Vengeance (The Prince's Games Book 1) by Rebecca Grey (electric book reader TXT) 📕

of 'what if'. It's a painfully annoying Human thing to do. In a world where Hybrids have no fear, I know I need to squelch mine down. And I do.

I turn on the tips of my toes, making my way along the back row of booths. One of them remains empty and I lower myself into the seat. I'll let the girl come to me, I think. The fabric of the booth is like plastic and my leather pants don't slide across it near as easily as I would like. Plastic does make things, particularly liquids, easier to clean up. Which will be nice for Mica should I piss my pants here and now. The pressure building inside of me makes me think it’s not entirely impossible.

Sitting in the middle of the table is a small card holder with a worn piece of paper shoved inside of it. I pinch the paper's edges and bring it closer to my face. It's a list of some sort, with too many words for me to even try to decipher. So I set it back down, hoping that whatever girl comes to me happens to be a pretty one.

It doesn't take long, not near as long as I stood in that damn closet, before a woman without a customer ushers herself up to my table. Her eyes scan over me and I can't help but offer her the same treatment. Hedda may have asked for a 'pretty girl' but that's subjective. And this one seems pretty enough.

It's helpful for me that she's an Orc, meaning the only thing she can use against me is her own brute strength, and I'm pretty strong myself. Like most of her kind, her black hair grows in patches over her gray skin, unnaturally curled. She's a young Orc though, with little to no sunspots on her skin. Orcish skin is just so sensitive to the light, which is why most of them tend to wake only for the late evening. She has particularly large, round, blue eyes that take up half her face. Her bottom lip is full but her top lip is a thin line that slices across her face, only growing thinner as she smiles down at me.

"It's been a while since I was lucky enough to get a female customer. I'm surprised one of the others didn't try to get to you sooner." She drops herself into the booth. The edge of her black lace dress rises up her thighs and she scoots a little closer. "Girls are always so much more fun."

I slip my fingers into my belt, grinning. She leans closer still, purring as she lifts her hand to stroke along my face under the hood. Her fingers stop before she touches my ears, her nostrils flaring.

"Human?" she whispers, all of her muscles locking up as she becomes aware of my dagger pressing to her gut.

"Don't say a word." I tilt into her, letting our cheeks touch so I can speak into her. To anyone else, we're two lovers whispering sweet nothings. No one's aware that I'm about to walk her right out of this business. Right out the front door, to be exact. "You'll come with me and you won't make a show of it. I promise if you behave you won't get hurt. We're only going for a little stroll so I can introduce you to some new business opportunities."

"Hedda's?" Her voice is a dry rasp.

I nod my head before I lean away. "Do you understand?"

"Yes."

There is something eerie about her eyes. It's unsettling how big they truly are. She's even more odd to look at when she tries to look out the corner of her eye and I can pretty well only see the whites. It makes her look possessed.

I follow to where she looks. A man stands many yards away, sipping a drink and watching all of the tables. Some sort of guard, I guess. I frown at her. "Take my hand and lead me outside. Make sure that you smile and give a little wave. Let 'em know you're okay. If you try to run, just know I'm great at throwing knives and I'm not afraid to do it."

"I won't get hurt?" she whispers.

"Cross my heart and hope to die." More like cross my heart and hope you die. But I’ll say whatever at this point just so I can make it to a bathroom before I burst.

The Orc plasters a fake smile to her face and starts to scoot out of the booth. I follow her, tucking the dagger into my sleeve but keeping its hilt inside my palm. When she stands, she straightens her dress and offers me her hand. The things I have to do. I'll be glad when I either die or become rich enough to avoid situations like this forever. I cup her hand, unable to will myself to intertwine our fingers as the way her fingers sprayed out would have suggested.

She takes one step and then another, leading us to the door. The man at the back of the room keeps his eye on us. She plays her part well and gives him a shy giggle and waves him off like she was told. He doesn't say anything or move from his spot, but I know that he keeps his attention fixed on us until we are out the door.

When it closes, I let her hand go and motion for her to walk before me. I exhale, knowing the worst is over. She kicks loose gravel with every step, her mouth pushed out in a full pout.

"So I guess I'm supposed to march into Hedda's? This is some stupid part of their little turf war? I ain't never wanted to be a part of this when I took the job, yet here I motherfucking am. Serves me right too for listening to