His look was shrewd. Blue eyes cutting her, starting with her toes and dragging up her length to the pulled down hood. “Remember, I’m the one that knows what’s you keep so carefully guarded beneath that oversized green cloak.”
Giving her his back he strode around to the otherside and leaned on a stool to resume his drink.
“Don’t make me call my men to remove you.” She warned.
From the corner of her eye, Dimurah caught the barmaid, Belline, filling his drink. Thinking Dimurah wasn’t looking.
“You know better than to threaten me…You’re going to regret ever saying that.” His blue gaze slitted.
“I will summon them!”
“Why?” He twisted to give the four of them a bored glance. “Do you wish me to kill them? Remember,” He lifted a finger, tsking again. “exactly how much you missed the last ones.”
“There’s too many. Even for you.” She said acidly.
“I don’t know how many that is. So you most certainly don’t...” He took a heavy dram from his newly filled tankard. Dismissing her.
Belline, the barmaid offered him a sly smile. Taking in his sinewed frame and long blonde hair, twisted and woven with wooden kill beads. Framing a hard, square face dominated by virulent blue eyes. Her gaze lit with interest.
He heard the whisper of Murah’s cloak and knew he could’ve caught the blade. Instead, he let her draw close enough to lean over the counter next to him. Pressing it to his throat.
“This is the game you want to play?” He queried blandly. “In-front of all these people?”
His gaze scoured her furious face.
Rounded cheeks, tinged gold from being sun-warmed. Large blue eyes. Dark lashes framing them. A rounded chin and a small beckoning mouth. Red curls creeping from her hood to tease her face. Flushed in her ire.
He leisurely lifted his tankard for another drink. Swallowing despite the nick of her weapon. Setting it down, he slid his gaze to her. Noticing the heat of a rounded breast smashed against his bicep.
He gave it a meaningful look then whispered for her ears alone. “Come closer, Murah.”
“Get out of my alehouse.” She seethed.
“The one I gave you?” He whispered into her face before staring ahead again. “I warned you.”
“The one I’ve built!” She objected. Fist shaking around the blade’s handle.
He pushed his tankard further away. Shifting his weight to turn his body to her without moving his neck. He gave her his full attention. Setting the intensity of his blue gaze back on her. “What are you doing, Murah? You know better.”
She hissed as he moved. Body tensing and the blade pressing his windpipe.
“This is my alehouse. I rule here.” Her defiant eyes flashed, and she was brilliantly beautiful.
He already envisioned sinking himself into her warmth. He watched her lick her lips as her mouth went dry.
He let the stare renowned through the country, delve into her. Until she was nervous. Until she was shifting, swallowing hard.
And finally, she blinked.
***
It took him that long to bat her forearm down away from his neck. Shoving it hard enough between their bodies to send her into a half turn against him, he jerked his hand around her forearm to hook the hilt. Wrenching her wrist up toward her body until her grip broke and he freed the blade into his fist. As her cloak whipped out behind her. He caught a fistful of it with his other hand. And yanked her the opposite direction she’d been spinning. Making it impossible for her to catch her footing, until she faced away from him.
His muscled arm snaking her waist. He used her own dagger against her throat.
“You know my rules…” He whispered into her hair. “Yet you bring me a dagger…”
He paused thoughtfully. “Always a blade on you, isn’t there?” He splayed the hand already flattened over her stomach, to ensure the reach of his fingertips grazed high and low, checking for weapons.
She swallowed hard. The dagger pressing into the soft tissue of her throat.
“Now.” He tilted his head around to see her face over her shoulder. “Whose guild is this?”
A few people in the tavern gasped. Shocked at the blur of aggression.
Others quieted. Those who knew Savage Jack.
“He’s so bloody fast!” The newcomer from earlier murmured to his friend.
“That is Savage Jack.” His cohort responded. “He always moves like that. She’s lucky he hasn’t gutted her yet.”
“What do you want?” Dimurah choked around her own dagger.
