finished. Now, go!”
“You two boys just don’t know when to give up, do you?” A cold voice asked.
A low curse escaped Viper as he turned to face Tina and Pearl St. Claire. Tina had her arms folded across her chest and was glaring in their direction while Pearl had that damn weapon of hers aimed at them. Viper hastily held up the white cloth that Carmen told him he would need to wave. She swore that the other women would understand its meaning.
“Truce,” he growled. “Carmen said you would understand what a white cloth means.”
He flushed when he saw Tina roll her eyes at him and drop her arms. His eyes flickered to Pearl. A relieved sigh escaped him when he saw her slowly lower her weapon.
“It worked,” Bahadur muttered in surprise. “These humans are even stranger than I thought.”
“Just… shut up,” Viper gritted out. “I have these as well.” He thrust his other hand out toward Tina with a scowl. “She said this would also help keep you from trying to kill me.”
“You brought me weeds?” Tina asked in disbelief, gazing at the drooping mass of green, yellows, and whites in his hand.
Viper looked at the crumbled bunch of flowers he had picked near the back wall behind the bar. They did not look as good as they did ten minutes before. He had thought they looked nice when he first saw them.
“They are not weeds, they have blooms on them. See,” he argued, thrusting them toward her. “Carmen said the white cloth and flowers would calm your temper and give me time to explain about your sister. Now, take the flowers. If you put them in water, they will look better.”
He glared back at Tina, daring her to refuse him. For a brief moment, he thought she might. It was only the sound of her soft curse and the fact that she snatched the blooms from his hand that made him realize that she would give him a chance. Now, he just had to make sure he didn’t ‘screw it up’ as Carmen so eloquently phrased it.
*.*.*
“Can you put that thing somewhere else?” Viper asked gruffly as he followed Tina and Pearl into the other room. “Even with the regen, I swear I still have salt in my buttocks.”
“My back, ass, and legs were covered in bruises,” Bahadur commented as he walked into the room and glanced around with a frown. “Where is the other female?”
Tina turned and walked across the bar. She briefly paused by the trash can to toss the flowers he had given her into it. A scowl darkened his face at her disregard for his gift. He paused long enough to push the lid back as it started to close and retrieve the crumbled bunch of wilted flowers.
He ignored Bahadur’s chuckle and Pearl’s snort as they watched him. Following Tina, he waited until she sank down at the table where she and Pearl had been working. He set the bouquet of flowers down on the table next to her and sat down in the chair across from her.
He watched in frustration as Tina ignored his peace offering. Instead, she picked up some silverware and wrapped a napkin around it. She then picked up a small strip of paper and wound it around the bunch. Setting it aside, she picked up another.
His eyes followed her as she efficiently folded a half dozen more before he rose up out of his chair and stomped over to the bar. He walked behind it, ignoring Bahadur and Pearl’s bemused expressions as they watched him. Instead, he looked under the bar until he found what he was looking for. Pulling a tall glass out from the neat stack, he walked over to the small sink that was built into the bar and filled it with water.
Twisting the faucet off, he walked back around the bar and returned to the table. He paused long enough to pick up the flowers he had picked, then retrieved from the trash, and placed them in the glass. He ignored the way the stems drooped over the side of the glass, instead he carefully set it down in front of Tina with a small thump.
He returned to his chair, sat down, folded his arms across his chest, and stared at
“You two boys just don’t know when to give up, do you?” A cold voice asked.
A low curse escaped Viper as he turned to face Tina and Pearl St. Claire. Tina had her arms folded across her chest and was glaring in their direction while Pearl had that damn weapon of hers aimed at them. Viper hastily held up the white cloth that Carmen told him he would need to wave. She swore that the other women would understand its meaning.
“Truce,” he growled. “Carmen said you would understand what a white cloth means.”
He flushed when he saw Tina roll her eyes at him and drop her arms. His eyes flickered to Pearl. A relieved sigh escaped him when he saw her slowly lower her weapon.
“It worked,” Bahadur muttered in surprise. “These humans are even stranger than I thought.”
“Just… shut up,” Viper gritted out. “I have these as well.” He thrust his other hand out toward Tina with a scowl. “She said this would also help keep you from trying to kill me.”
“You brought me weeds?” Tina asked in disbelief, gazing at the drooping mass of green, yellows, and whites in his hand.
Viper looked at the crumbled bunch of flowers he had picked near the back wall behind the bar. They did not look as good as they did ten minutes before. He had thought they looked nice when he first saw them.
“They are not weeds, they have blooms on them. See,” he argued, thrusting them toward her. “Carmen said the white cloth and flowers would calm your temper and give me time to explain about your sister. Now, take the flowers. If you put them in water, they will look better.”
He glared back at Tina, daring her to refuse him. For a brief moment, he thought she might. It was only the sound of her soft curse and the fact that she snatched the blooms from his hand that made him realize that she would give him a chance. Now, he just had to make sure he didn’t ‘screw it up’ as Carmen so eloquently phrased it.
*.*.*
“Can you put that thing somewhere else?” Viper asked gruffly as he followed Tina and Pearl into the other room. “Even with the regen, I swear I still have salt in my buttocks.”
“My back, ass, and legs were covered in bruises,” Bahadur commented as he walked into the room and glanced around with a frown. “Where is the other female?”
Tina turned and walked across the bar. She briefly paused by the trash can to toss the flowers he had given her into it. A scowl darkened his face at her disregard for his gift. He paused long enough to push the lid back as it started to close and retrieve the crumbled bunch of wilted flowers.
He ignored Bahadur’s chuckle and Pearl’s snort as they watched him. Following Tina, he waited until she sank down at the table where she and Pearl had been working. He set the bouquet of flowers down on the table next to her and sat down in the chair across from her.
He watched in frustration as Tina ignored his peace offering. Instead, she picked up some silverware and wrapped a napkin around it. She then picked up a small strip of paper and wound it around the bunch. Setting it aside, she picked up another.
His eyes followed her as she efficiently folded a half dozen more before he rose up out of his chair and stomped over to the bar. He walked behind it, ignoring Bahadur and Pearl’s bemused expressions as they watched him. Instead, he looked under the bar until he found what he was looking for. Pulling a tall glass out from the neat stack, he walked over to the small sink that was built into the bar and filled it with water.
Twisting the faucet off, he walked back around the bar and returned to the table. He paused long enough to pick up the flowers he had picked, then retrieved from the trash, and placed them in the glass. He ignored the way the stems drooped over the side of the glass, instead he carefully set it down in front of Tina with a small thump.
He returned to his chair, sat down, folded his arms across his chest, and stared at
Similar Books
