Page 8 of Marked By the Wild Orc

“How did you get this job, working with orcs?” he questions.

“My brother is Talon Overtree’s best friend and he recommended me for this job.”

“Talon’s best friend is a human?”

“No,” she laughs. “My brother is an orc.”

“How is that possible?”

“Well, he’s my older half-brother. My mother met his dad”—she wags a finger—“and no, he didn’t kidnap her. She was smitten and got knocked up by him right away. My mother went with Kavin’s dad to his commune and hid out there for her entire pregnancy until she’d healed from the delivery and then left them both and they never saw her again. Then she went on to eventually meet my dad, get married and had me. In fact, my mother didn’t tell a single person she’d had a secret orc baby. The only way I found out that my brother existed was because he got in contact with me when he’d learned he had a sibling through the Orc Ancestry Database.”

“Oh wow, I should check that database. What if I have a secret orc brother? That would be amazing.”

“You could,” she chuckles, “you could. And you’d be lucky because my brother is a great guy.”

And then she turns and gives me a wink and I realize she knew I was listening all along.

For some reason my eyes drift down when she turns away. The curve of her ass is spectacular, as are the heft of her breasts. Why am I thinking this way if she is a female who cannot mate?

I shake my head, greet the human and lead him into my room and get back to work.

Chapter 3

Krissy

Talon was able to pay me so quickly for Sunday’s work because his business is cash only. When we closed last night, the intimidating orc handed me two hundred dollars in cash for six hours of work. “Here, I’ll pay you right now.”

Of course I was grateful, I desperately needed that money. He’d also insisted on giving me cash to get us both pizza for dinner, which was lovely because that was much better than what waited me at home.

The money he gave me is already in the ATM and in my account. Last night I went to the cheapest gas station in town and filled my tank so I don’t have to worry about not being able to get somewhere farther to find a better job. And the good news is that I’ll get paid again next Monday.

What a blessing.

I should be thrilled to receive cash as my payment, but this leaves me not knowing yet what my hourly pay rate is and will this job count toward taxes? I’ve never had a job, besides babysitting, where I was paid cash only. I’m now worried that Talon Overtree isn’t just a tattoo artist but is also running some sort of orc money laundering mafia business and I’ll always bepaid under the table, constantly worrying that there’s going to be an FBI raid of the place.

I know this is terrible to think, considering I spent most of yesterday with him, in his shop, watching him work and getting to know him. But there’s something wrong with how he’s running his business and I can’t move forward until I get to the bottom of this mystery—what if this business is illegal?

I’m annoyed because I specifically told my brother I was willing to do any type of work as long as it wasn’t illegal, and I wasn’t doing any sex work either because that’s way out of my comfort zone.

I walk over to the strip mall for my next shift and send my brother a text.Kavin, you said this tattoo shop wasn’t an illegal business.

He answers right away.It isn’t.

Then why is this a cash only business with a set of books that is messily written in a spiral notebook like this is a 1960s casino or something.

It’s probably because orcs have never had to pay human taxes or run human businesses.

Never?

Never. But now that we’ve recently become citizens, all of us, including those that now own businesses, have to start paying taxes this next year. He’ll learn and change.

I respond with a thinking emoji.

He leaves a laughing emoji.You good?

Yes, thanks…back to work

Me too.

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