “No. I hadn’t heard. How?”
“A leadership challenge, what else? Everyone knew he was going soft. Can’t say I was surprised to hear the news myself. Tig, something’s troubling you. You know I can feel it. I’m in with the new leader, a man of influence now and if you make it worth my while, I can cut you a deal on the protection.”
“Your payment. Hal, my head is bursting. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” Tig pushed the crate at him. Hal took it, his expression resigned, for now. Not yet a man of so much influence that he could impose further on her. But he would be one day, she could see that.
“Come on.” Hal remained, blocking the doorway. “Don’t you want to know who’ll be collecting the tribute from now on?”
“Warrington,” she said wearily. “Who else but Warrington? I bet he didn’t even issue a formal challenge.”
“And didn’t I tell you?” For a moment Hal sounded angry. He checked himself quickly and nodded her to walk ahead of him. “Didn’t need to be a seer to know it was on the cards. I’ve been his man since last winter. He’s already given me permission for the marriage.”
“What marriage.”
“Ours, Tig.” He threw the crate onto the cart. The sharp crack of pottery breaking told her that payment was irrelevant. He only wanted one thing.
“I told you I’d think about it.”
“You’re a bad liar. Your tribute’s doubling this summer. And again come winter. And no more inside deals on the markets now Carson’s gone. How will you survive?” Briefly, Hal looked genuinely concerned. “Tig, I was proud to call your father friend, fool though he was. He asked me to watch out for you, and that’s what I’m
Hal returned to his wagon and made a show of tightening the straps. “Price of everything is increasing. You know how it is?”
“Twenty plates,” she countered. No time for bargaining today. If she went straight in with the best offer, Hal would be on his way before Fabian took it into his head to soothe his bruised ego with a confrontation.
“Ten plates will be sufficient.” Hal’s right eye twitched. “I know you don’t have much, Tig. Happy, as always, to take payment in kind.”
“Not today.” Tig pointed vaguely to her split lip. A taste of sour disgust in her throat at the memory of the last time. To her dismay, Hal was already throwing off his jacket.
“When are you going to let me in?” he said walking deliberately towards her. “Give a little, and you’ll find me most generous. Been meaning to take another wife since Alie died.” He leered down at her, drenching her with the smell of perfume and sweat.
“Sunas is my friend.” Tig backed farther into the doorway, noticing this close, the neatly trimmed beard, the braided hair-ribbon, the Sunday best clothes. “It wouldn’t feel right.”
Hal pulled off his gloves and threw them down. They’d been playing this game for a while now. He pushed, she tolerated, longing to slap the arrogant smile from his face. She gave a lop-sided smile instead and removed the hand he’d placed so casually on her breast.
“I’ll think about your offer. Right now, I’m in pain and I need to work. The pottery’s stacked in the workshop. I’ll fetch it for you.”
Hal held up his hands in a gesture of peace, stepping away to allow her to wriggle past him. She made a mental note to talk to Carson, her ex, about Hal’s little business side-lines. Gain a little leverage to get his slimy ass off her back. Hal sauntered after her, leaning on the door-frame as she stacked a week’s worth of hard work into a wooden crate.
“Talking of Carson. You knew he’d been killed?”
Tig almost dropped the mug she’d been wrapping. A pang of genuine regret gripped her, both for the man and for what he represented to her life. “No. I hadn’t heard. How?”
“A leadership challenge, what else? Everyone knew he was going soft. Can’t say I was surprised to hear the news myself. Tig, something’s troubling you. You know I can feel it. I’m in with the new leader, a man of influence now and if you make it worth my while, I can cut you a deal on the protection.”
“Your payment. Hal, my head is bursting. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” Tig pushed the crate at him. Hal took it, his expression resigned, for now. Not yet a man of so much influence that he could impose further on her. But he would be one day, she could see that.
“Come on.” Hal remained, blocking the doorway. “Don’t you want to know who’ll be collecting the tribute from now on?”
“Warrington,” she said wearily. “Who else but Warrington? I bet he didn’t even issue a formal challenge.”
“And didn’t I tell you?” For a moment Hal sounded angry. He checked himself quickly and nodded her to walk ahead of him. “Didn’t need to be a seer to know it was on the cards. I’ve been his man since last winter. He’s already given me permission for the marriage.”
“What marriage.”
“Ours, Tig.” He threw the crate onto the cart. The sharp crack of pottery breaking told her that payment was irrelevant. He only wanted one thing.
“I told you I’d think about it.”
“You’re a bad liar. Your tribute’s doubling this summer. And again come winter. And no more inside deals on the markets now Carson’s gone. How will you survive?” Briefly, Hal looked genuinely concerned. “Tig, I was proud to call your father friend, fool though he was. He asked me to watch out for you, and that’s what I’m
Similar Books
