Page 34 of Vex
And then he was angry at himself for being shocked.
What had he expected? Some pristine princess who'd learned hacking as a hobby? The underworld didn't produce people like Luisa by accident. It forged them in fire and desperation, and the fact that she'd survived it, had thrived enough to be sitting here with him now, should have impressed him.
Instead, all he could think about was how she'd deceived him, how she'd let him believe she was something she wasn't.
The anger came roaring back, hotter and more dangerous than before. She'd lied to him. Maybe not directly, but by omission, and that felt like betrayal in a way that made rational thought nearly impossible.
"So Tallyer is your ex?" The question came out tight, controlled, but he could hear the edge of violence underneath.
She made an almost comically horrified face. "Absolutely not! I'd never touch that slimy toad." The disgust in her voice was genuine and immediate.
His dragon was satisfied with that answer, at least. And that only made Vex angrier.
"He wants fifty grand, or he'll sell me to Maera for my skills. He still thinks I'm your pretty bauble. Our cover is intact. We can fix this." She was trying to sound professional, competent, but he could hear the fear underneath.
"How the fuck do you think I can trust you after this?" The words came out cruel, designed to hurt, and he saw them land hard. Part of him immediately wanted to take them back, but the larger part of him was too angry, too betrayed to care about the pain that flickered across her features.
"Just because I didn't tell you doesn't mean I lied. I'm here to do the job." But her voice was smaller now, less certain.
"Or are you here to rob the casino blind?" The accusation was unfair, and he knew it, but he couldn't seem to stop himself.
"What? No! And who would care if I did? It's a bunch of rich assholes. But I haven't touched anything but their outer security. The money's better protected than that." There was heat in her voice again, defensive anger that made her eyes flash.
"How would you know?" He was being deliberately obtuse now, pushing for a reaction.
"Because it's a fucking casino. They're all like that." Exasperation colored her tone, like she was explaining something obvious to a child.
"Have you tried to rob the Mountain before?" The question was a trap.
Her answer came fast, automatic. "No!"
"Don't lie to me." His voice had gone dangerously quiet.
"I'm not. It would be too difficult to ever try. There are much easier targets."
The casual way she said it, like robbery was just another career option to consider, made his vision go red around the edges. She wasn't even trying to pretend she was reformed, wasn't making any excuses or apologies for what she'd done.
"You're done with this job." The words came out absolute.
"You don't have the authority to do that. You need me." But there was desperation creeping into her voice now, like she was starting to realize how serious he was.
"I need a partner I can trust. And I can't trust you. When does Tallyer expect the money?" Each word was carefully controlled, but underneath was a fury that threatened to burn everything in its path.
"Oh, so you're going to pay him?" Hope flickered in her voice, quickly followed by confusion.
"No."
The single word seemed to drain what little fight she had left. Her shoulders sagged, and for a moment, she looked younger, more vulnerable, like the sixteen-year-old girl who'd been desperate enough to throw in with a man like Tallyer.
"He didn't say,” she admitted.
He had to do what he could to salvage this. "I'll get you transport to the city. Disappear. It's the least you can do."
17
Vex wouldn't talk to her. He wouldn't even look at her.
The silence in their suite pressed against her chest with every breath. Luisa had never been ashamed of her past, of doing what she needed to survive. Survival didn't come with a moral handbook on Aetis. You took what opportunities presented themselves, or you starved in the undercity's gutters.
