Page 37 of Desperate Bargain

After quickly consulting the book,she writes:

“24.”

I hand her another card.

“Sorry about yesterday.She was someone I used to know.”

Suki frowns,then thumbs through the dictionary.

“Wife?”

I shakemy head back and forth, then hand her the next card I have prepared.

“Have I hurt you?Physically? During sex?”

Her cheeks flushwith color as she shakes her head back and forth.

I hand her the next card.

“Tell me about yourself.”

When she frowns,I hand her a pre-made card, hoping she gets what I mean.

“My name is Trent Wagner.I grew up on a farm and left home at eighteen to join the military. When the dead rose, I was working in the Civil Police. My friends and I are trying to help rebuild the world.”

I spareher the details of having to overthrow the Keep’s original owners, because admittedly, that’s a bit much.

She reads the card, her brow furrowing. I know that in Korean, certain words are said in a different order, so I probably sound akin to Yoda from Star Wars.

After rereading it several times, she looks up at me and smiles timidly. “Hell-o, Trent Wag-ner.”

For a moment, my heart all but stops. It’s like I’m meeting her for the first time, and the world isn’t the dead sack of shit that it is.

“Hello, Suki.” I push the card that says ‘tell me about yourself’ in front of her again.

Her face falls. She looks stricken.

Which confuses me, but I suppose she might not have a happy story to tell.

I fold my hand over hers and smile. “It’s-o-k.”

She looks through the dictionary, settles on a page, and with a shaky hand, begins writing. When she’s done, she slides the card over to me.

“Not good.”

I pointto her and say, “You, good.”

Her hands toil relentlessly.I’m surprised she would be so anxious, but I remember that Asian cultures place a high emphasis on shame and honor.

And if she’s acting like this, she must feel ashamed.

I take the card and dictionary away and smile at her.

“It’s-o-k.”

She bites her lower lip, then grabs the card and dictionary back.

I’m filled with sudden regret. I hadn’t intended to make her feel worse than she already does, so I try to take the items back, but she gives me a hard shake of the head and opens the dictionary, searching for words. I’m almost scared of what she’s going to say. That it’s going to fill me with murderous rage.

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