The Tales of Flesh and Blood

Unexpected Surprises

The man in the suit studied me for what felt like a lifetime, his face all the while without expression. I, on the other hand, felt my cheeks redden, but I didn't rush forward to apologize, either. For one thing, I've already made up my mind.

"You're not going to sell me," I said after a while, shocked when my voice came out as steady as it did. My stomach felt like someone was taking my intestines and tying them into one giant knot.

Ah, there we go. Mr. Locman raised an eyebrow at my statement.

"I'm not?" he asked, as if he was really all that intrigued.

"I'll kill myself."

Imagine my horror when I realized that that statement was true.

A ghost of a smile curled at his lips, and then it was gone.

"Miss Hale, if that was my intent, you would not have woken up in a local hospital." He didn't so much as pause for a second when he leaned forward. "I understand that the past few weeks have been hard on you, so I am giving you the benefit of a doubt for your current lack of deference. I have the power to give you to a people that would like to show you things worse than death, so you will be mindful in keeping your tongue in check when you speak to me, yes?"

"Do you mean the giants?" I found myself asking, and at the slight narrowing of his eyes, I gave him a slight bow of my head. "Sorry," I muttered.

Content that there would be no more snide comments on my end, Mr. Locman eventually nodded.

"Miss Hale, you and your friends have managed to take down a base to an organization that has been giving my own employers much grief over the past few generations. While it is my knowledge that you really had little to do with it, you've managed to bring the center of it together."

"What-"

Mr. Locman didn't miss a beat.

"Mr. Knov approached my friend after you were taken against your will," he gestured towards Frenice, who gave me a brief nod in turn. "In turn, I had Frenice request assistance from your landlord once a plan was brought to light. I am very well aware that none of this was your doing. In fact, if you had your way, you would have turned a blind eye from the people that would never have stopped hunting you."

He paused, pretending to give me room to object. I say pretend because I was familiar with how this game worked. Any voice on my part would just make me look more like a fool.

And what, exactly, could I say to that, anyway? I still wasn't quite sure how the hell I made it out of there alive. Port actually sent men to help break me out? Why would they think to get him involved to begin with? Jaxon had paired off with Frenice - Ven had worked with Odnay? None of it made sense. One of these days, I was going to have to sit someone down and have them explain this to me. And with Odnay dead and Ven in critical condition, it was beginning to look like that someone would have to be Jaxon.

Yay.

"Miss Hale, I tell you this because I want you to know that you are not going to fool me. I know that the only life you truly value above your own is Miss Hadi Vance. Currently, I am in the process of persuading my higher employers from taking action against you, but I need you to prove your worth."

"My worth?" I repeated dumbfoundedly, then shook myself. "'Higher employers'? Are we talking about the giants?"

He didn't even blink when he replied.

"We are."

"You're in league with those . . . those things?"

Mr. Locman smiled. I don't think I like him smiling.