Some people laughed coldly. Amused he had the upper hand on her.
He pressed the blade into her tender skin just enough to pierce the surface. Making one thick drop of blood well as she’d done to him.
“Bend her over the bar, Savage Jack!”
He barely spared the stranger an annoyed glance.
“I want what I always want, Murah.” He whispered along her hair. He caught her hood and yanked it back. Revealing the riot of red curls pouring down her back. And sparking blue eyes, lighter than his. He announced. “You flat on your back in my tent. Moaning my name.”
A few assassins in the crowd made awed sounds at the sight of her. Having never realized what she kept hidden under that hood.She expostulated in enraged profanity.He chuckled. Lazily jerking the dagger upward, to remove it from her throat. He released her and she hastily stepped from the warmth of his arms to turn a glowering gaze on him.“Barmaid! Bird leg!” He slapped the counter with a wolfish smile.Belline curtsied like he was some manner of king and backed from him to fetch the food.“This is my alehouse!”“You barter here. You own shares. But you don’t own the guild.” He corrected, taking another drink. Ignoring her ranting next to him. “Calm down, Murah.” He said from the corner of his mouth. “You still have all that mud hiding your face. They can’t see you.”She gave him a withering look. “Give me back my blade!”He still held it folded between his palm and mug. He set his drink down and expertly rotated it in his hand to stab it into the surface of the bar. The handle swu
“Why! Why’d he do it?” The girl’s gaze landed on the dead man in the middle of Winter Haven floor. She gasped in horror.Dimurah was staring at him, fists clench and jaw jutting.His unflinching gaze was levelled on her as he enunciated the words. “Because you’re mine. Everyone knows it. And no one interferes in my business or they die.”The crowd hushed. No one moved to intercede. And it’d be a long time until someone does again.“I’ll never be yours!” She screamed. But her eyes were fearful.***He laughed uproariously. Tossing back his head in a show of boldness as he nearly reached the door with her before him. “He brought me a blade. What did he expect?” He looked around the room. Nodding arrogantly. “What’s my policy, men?”They began to chant. “Have a man come at me with a dagger and I shall have a dagger. Have him attack me with a sword and I shall pierce him with a sword. Have him shackle me and I’ll crush his throat with those shackles.I’m an exceptional killer. I’ll kill m
He kissed her hard and deep.She shoved him back and slapped him hard.Making him toss his head back. Roaring with laughter like some dark demon.When his head fell forward. His eyes shined in slivers of moonlight. “Strike me viper. But it’s only yourself, you’re poisoning.”She twisted against his grip.But he backed her up through the mud. Walking through rain which now dumped wildly in the Courtyard. Making it hard to see beyond a few feet in the darkness of the night.In the dark of my Fortress. Savage was grateful for it now as his gaze was locked on his pretty prey.“Where do you think you’re going, Murah.”“Let me go!”“You had the chance years ago.” He whispered to her. “It’s too late for all that bluster now.”Finally, he saw the silhouette of a tree in the dark and guided her back against it.She grunted as she made contact. Giving him a venomous look.“Don’t touch me, Jax.”“Ah, now I’m Jax again, am I?” He crooned. Still holding her upper arms as his blue eyes roved her fa
Blue Lark Guild, Dread HideoutA woman entered the Blue Lark looking to hire an assassin.She’d passed the tower guards, passed the Courtyard Guards, and made it right in the front door of his fortress, and straight into the Winter Haven Alehouse for just that purpose.But Savage Jaxson saw her clearly for what she was. Royalty. His study zeroed in on her from across the room. Watching the way, she swept her cape and how carefully she stepped over a spilled drink.He glimpsed her hand as she gripped the hem of her cape. Not old. Not young. He caught a wisping curl of hair moving beyond the hood as she breathed.Dark brown. Female. Middle-aged royalty. In the Blue Lark to hire an assassin.He drew closer, watching her profile peer from under the red hood. Spotting a particularly weaselly man across the room.The Death Dealer. Though he didn’t look like much, he was a skilled killer. Not particular in whether he murdered women or children.“What are you looking at?” Dimurah whispered ov
