Page 13 of My Orc Contract Husband
Because you could smell her fear.
The memory hit me like a physical blow, and I had to grip the edge of the counter to steady myself.
Yeah. The sour stench of it had caused myKteerto howl, and I’d had to bite down on the urge tocrush kill pain blood hurtthe male who’d caused it. My knuckles went white where I gripped the spatula, and I had to consciously force myself to relax.
“Fun?” Abydos repeated, causing me to take a deep breath and focus on the burgers and buns in front of me. “House hunting isn’t supposed to befun. Did you find a good house?” There was something in his voice I couldn’t quite identify—suspicion, maybe, or concern.
“Hanging out with Sami is fun. Thanks for connecting me with her.” I busied myself with the food, hoping he couldn’t see the flush I felt creeping up my neck.
Months ago, she’d been the one to find Abydos the property he bought, and now I heard him make a dismissive sound.
“There’s no use going with anyone besides the best. Butwhat about the house?”
Deciding I’d teased him enough, I slid the last bun onto the platter and began to assemble the burgers. “The lot was amazing—huge, shaded, lots of open space. I’d have to tear down the fence on the left of the house to get the tractors through there to build my shop, but otherwise I think it was good.”I worked quickly, layering cheese and vegetables with practiced efficiency.
I announced the last part as I turned, the platter of burgers in hand, to see him shaking his head. “What?”
“Tark, you didn’t say anything about thehouse. Are you going to tear it down, or do you just not give a shit?”
I shrugged. “Guess I don’t give a shit. I could live in my shop if I needed, you know that. I just need someone to sell me a piece of property so I can start building.”
Abydos saluted me with the beer. “Sounds like a plan. If anyone can pull this off, it’s you.”
What a surprisingly kind thing for him to say.
I opened my mouth, still not sure how to respond to such a compliment, and felt my phone vibrate. I thrust the platter of burgers into his hand and reached for my pocket.
“Speak of the devil,” I muttered, a handy human phrase I’d picked up, as I swiped to my email. “The mortgage…” The words blurred together, and I had to read the email twice before the meaning sank in. “Fuck.”
“Fuck?” Abydos repeated, standing there holding the burgers, looking at a loss. He’d gone still, the platter balanced carefully in his hands, watching my face with something that might’ve been concern in his eyes.
“Fuck,” I agreed, slapping the phone down to the counter and taking the platter from him. “I was denied the loan. I’ll tell Sami to forget looking at houses. Just find me a piece of property big enough to build the shop.”
“Fuck,” he repeated, following me into the dining room. “That sucks, Tark. Why did they?—”
“They approved me for the smaller loan a few months back. I assumed this one would be okay too.”
“Did you…” Abydos’s tone was uncharacteristically hesitant. “Were there any big expenses in the last few months? Purchases? Donations.”
Hells. I sighed and plopped the platter on the table, knowing what he was angling for. “Yeah, I made my usual donations.”
“Well, shit, you idiot. I guarantee you that the bank saw that, thought it suspicious and not worth the risk, and turned you down.”
Was this his attempt to make me feel better? I stomped around. “I wasn’tnotgoing to do it,” I snarled. “You know that’s important to me. I’ll figure something out.”
Abydos hesitated. “I can buy it for you?—”
“No,” I barked, already heading back into the kitchen. “I’m not taking money from you.”
I didn’t mind him buying me groceries or letting me build on his land when we were all together. But here and now? When we were all starting over? It would feel too much like pity. Too much like Abydos assuaging his guilt.
Scooping the fries into a bowl, I swallowed, trying to clear my throat. Where’d I put my beer?Fuck me. I’d been so excited to start building! The fries were too hot, and I burned my fingers on the metal pan, cursing under my breath.
By the time I returned to the dining room, Abydos had set the table and was sitting there, watching me with what—if I didn’t know better—was worry. “What?” I barked. I set the bowl down with more force than necessary, and a few fries jumped out onto the table.
“You know money doesn’t mean anything to me,” he said in a quiet, intense tone. “I don’t need it—it’s just a way to keep score. If you hadn’t given away all your hush money, you’d have enough to invest in my companies like the rest of us, and part of all this”—he gestured at himself and at the apartment around us—”would be yours.”
Did he think I didn’t know that? I dumped half the fries on his plate to hide my anger. I never regretted my choices when it came to my investments, butdamnI hated when Abydos made me feel like a kitling because of it.
