Page 23 of The Hero Within
"Such as?"
"Criminals find themselves walking the plank, so to speak. Each night you'll find every predator in the Divide at the base, looking for remains. It's an easy meal for scavengers."
"Aren'tallreivers criminals?"
Colton sighed and closed his eyes as if to ask,why me?"Yes. Kind of. Reiver gangs roam the countryside, but Rimside is ruled by a fellow named Clark. Millicent Clark—"
Eden snorted with amusement. "What kind of fearsome na—"
"It's the kind of name nobody is going to make fun of," he growled, "especially within hearing of Rimside. Or that somebody might just find out for themselves what waits at the bottom of the cliffs. Clark allows anyone in, but he insists upon one rule: No trouble. You'll find reivers from several different gangs in here. You're allowed to knife a man in the streets as long as you clean up the body. You can steal from other reivers. Break a few bones. But if you break any of the furniture in any of the bars, or molest any of the locals, you're going to meet Clark. He looks after his own."
"So what you're saying is watch our backs, because anyone might take a swing at us, but be careful if you swing back."
"I'll get us some rooms," he said, "and you can get some sleep while I make sure we have supplies for the trip across."
"We have—"
"Trust me. You won't have what I need. Any more questions?"
He looked at her pointedly.
Eden made a sign like she was zipping her lips.
"I wish." Colton swung off his bike and walked it toward the small settlement at the top of the escarpment, dragging a handful of coins from his pocket as the people there opened the gates.
Eden followed, struggling with the weight of her brother's old Yamaha. Colton paid to have the bikes stored, with a warning he'd be back for them in a week or so, and then helped grab one of her bags. He swung it over his shoulder with his own, barely breaking a stride.
"You don't have to—"
"I know."
The idea of him carrying her bag was personally offensive. She didn't want help. Especially not from him.
"My mother raised me to have better manners than letting a lady carry her things. Don't force me to sully her memory," he warned, as if reading her mind.
"What did she say about kidnapping?" she snapped.
Colton shot her a narrowed look, and this time it was his turn to press his lips thinly together.
Point one to her.
The smell hit her as they made their way into the main street, and she found the source immediately. A man pissed against the interior of the wooden palisade wall, swaying slightly. He turned bleary eyes upon them as the guards patted CJ down and then took a double take when he saw her.
"You're with me," Colton said, grabbing her hand and dragging her against the side that was unencumbered with bags.
Eden slammed against him, recoiling immediately. "Like hell I am—"
"Hog-tied," he said. "Cave. You and me." Then he draped an arm around her waist and let his hand rest familiarly on her hip.
"If that hand moves any lower," she hissed, "I will not be responsible for the outcome."
A thumb stroked against her hip as if to dare her. Colton's smile was pure evil. "You might as well get comfortable with me. You're my woman while we're in Rimside. Which means tonight we're sharing a room."
"When hell freezes over."
Colton's smile vanished and his hand slid from her side. "Look around you, angel. This isn't Haven or Absolution, or any of the settlements you know. This is Rimside. And like it or not, when they look at you all they're going to see is fresh meat. Unless you want every reiver in the place trying to stick his hands where they don't belong—or worse—then you can tolerate my touch. The only way to get down to the Divide is by passing through this shithole, so play your part, I'll play mine, and by the time the sun rises, you can pretend I haven't washed in a year again."
"If I need a protector, then CJ can play the part."
