Page 148 of His Ruthless Match
“Merrik,” Jareth said, his tone sharp and cold as he strode up to the stall, holding his phone out.
The vendor’s grin widened. “Ah, a familiar face,” he crooned, clasping his hands together in mock delight. “And you’ve brought company. How charming.” His gaze flicked to me, lingering just long enough to make my skin crawl.
“This isn’t a social visit,” Jareth snapped, shoving his phone toward the vendor. The screen displayed the photo of the rat with glowing eyes. “Tell me where it came from.”
Merrik’s grin faltered for a split second before he recovered. He tilted his head as he studied the image. “Ah,” he said, his voice dripping with exaggerated admiration. “One of my finest creations! A true masterpiece, wouldn’t you agree?”
“No.” Jareth’s voice was like a blade. “I wouldn’t. Who’s been buying these ugly-ass monsters from you?”
Merrik’s fingers twitched, his grin tightening as his eyes flicked between Jareth and me. “My customers value their privacy, dear boy. Surely you understand.”
Jareth leaned closer, his eyes flashing with barely restrained fury. “I don’t give a fuck about their privacy. I want names. Now.”
Merrik hesitated, the sharp glint in his eyes betraying his unease. Finally, he leaned forward, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “This isn’t the place for such discussions. Come. We’ll speak somewhere more private.”
My stomach dropped as Merrik stepped out from behind his stall, gesturing for us to follow him. I barely suppressed a shiver as Jareth took my hand. The contact sent a jolt through me, and I tightened my fingers around his.
The alley Merrik led us to was worse than the market. The lanterns barely lit the narrow space, and the air grew colder with every step. The faint metallic tang of blood lingered in the shadows. My pulse quickened with every heartbeat. My instincts screamed at me to turn back, but Jareth’s hand in mine was the only thing keeping me moving.
“Jareth, are you sure about this guy?”
“I’ve got it under control.”
I wanted to trust him, to believe that he knew exactly what he was doing, but it became harder to push down my rising panic as we walked deeper into the alley. This wasn’t my world. I wasn’t built for dark alleys, patchwork vendors, and twisted creatures. What the hell was I doing here?
This was a mistake.
I shouldn’t have come.
But there was no turning back now. Whatever answers Merrik had, we needed them. And I could only hope we’d leave this place in one piece.
41
EVA
Merrik stopped abruptly at a narrow doorway carved into the rough stone wall, his grin unsettling. It wasn’t just the sharpness of his teeth that put me on edge, it was the gleam in his eyes that said he knew something we didn’t.
The torchlight flickered against the jagged edges of the passage, casting his shadow long and crooked, like it didn’t belong to him.
“After you,” he said, his voice syrupy and sweet, dripping with false charm. His outstretched hand gestured toward the opening, and I resisted the urge to recoil.
Jareth stepped between us, pulling me back behind him with a firm grip on my wrist. “Stay close,” he muttered as he pushed the creaking door open and stepped through.
The smell hit me first. It was damp and stale, with an undertone of something far worse. Decay. I swallowed down the bile rising in my throat. My pulse pounded in my ears, each beat louder than the last. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to turn around, to run, but I stayed close behind Jareth, gripping the edge of my jacket to steady myself.
The room was worse than I had imagined. It was small and claustrophobic, the walls lined with sagging shelves stuffed fullof jars that glowed faintly in the dim light. Some of the jars held what looked like preserved organs, others swirled with a liquid that shimmered unnaturally. Trinkets dangled from hooks, tiny bones and twisted bits of metal swaying slightly, even though there was no breeze. A low table stood in the center of the room, covered in yellowed parchments scrawled with symbols I couldn’t even begin to understand. The air itself felt wrong, and it pressed against my skin like it was alive.
Merrik stepped in behind us and closed the door with a deliberateclick. The sound echoed in the silence, sharp and final, like the locking of a cell. Without thinking, I grabbed Jareth’s arm. My fingers curled around the thick leather of his jacket sleeve.
If Jareth noticed, he didn’t show it. He was completely focused on Merrik. “Names,” he demanded. There was no room for argument, no patience in his tone. “You know damn well who purchased that fucking mutant rat from you, and I expect you to divulge that information. Immediately.”
Merrik laughed softly, the sound curling around the room like smoke. He was utterly at ease, hands clasped loosely behind his back.
“Patience, my dear boy,” he crooned. “These things take time.”
He was enjoying this, relishing the tension he’d created. I glanced at Jareth, whose fists clenched at his sides. He took a step closer to Merrik, and though he didn’t speak, the message was clear. He wasn’t here to fucking play around.
I told myself to trust him. I always did. Jareth had proven time and again that he could handle whatever was thrown at him. But doubt nagged at the back of my mind like a shadow. What if this time, he couldn’t protect us both? The thought crept in unbidden, making my heart pound harder.
