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into flames, incinerating everyone inside. I ve seen him laugh while he slaughtered people, like a child playing. I ve smelled the charred flesh. I ve seen him take life and occasionally, when it suits him, I ve seen him give it. Believe me when I say I know exactly what Striker s done. She started eating again but Bael was looking at her, rather disconcertingly. Kett shoved a large piece of bacon into her mouth and chewed, but he was still watching. What? she asked through the food. Who flogged you? 125 Cat Marsters She narrowed her eyes and kept on eating. Come on, Kett. I can t see you being the type to enjoy being whipped, and anyway, those scars are way too deep for anything fun. Kett swallowed. Know a lot about whipping, do you? Bael gave her a grin that, annoyingly, made certain bits of her rather warm. A little bit. His grin faded. And those are serious flogging marks. Must have hurt like hell. It did. Who did it? Nosy bastard, ain tcha? Bael s hand covered hers. Kett I know you don t believe me, and you don t want this and you re fighting it, but you are my mate. And if anyone ever hurts you, I will rip out his innards and shove them down his throat. His eyes were burning, fiercer than she d ever seen, and for the first time in a long time, Kett was a little afraid. Thanks, she said, pulling her hand back. Good to know. Bael looked down at his food, then said, I heard a rumor you were in the army. Her brows went up. From? Your sister s boyfriend. Lot of rumors about you, Kett. Discount any of them that say I m sane. Bael grinned, and Kett wished she d said something else. Sergeant Almet, Royal First of Foot. Bael tilted his head to one side. Sergeant? Yeah, and that didn t come easy, I can tell you. Peneggan s got equality laws, but it also has a fuckload of fossils running the place. She dipped some bacon in her egg. You know, there were only two other women in the army at the time, and one of them was the Lyonette. The& ? Lyonette. Heir to the throne. Mostly a figurehead. They re too scared to let her fight. Remembering her fierce step-cousin, Kett snorted. More fool them. The other woman was in logistics or something. Of course, that s not counting nurses. Nursing is a proper job for women. Right. Bael watched her eat, his own food apparently forgotten. So what did you do? Marched, dug trenches, you know. No, he laughed, I mean to get flogged. Oh. Kett narrowed her eyes again. I& assaulted a superior officer. Bael raised his eyebrows and she clarified, I ripped his balls off. Bael flinched visibly. Ripped& ? 126 Mad, Bad & Dangerous Kett made a tearing motion with her free hand. Of course, at the time she d used claws, but he didn t need to know that. He deserved it, she said, shrugging. He did try to rape me. She looked up at Bael to see if that dark look was back in his eyes again, but instead he was shaking his head. What the fuck was wrong with him? I mean hell, Kett, when was this? About ten years ago. I can t see you being a weakling then. You were the only woman in a combat role in the Peneggan army, right? Bet they were merciless with you. And you re hardly a pushover at the best of times. What the fuck was wrong with that guy that he thought he could rape you? Did he at least have a weapon? Briefly, Kett said, and they shared a smile. It warmed her more than it should have. If Bael had gone all possessive on her, she might have been able to dismiss him. But this? He seemed proud of her. It wasn t something Kett was particularly used to. This was actually& kind of nice. She shook herself. Kind of nice was not something she wanted from Bael. She didn t want anything from Bael. In point of fact I said I wanted three eggs, over easy, and four sausages, you fucking numbskull, not three sausages and four fried fucking eggs! The loud voice was accompanied by a crash, and a woman s sharp gasp. Kett met Bael s eyes. I ve never seen a fried fucking egg, he said easily. Possibly we should investigate. Kett gave him a smile that had little to do with kindness and rolled to her feet, fork in hand, turning to face the table behind her own. Four large men sat there, burly with fat and muscle, unshaven, grimy, stinking of fish. Traders from the river. They were all laughing at the waitress, a dumpy girl with a red face, who was now wearing the fried eggs all over her dress and half apron. The shattered pieces of the plate rocked at her feet. Y-you said four eggs and three sausages, she whispered. Don t think I fucking did. The main bully had a shaven head covered with a tattoo of a leering fish. Kett was impressed she didn t think fish could leer. I think you did, Bael said from beside Kett. He offered the trader a friendly smile, but Kett could feel the tension in his body. There was a miniature crossbow hanging from her belt, a present from Tane, and she casually rested her hand on it. The trader rose to his feet, his smile fading. He was built like a mountain, tall and broad, his neck about the same width as Kett s waist. He towered over Bael, who wasn t precisely tiny himself. 127 Cat Marsters The café went completely silent. A couple near the door slipped outside, and for a moment the howling wind was the only sound in the room. What did you say? the trader grunted. I think she brought you what you ordered, Bael said, smiling at the terrified waitress. The trader s three friends rose to their feet. Where s your boss, love? Kett asked the waitress, and the woman pointed to a skinny man with a pencil moustache, cowering by the kitchen door. He didn t look like he d be a lot of help. Okay, Kett sighed. She turned to the trader, who was glowering at a still-smiling Bael. Here s how it s going to happen. You re going to apologize to her, pay for your meal and walk out. All right? The trader turned his squinty eyes on her. Don t you fucking tell me what to do, woman, he spat, making the word an insult, and Kett ached to jam her fork into his crotch. Not smart, Bael said. Really not smart. You don t know who she is, do you? [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ] |