She gasped in outrage. Slowly turning to see his unabashed grin. She tossed the pitcher at him.He casually deflected it with a forearm. Laughing uproariously as it sloshed another of the barmaids.“You unbelievable wretch!” Dimurah quaked with rage.“Tent it is!”The crowd in Winter Haven roared in approval.“You’ll have to be quiet this time! No rousing the courtyard again.” He waved a finger in cautioning.“You heathen! That’s not true!” She nearly shook with rage. Making her blue eyes glimmer.“You take it back!” She rushed over to order.“Clearly. As you wish. I take it back!” He announced. “It’s not true. It wasn’t the whole courtyard!” He laughed raucously. Dodging the tankard, she tried to splash on him next. Moving smoothly from its trajectory so is slopped harmlessly over the boards onto the floor.“Contain your fire!” He shouted laughingly. Tone softening, he ensured it was still loud enough for everyone to hear. “Save it for later.” He let the innuendo fill the alehouse.“
The following morning, Dimurah was unsurprised when Nauvree sighed and took a seat at the counter. Eying her over it until she finally slammed down her rag and gave him a disparaging look.“What?”“When are you just going to give in to him?” Nauvree asked Murah.She looked up from wiping a tankard out with a bit of cloth. Setting it along the bar for later tonight. “What do you mean?”“You know very well, what I mean.” He eyed her over his tankard. “You two have been engaged in the longest running segment of foreplay I’ve ever witnessed. And I’ve had some time to witness many things…”She admired this man. With his short cropped blonde hair and alert blue-green eyes, he was good-looking. Though easily as dangerous as any other man in the Blue Lark Guild, he and his friend, had some sordid code of honor that made them truer than most. Such as Savage Jack, for instance.“Everyone knows full well, I don’t dally with clientele.”“We’re all your clientele.” He argued.She gave him a pointe
You should wince. Savage thought. I caught you talking about me for all to hear.You intend to try to evade me? Good luck.Grimacing, Murah slowly turned toward the hooded figure in the corner, whom they’d assumed was half asleep over an empty tankard.Me.“Sorry.” Adrea winced. Ducking low to stay behind the bar, she crept around the corner and vanished under the stairs.Hiding from me. Sharp girl.“Coward.” Murah hissed after her.You’re merely envious you’d not make it as far as she did. He rose, making the fabric of his long cloak whisper as he walked to the counter.“Would you just go away?”No.“To your hut?” He offered. Lifting a hand to knock a hood back. Making the wood beads clink in the twisted strands of his light blonde hair.“Have I expressed how much I hate when you’re here?”You don’t. You hate that I’m in control when I’m here.“You mean like a parent. Seeing what you’ve been up to in my absence and cleaning up whatever childish messes you’ve made without my approval?
“I hate that he’s back!” Murah whined to Markus.“Me too.” He agreed. “It’s just a question of who’s going to die not ‘if’ or ‘when’.”“Is he really so bad?” Thomas, the other bodyguard, asked from next to them.“Worse.” She and Markus said in unison.She sighed. “Hire some extra barmaids tonight for…sanitizing. Did we get whoever that was last night, cleaned up?” She asked nearly as an afterthought.“In the hole out back.” Markus nodded. “Barely a stain left.”“Have Dale widen the hole.”“I hate when he’s back.” Markus grumbled as he left Murah’s hut.“Me too.” She whined.Thomas sat in the wooden chair near the door. Lifting his wooden cup of water to sip as he sat sentry.She watched the young man forlornly.“Yes?” He glanced at her. Smiling proudly to be taking care of his family working for her. Her coin helped put food in his little brother and mother’s bellies.“Be careful.”“I always am, mum.”“No, Thomas. I mean exceptionally careful.”His brow knitted as he looked at her.“H