Synnergy, Chaos Time Book 3 Read Free Page B

she wasn’t sure how Milly managed to keep it
all so neat, but it was.
    After they sat, One Eye served them steaming stew in
tin cups with a hot loaf of bread each. The scent of boiled beef
and rich broth made Sable groan and her belly growl. She’d
forgotten how long it had been since she’d last eaten a decent
meal.
    He returned to his spot at the bar and resumed
counting his gold.
    Milly smiled and urged her to begin eating. Arianna
was digging in as well and Sable had to admit to feeling good
seeing her eat. She didn’t know the healer much, but it worried her
to see how much she was struggling. In all the chaos of what they
were doing it was easy to forget sometimes that Arianna had just
lost her family.
    Midway through the meal Milly spoke. “I assume coming
here means you’re in need of work?” She lifted a shapely brow and
Sable nodded.
    “We’ve only arrived,” she said, hoping that sounded
like an old timey response.
    Milly narrowed eyes brimming with intelligence.
Another mental image of a noose intruded in Sable’s thoughts. Had
she already screwed up?
    “That’s a long journey you’ve made from the South,
Ms...” She paused, waiting for Sable to supply a name.
    Her lips were going chapped from licking them so
much, but it was a nervous habit she couldn’t seem to break. Not
only was she shocked that Milly had pegged her southern twang, but
now she was wanting a name. Had they talked about going by an
alias? She hadn’t listened completely to Hunter. Now she wished
she’d paid a little better attention. She blurted out the first
thing that came to mind.
    “Bunny Smyth.” Immediately she wanted to groan. Had
she really just said that?
    Arianna looked at her and a glimmer of something
flickered out of sight behind her still gaze.
    Milly shifted and cleared her throat, a small smile
on her lips. “Bunny. Indeed.” She nodded and then shook her
head.
    If she could have buried her head in the sand she
would have. Sable shoved a spoonful of stew into her mouth, mostly
to keep herself from speaking again. At this point it tasted like
sawdust.
    “Okay, Bunny,” Milly drew out the vowel with that
gentle brogue of hers, “I’ll not pry. Your business is your
business, so long as you make me money, I don’t much care about
your past.”
    She looked askance at Arianna. “And you must be,
Kitten?”
    Sable shifted down in her seat.
    Arianna shook her head. “I’m Ari.”
    Sable was surprised she’d answered.
    Milly touched the curve of Arianna’s face tracing the
gentle swell of her cheekbone. “Lovely creature you are. The
boys’ll love you,” she laughed softly. Obviously satisfied, she sat
back. “Well finish up. I like my girls strong, you’ll start
tonight. My wages are fair, seventy-thirty split, best you’ll find
round these parts.”
    Really? That sounded like highway robbery to
Sable.
    “One Eye, see the ladies to their room please.”
    He looked up and nodded; walking around the bar he
returned to their side and pulled the chairs out for them. He was
very polite, methodical about it. Like a male version of Arianna,
and the closer he got to her, the more ravaged his ear and face
looked. Sable couldn’t stop staring. She knew it was rude, but it
was so unbelievable anyone could survive something like that. Was
he the Lord? He definitely looked the part.
    Scary, psychotic, and creepy.
    Was it possible that it would be this easy?
    His shoulders stiffened and she knew he was aware of
her staring, only then was she able to glance away.
    Milly’s shrewd gaze was like a hot brand on Sable’s
face and made her squirm in her seat.
    Sable swallowed. “Where is everyone else?” Wasn’t a
whorehouse supposed to be full of scantily clad women?
    The Madam suppressed a smile. “I was an innocent like
you once.”
    “What?”
    “We work at night, dear. Sleep during the day.” She
winked, and Sable wanted to curse herself all sorts of stupid. Of
course they did, and she’d just given it