Page 29 of Guard

The shrewd gaze softened and the door opened. “Come in. I will get Serena.”

Rixx stepped inside, the cool air and dim lighting instantly slowing his pounding heart. The music he’d heard outside the house was coming from the upper levels, and he tipped his head to see that the interior of the house featured a central open hall with balconies and rooms winding up to the top. Twinkling lights were strung across the opening and there were even swings and colorful silks suspended at various levels by heavy wires. He imagined that both the swings and silks were occupied by costumed females when clients were present.

The lower level of the house was a single great room filled with various clusters of chairs, settees, and enormous cushions. At the far wall was a long, hammered-copper bar backed by a massive mirror fronted by shelves of bottles. But instead of the surface being littered by glasses and remnants from the previous evening, the bar was spotless.

Now that Rixx studied the interior more closely, he saw that everything was pristine. There were no stains on the furniture, no grime on the wooden floors, no surly men passed out, no weary female pleasurers lounging on the velvet cushions. He quickly knew that this was not a place for desperate and hopeless females or for males who dared to step out of line.

He turned to the female who’d let him in, and his breath caught. She was petite, with large blue eyes set into a dark brown face, but when she smiled, she bared rows of enormous, pointed teeth that could have flayed him in a matter of seconds.

“We’ve never had a client sent to us from Zala,” she said, eyeing him from top to bottom now that he was inside. “Or Myrria.”

Rixx tried not to focus on her teeth, reminding himself that Zala would not have sent him someplace dangerous.

“Don’t toy with him, Velen.”

The sultry voice immediately pulled his attention to the winding wooden staircase that ringed the interior of the building and the female who was descending the final few steps. It wasn’t only her lavender hair that was striking, but the fact that her sheer blue dress barely covered her impressive curves. Even though she was barely dressed, the female radiated power and dominance.

Rixx’s mouth went dry. He had never seen a creature like her. Not on his home world and not in his travels through space. She might have been human, but there was something otherworldly about the way she moved and about the way her gaze bored into him, as if she could peer into his soul.

“Sorry, Serena.” The toothy female giggled as she stepped aside. “Just making sure he’s not trouble.”

Now Rixx understood why they did not bother with big males at the door. They did not need to when the small creature could rip anyone apart with a few bites. He suspected that it only took a well-timed grin to keep rowdy patrons in line.

When Serena reached him, she touched a hand to his cheek and nodded approvingly. “Any friend of Myrria’s and Zala’s is welcome here—even if he’s got a bounty on his very handsome head.”

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

“I’d forgotten how good of a cook you are.” Tobert leaned back on the stool and unbuttoned his pants.

Myrria faced away from him at the sink, gritting her teeth and forcing herself not to snap back at him with the smartass comment that was begging to trip off the end of her tongue. After so many years away, she was surprised he remembered anything about her.

He’d made it clear while they ate that he barely remembered the existence of Zala, much less the fact that she was so grown up. Zala, for her part, didn’t seem interested in getting to know the stranger who claimed to be her father, and only cast him sideways, suspicious glances.

“You should finish your wine.” Myrria made herself smile as she turned around and motioned to the glass that she’d refilled multiple times during dinner. He’d finished almost the entire bottle of cheap wine by himself, and his glassy eyes and slurred speech told her that he was far from sober. She only hoped he was drunk enough to fall asleep before he could think of trying anything with her.

Myrria might technically be his wife, but there was no way she was letting the man who’d abandoned her and Zala slide back into her bed as if nothing had happened. Not only was Myrria not the meek woman he’d left behind, she’d gotten a glimpse of what it was like to be cherished by a decent guy. There was no going back to being neglected and dismissed after Rixx.

Tobert chugged the last of his wine and thumped the goblet back on the table, swaying slightly on the stool. He gave Myrria a leering smile. “I knew coming back here was the right thing. I knew you’d be glad to see me.” He let out a hiccup that turned into a belch. “You always were a good wife who did what she was told.”

Myrria was sure the sound of her teeth grinding was audible, but she made herself smile as she bustled toward him. “You look like you need to lie down before dessert.”

“There’s dessert?” His thick eyebrows lifted as she hoisted him up under one armpit and steered him back to the armchair.

Zala popped up from the table and helped her, although she didn’t bother to hide her grimace from being so close to the man. Not that Myrria blamed her. The man reeked like sweat and fish.

Once they dropped him in the chair, he rolled his head back and mumbled something about resting his eyes before his mouth fell open and he started to snore.

Zala slid her gaze to her mother, a look of horror on her face. “He can’t be—“

“He is,” Myrria cut her off and turned away. “I was not the same person I am today.”

“Were you blind and noseless?” Zala muttered as she backed away from the smelly, snoring man.

Myrria should have told her not to be so disrespectful, but one look at the sad, scrawny man in the chair made a sob and a laugh battle their way up her throat. Then she started laughing so hard she had to walk to the other side of the room and put a hand over her mouth as her shoulders shook.

A reluctant smile finally banished the look of disgust from Zala’s face, as she joined her mother at the table, the two of them trembling with laughter that they tried but failed to control.

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