FULL NOVELXO Chapter 70 70 Unexpected Encounter
Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Unexpected Encounter
Her words hit his nervous ears like the howling of a nightwolf. It was the first time Nexus had heard her speak full complete sentences.
Brows furrowed, and eyes focused, he kept his gaze trained on her. Adoration dogged the corner of his eyes. It was astounding that even in the oppressively dark, gothic, candlelit stone establishment, she still somehow glowed- like coal embers at an incense altar.
". . .what the fuck are you staring at?"
The sound of her snapping voice pulled
Nexus' eyes flickered. Damn, had he been gawking all this while?
"Forgive me, I just thought you would remember me."
Her head tilted slightly to the side; "Why?"
"Well I–"
He stopped abruptly. His dumb ass had failed to realize he was no longer Nexus. He was Ni Yang. And Ni Yang had absolutely zero ties to the Russell Clan. Smiling, he realized this was actually a good thing. He finally got to have a do over. . .
"–I saw you in the marketplace a while back," he pivoted; "You beat the hell out of some punks back then."
Monica's face remained as placid as a still lake. Her voice came with an even more sinister stillness;
"What does that have to do with wind wolves? Do you want to die newbie?"
Nexus laughed.
His broad shoulders gyrated back and forth, heaving in response to his booming chuckles;
"I'm sorry, but why would I occupy my thoughts with fictional wolves? When I have a fantasy right in front of me?"
For a moment, Monica eyes burned. He just didn't know if it was from anger or passion- or both.
"You're walking on thin ice newbie. . .watch it. . .or you'll end up like your friends in the marketplace. . ."
He wanted to correct her. But he held his peace. He surveyed the situation and knew he was very much in the win. Knowing the kind of person Monica was, he knew she should have been long gone after three or four words.
But she was still here. And that spoke louder than three or four words.
Instead of apologizing, he tipped back his hat slightly, turned sideways, and pointed at the quest board with his left hand. The sleeves of his dark trench coat stretched out, making him look like a human scarecrow;
"This is the only quest in this category that is worth something. And clearly–" he glanced at the ribbon in her hand; "–we both want it. So I want to propose a compromise."
He withdrew his hand and faced her squarely;
"How about we join forces together on this one?"
Monica's right eyebrow shot up instantly in an inverted curve. Even her eyebrows were red.
"What?" she spat out incredulously.
"Hold on hear me out–" Nexus countered in a negotiating tone; "Two heads are better than one. So, it stands to reason that we will actually cut back on time, effort, and resources if we do this together. . ."
His words came out in crisp concise notes, colorfully painting an ideal situation. But they only a front. His true intentions were less than noble. Nexus wanted to be as close as possible to this girl. He wanted to watch her, to observe her, to see what made her tick.
And this was a sure fire way.
". . .then, at the end of the day," he continued confidently; "based on our respective input, we can split the pay in whatev–"
Unexpectedly, Monica, who had been standing across from him and watching him furtively, suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. Her voice rasped out in rich squeals, rippling through the air, without care. In quick sucessions, the peals of laughter echoed through rhythmically.
Astonished, Nexus gaped at the crimson-clad girl.
She was laughing, but Nexus saw, clearly, that the laughter did not reach her eyes.The contempt poured out freely, riding each peal, attacking his worth, self-esteem and everything he had said.
From her neck down, her body movements were still controlled. Her slender neck remained in place as her eyes burned into him. She looked like a demon- a demon in red curly hair, clothed in crimson velvet, and black leather boots.
Finally, the trajectory of the mocking laughter took a dive.
Smiling with a wicked glint in her eyes, she answered him in a voice that spelled condescension;
"You're certainly bold, I'll give you that for sure." she added for good measure;
"Indignantly stupid yes- but still bold."
She shifted her weight to her other feet;
"IF. . ." the word was heavy with disdain; ". . .I decide to let you tag along on this mission, don't even think for a second that you're going to get a portion in the loot. You'll be going home with absolutely nothing."
Firing on all cylinder's, Nexus' mind went into overdrive.
This was Monica- the lonewolf. If she was even remotely considering the possibility of working together, then he truly stood a chance this time. He could not screw this up.
So, assuming a mask of indifference, Nexus' shoulders relaxed, then heaved, and slumped again in a mindless shrug;
"As I said earlier on, I'm not in the least worried about the spoils of the hunt."
"You're not?" her eyes narrowed in suspicion; "If you're thinking of pulling a fast one on me, I promise yo–"
"I mean it Monica," he raised his hands, putting on a non-threatening look; "You can have it all, I'm just in it for the ride."
The edges of her delicately carved chin clenched. Her eyes searched the stranger's face, looking for any red flags as he bamboozled his way into her space;
"You said it yourself right? I'm just a newbie. So, wouldn't the most prudent move be to try to get some experience out there in the field?"
A quirky smile stole across his lower face;
"And who better to tag along with, than the beautiful resplendent Monica herself? It's a no brainer really," He shrugged again; "You can keep the loot Mon, I just want to be part of this wonderful adventure- by your side."
Monica did not give him an answer immediately. For the next few tense seconds, her soul searching eyes bored into him- lingering intrusively, forcing him to hold her disturbingly focused gaze.
She ran the math in her head;
He was a newbie. The ridiculous coat and hat, as well as his overconfidence, all told her that he was uncharacteristically arrogant. His abilities also weren't apparent- yet. But he was basically offering to be a free help.
For Monica, who always protected her profit margins, that was the punchline. It was all she needed.
She straightened;
"If we're going to be working together, you need to get one thing straight," contemporary romance
"I'm listening,"
"You work for me. Period. Got it?"
Nexus grinned; "Got it."
"This isn't a fuckin' joke. Any sign of debauchery from you, and I'm going to cut you off faster than cancerous leg."
Nexus nodded curtly; "Whatever you say Monica."
Clutching the ribbon tightly around her fingers, the red-headed veteran hunter pulled up her hood, and breezed right past him towards the exit. Her scarlet colored cape flowed behind her, giving off the illusion that she was gliding.
With her back to him, her voice rang out impatiently...
done.co