wonders why I don’t have any fun.
Kaya was the one to break the uneasy silence, stepping forward with a nervous smile. “Come on, honey. We can’t be bothering the warrior.”
“Pretty ladies and cute kids are never a bother.” But Lorenzo tickled the boy’s chin and lowered him to the floor. “Run on. Your mama says it’s time to go.”
The boy grinned and scampered back to the safety of Kaya’s arms, and Zel turned his attention to his destination: a pair of glass doors emblazoned with a blue and red logo that had once marked this sector as a bank, a place to store valuable things.
Which it still was—if you found weapons valuable.
Lorenzo headed for the vault. “What do we think this is? A little mishap or a full-fledged shitty situation?”
“I think we’d better plan for the worst.” Devi hadn’t seemed like a woman who spooked easily, but something about the hand-signs her tech had flashed had put nervousness in her eyes.
“If this woman runs her own hauling crew, she can probably shrug off the occasional demon attack,” Lorenzo said matter-of-factly. “Assuming it’s just some random thugs and not a warrior clan.”
“She’s not usually hauling our people or their loved ones.”
Lorenzo said nothing, and Zel glanced over to find the younger man watching him closely. “Transport’s always a risk,” he said finally. “Everyone knows that, Zel. No one would blame you if this run went south.”
Zel shrugged off the words as they reached the vault. He pressed his hand to the clear plastic bioscan pad next to the door to disengage the locks, then hauled the solid steel door open. “You trying to make me feel better, or asking if I’m thinking with my dick?”
His companion barked out a short laugh. “The second option would never have occurred to me. Now that you mention it, though, I’m pretty damn sure I know what the answer is.”
Fuck. “I’m not. Tempting, but it’s not that. A few months ago, no one would have blamed me if this delivery went south. But, in case you haven’t noticed, shit’s gone to hell. And we need that shipment of fiber optic cable, or we’re going to end up cut off.”
Lorenzo seemed to accept the explanation, and he nodded as he pulled open a locker and retrieved a shotgun. “You think we get a discount if we save her ass?”
“Better.” Zel was still wearing his shoulder rig, but he snatched up an automatic rifle and a backup knife for good measure. “I think she might be able to get Rosa up north in one piece. If we could get her trained up, let everyone know we have our own healer…” The boost in morale alone would be worth it.
“You’re the boss. Wouldn’t be if we didn’t trust you.”
“I’m the boss because Oliver Wetzel married my mother.” Zel swung his new weapon over his shoulder and reached for a duffel bag packed with backup weapons and ammunition. “Or are you trying to say you just haven’t bothered to overthrow me yet?”
“I happen to like my leisure time. You work too damn hard.”
Zel choked back a laugh as they started for the elevators. “You get much more leisure time and you’re going to run out of playmates. There are a finite number of adults in this settlement, you know.”
“Didn’t you hear? Lovers are recyclable.” Lorenzo grinned. “Some simply aren’t satisfied with one night.”
Zel was saved from the obligation of coming up with a suitable retort when his handheld beeped. He tapped the side of his earpiece with one hand and jabbed the button for the elevator with the other. “Trip? Tell me you got a location.”
“Yes and no.” The boy sounded frazzled. “Well, yeah, I did, but you’re going to hope I’m wrong.”
The elevator was too damn slow, so Zel broke into a jog and kicked open the door to the stairs. “Spill it.”
“They’re less than an hour out, which is good.” Trip paused. “But they’re also stopped, which is bad .”
“Fuck. Track them and tell me if they
Kaya was the one to break the uneasy silence, stepping forward with a nervous smile. “Come on, honey. We can’t be bothering the warrior.”
“Pretty ladies and cute kids are never a bother.” But Lorenzo tickled the boy’s chin and lowered him to the floor. “Run on. Your mama says it’s time to go.”
The boy grinned and scampered back to the safety of Kaya’s arms, and Zel turned his attention to his destination: a pair of glass doors emblazoned with a blue and red logo that had once marked this sector as a bank, a place to store valuable things.
Which it still was—if you found weapons valuable.
Lorenzo headed for the vault. “What do we think this is? A little mishap or a full-fledged shitty situation?”
“I think we’d better plan for the worst.” Devi hadn’t seemed like a woman who spooked easily, but something about the hand-signs her tech had flashed had put nervousness in her eyes.
“If this woman runs her own hauling crew, she can probably shrug off the occasional demon attack,” Lorenzo said matter-of-factly. “Assuming it’s just some random thugs and not a warrior clan.”
“She’s not usually hauling our people or their loved ones.”
Lorenzo said nothing, and Zel glanced over to find the younger man watching him closely. “Transport’s always a risk,” he said finally. “Everyone knows that, Zel. No one would blame you if this run went south.”
Zel shrugged off the words as they reached the vault. He pressed his hand to the clear plastic bioscan pad next to the door to disengage the locks, then hauled the solid steel door open. “You trying to make me feel better, or asking if I’m thinking with my dick?”
His companion barked out a short laugh. “The second option would never have occurred to me. Now that you mention it, though, I’m pretty damn sure I know what the answer is.”
Fuck. “I’m not. Tempting, but it’s not that. A few months ago, no one would have blamed me if this delivery went south. But, in case you haven’t noticed, shit’s gone to hell. And we need that shipment of fiber optic cable, or we’re going to end up cut off.”
Lorenzo seemed to accept the explanation, and he nodded as he pulled open a locker and retrieved a shotgun. “You think we get a discount if we save her ass?”
“Better.” Zel was still wearing his shoulder rig, but he snatched up an automatic rifle and a backup knife for good measure. “I think she might be able to get Rosa up north in one piece. If we could get her trained up, let everyone know we have our own healer…” The boost in morale alone would be worth it.
“You’re the boss. Wouldn’t be if we didn’t trust you.”
“I’m the boss because Oliver Wetzel married my mother.” Zel swung his new weapon over his shoulder and reached for a duffel bag packed with backup weapons and ammunition. “Or are you trying to say you just haven’t bothered to overthrow me yet?”
“I happen to like my leisure time. You work too damn hard.”
Zel choked back a laugh as they started for the elevators. “You get much more leisure time and you’re going to run out of playmates. There are a finite number of adults in this settlement, you know.”
“Didn’t you hear? Lovers are recyclable.” Lorenzo grinned. “Some simply aren’t satisfied with one night.”
Zel was saved from the obligation of coming up with a suitable retort when his handheld beeped. He tapped the side of his earpiece with one hand and jabbed the button for the elevator with the other. “Trip? Tell me you got a location.”
“Yes and no.” The boy sounded frazzled. “Well, yeah, I did, but you’re going to hope I’m wrong.”
The elevator was too damn slow, so Zel broke into a jog and kicked open the door to the stairs. “Spill it.”
“They’re less than an hour out, which is good.” Trip paused. “But they’re also stopped, which is bad .”
“Fuck. Track them and tell me if they