Page 5 of The Last True Hero
"You trust a reiver?" Reivers were lawless, barely human scum who rode in gangs, stealing whatever they could lay their hands on, burning down settlements, and either raping, killing, or taking the people there for slaves.
"I had good reason to believe what he was telling me," the man replied, and Adam knew exactly how he'd asked the questions. "He said he ran with a pack of wargs who wore some sort of medallion to keep their monster under wraps. A couple of others came looking for them, and killed his warg friends. That leaves two of them out there, wearing amulets, maybe three, if this warg at Absolution wasn't the one who came down on them reivers. What do you think of that?"
The medallion burned as a cold reminder against his chest. Adam forced himself to relax, grateful that it was the kind of thing he kept hidden, beneath his shirt.I think there's four of us with medallions, a part of him whispered,and that you might just be a dangerous man to keep alive.But he wasn't a killer, no matter what others thought of him, and there were better ways to deal with this. "A single warg killed that many people? I think stories grow. That's what I think. Besides, if they're content to kill each other then let them."
"Maybe. It's still troubling."
"Damn right," Mia said, pouring them all a shot and throwing hers back before they could argue.
"Hell, Mia," Sinclair said, leaning on the counter. He didn't take her hand, though a part of him clearly wanted to. "I didn't mean to remind you of the past."
What past?Adam glanced at her from beneath his lashes, but she shook her head.
"Just shut up, Jake."
She was the wrong kind of woman. Or maybe he was the wrong kind of man. And he was just drawing this out. There was no point staying, especially now there was a bounty hunter in town, out to claim his scalp, and a woman who'd shoot him if she ever knew what he really was.
And wasn't that the kicker, for he realized that a part of him would actually hurt to see that look of horror in her eyes.Idiot.He needed to get moving. He'd stayed here too long, started to feel something for the town. Or perhaps, for one stubborn woman.
He couldn't do that again.
"Well, thanks for the company—and the story." Adam slid his chair back, tossing a few coins on the bar to clear his account, and grabbed hold of his black Stetson. "Time for me to move on, I think."
Mia looked startled, just for a second. Then she shuttered her emotions and nodded. "Good luck, McClain. I hope you find what you're looking for."
"You too," he said, taking the time to look at her one last time, as if to imprint her image in his memory. Just one more lost dream. Adam swallowed hard, then turned for the door, giving Sinclair one last nod, bounty hunter to bounty hunter.
Time to remember what he was.
You don't belong here and you never did.
You don't belong... anywhere.
