and in a helluva good mood. He couldn’t remember the last time
he’d had so much fun riling anyone. With just a smile he had Thais scowling at
him like a thundercloud. And his day turned brighter from there.
Hell,
he had an unfair advantage and he knew it. When he’d come of age, he’d followed
his dick into more trouble than he could handle. But his older brother Mahpee
had been there to guide him. Poor Thais had no one. He glanced at her with open
pity and chuckled when she said something mean-sounding in that language he
found so sexy. Thais had no one to help her but him . He couldn’t wait.
“Hungry?”
he asked in a pleasant voice and tied his hair back in a leather thong. The
wind whipped through the trees with a viciousness he didn’t want hampering his
vision. He fastened his hat to a loop on one of his saddle bags, not wanting
to lose the thing. Third hat he’d been through in a year.
“I’m
fine.”
“You
sure are,” he added, aggravating her even more. Gentle seduction wouldn’t work
with this woman. Goading her would, and it salved the bruised ego she’d
unwittingly given him days ago.
“Let’s
focus on finding Gregor, if your feeble, male mind can handle that?”
“Sure
thing, honey.”
“My
name is Thais .” Her glare could have cut steel.
“Yes,
ma’am, it is. You know what? If it makes you feel better, feel free to call me sweetheart
or honey. Or master, if you like.” He winked, captivated by the fury in her
eyes.
“Master?”
She choked and spun around, mounting her horse in a hurry. “You son of a snake.”
She grumbled to herself and shot him nasty looks as they broke camp and made a
periphery of the town.
It
took them two hours to map Morrow. They arrived from the south, so Hinto knew
what to expect there. To the east sat more mountains. To the west, a mining
camp. And to the north a well worn trail, suggesting housing some distance away.
Like
he’d told Thais, Morrow consisted of a shabby but well-used bar and whorehouse,
a church, and a general store. The church saw its business through the mining
widows and wives, the bar through the miners and criminals stupid enough to
think they’d find anything of value from the idiot miners.
The
UTs avoided Morrow, mostly because they had their hands full in Four Corners’
bigger towns. But if Morrow kept growing, no doubt they’d plant a UTO smack dab
in the center of town. And then the miners would be out of luck, because no way
the UTs would sanction blast mining, not for a handful of fancy rocks and a
thin vein of sky gold—leftover minerals from the sky rocks of long ago.
“Thais,
I need to hit the bar.” He dismounted and handed her the reins to Beast.
She
frowned. “Why are you giving me this? I’m coming in with you.”
He’d
been hoping she’d cooperate without too many questions. He should have known
better. “Honey, have you seen the shitheads in this town? Most of them would
like nothing better than to throw you down and rut until they passed out. We
can’t afford the attention.”
“In
my hat and bandana, I pass for a man.”
“No.
You don’t.” Not when she turned around and showcased that sweet ass.
A
few drunks passed by and gave them second and third looks, but Hinto couldn’t
tell if that was due to Thais or Beast, who had a time snarling at anyone
stupid enough to walk close by.
“Hinto,
I’m coming with you.”
“Why?
This isn’t a pissing contest. I want to find this guy as much as you do. I find
him for you, you kill him, and DeeDee’s free.” He watched her frown and wished
he could attribute her negativity to jealousy. But that would be too easy. “I’m
not gonna ditch you. You have Beast.”
Beast
swung his mighty head and bared his incisors.
“Besides,”
Hinto continued, “The women inside will tell me something before they open up
to you. Fancy women like to strut their stuff around a man. They’ll only see
competition when they look at you. Another woman
he’d had so much fun riling anyone. With just a smile he had Thais scowling at
him like a thundercloud. And his day turned brighter from there.
Hell,
he had an unfair advantage and he knew it. When he’d come of age, he’d followed
his dick into more trouble than he could handle. But his older brother Mahpee
had been there to guide him. Poor Thais had no one. He glanced at her with open
pity and chuckled when she said something mean-sounding in that language he
found so sexy. Thais had no one to help her but him . He couldn’t wait.
“Hungry?”
he asked in a pleasant voice and tied his hair back in a leather thong. The
wind whipped through the trees with a viciousness he didn’t want hampering his
vision. He fastened his hat to a loop on one of his saddle bags, not wanting
to lose the thing. Third hat he’d been through in a year.
“I’m
fine.”
“You
sure are,” he added, aggravating her even more. Gentle seduction wouldn’t work
with this woman. Goading her would, and it salved the bruised ego she’d
unwittingly given him days ago.
“Let’s
focus on finding Gregor, if your feeble, male mind can handle that?”
“Sure
thing, honey.”
“My
name is Thais .” Her glare could have cut steel.
“Yes,
ma’am, it is. You know what? If it makes you feel better, feel free to call me sweetheart
or honey. Or master, if you like.” He winked, captivated by the fury in her
eyes.
“Master?”
She choked and spun around, mounting her horse in a hurry. “You son of a snake.”
She grumbled to herself and shot him nasty looks as they broke camp and made a
periphery of the town.
It
took them two hours to map Morrow. They arrived from the south, so Hinto knew
what to expect there. To the east sat more mountains. To the west, a mining
camp. And to the north a well worn trail, suggesting housing some distance away.
Like
he’d told Thais, Morrow consisted of a shabby but well-used bar and whorehouse,
a church, and a general store. The church saw its business through the mining
widows and wives, the bar through the miners and criminals stupid enough to
think they’d find anything of value from the idiot miners.
The
UTs avoided Morrow, mostly because they had their hands full in Four Corners’
bigger towns. But if Morrow kept growing, no doubt they’d plant a UTO smack dab
in the center of town. And then the miners would be out of luck, because no way
the UTs would sanction blast mining, not for a handful of fancy rocks and a
thin vein of sky gold—leftover minerals from the sky rocks of long ago.
“Thais,
I need to hit the bar.” He dismounted and handed her the reins to Beast.
She
frowned. “Why are you giving me this? I’m coming in with you.”
He’d
been hoping she’d cooperate without too many questions. He should have known
better. “Honey, have you seen the shitheads in this town? Most of them would
like nothing better than to throw you down and rut until they passed out. We
can’t afford the attention.”
“In
my hat and bandana, I pass for a man.”
“No.
You don’t.” Not when she turned around and showcased that sweet ass.
A
few drunks passed by and gave them second and third looks, but Hinto couldn’t
tell if that was due to Thais or Beast, who had a time snarling at anyone
stupid enough to walk close by.
“Hinto,
I’m coming with you.”
“Why?
This isn’t a pissing contest. I want to find this guy as much as you do. I find
him for you, you kill him, and DeeDee’s free.” He watched her frown and wished
he could attribute her negativity to jealousy. But that would be too easy. “I’m
not gonna ditch you. You have Beast.”
Beast
swung his mighty head and bared his incisors.
“Besides,”
Hinto continued, “The women inside will tell me something before they open up
to you. Fancy women like to strut their stuff around a man. They’ll only see
competition when they look at you. Another woman
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