"A percer sow," he offered."She was already injured or I wouldn't have been able to kill her.The sytos forced us to fight them in a Pit.If she'd been healthy, it would have taken at least three skilled males to defeat her."
"So you were a gladiator?"I could picture that.Everything about him screamed fighter, and I could imagine a percer could leave scars like the ones that covered his body.
"I was, so was Adak."
"Did you like it?"I cringed as I heard the words.He'd been enslaved and forced to fight for his life, why could he like it?But instead of being offended, Dargo looked like he was considering my words.
"Adak hated it.We fought as a team, against percers, other turochs, other slaves.We were very good, almost the best, but it isn't easy to kill someone you don't hate."
I noticed he didn't say he hated it.
"But you always won."Obviously, he was still alive.Man, I needed sleep.
Dargo eyed me like he didn't know if he wanted to reply to that.
"You don't have to tell me about this," I said, wishing I hadn't asked.Hearing his backstory wouldn't help me save my friends, and I knew better than anyone how tender a subject the past could be.
"I always lived," he finally said, ignoring me."I lost myself to my blood rages, my body took over to keep me alive, and I killed whomever or whatever threatened me.But it breaks a part of you to cause suffering, even if you can't remember the details afterward.If I never kill another turoch, it still won't erase what I've done to survive."
I couldn't imagine.
Our conversation slipped into awkward silence and I finished off my food, feeling a little sick after everything I'd heard.My mission to save Penny and find Hope hadn't changed, but knowing that Dargo and his friends had escaped slavery and survived who knew what horrors to get here, made it hard to see them as the enemy.
Suffering didn't make you a good person.I knew a lot of people from a shitty childhood that used it as an excuse to make other people miserable.But it did change the way I saw Dargo.
"Taz."
My head snapped up at my name and I realized I'd started dozing off.Dargo had moved closer, his legs hanging off the edge of the truck bed as he stared at me.His expression strangely serious.
"You'll be safe in our camp.Turochs prize females and I swear on my honor you'd come to no harm.You and your friend would be well taken care of."
Well taken care of.
I'd heard that line before.From a long line of social workers and bullshitting foster parents.
It'll be different this time.These are good people.You'll be safe here.This is your chance at a real life.
Somehow it was never different no matter what anyone promised.Either the foster family was crazy, the other kids were fucked up from past trauma or something would change and I'd be woken up in the middle of the night and shipped off to a new 'family' without a single explanation or promise it wouldn't happen again.
Until the day I was out on my own, I hadn’t felt safe.Life was hard as fuck when you were alone, but depending on other people never worked out for me.Maybe some people had families that came to the rescue and stood by them.But all I ever got was fucked over.
Penny was the only person I'd ever really trusted, and that was a two way street.I had to be there for her when she needed me.And right now she was alone with a freaking alien.So no, I wasn't going to trust Dargo or his promises when my friend was waiting to be rescued.
I chucked my empty can at the ground.
"Sorry, not interested."
Dargo's face fell and for a second I felt bad.
"I'll win you over," he said."I never wanted a mate, so I understand your reluctance."
I snorted.
"You really don't.And I'm not going to be your mate."
He grinned, his expression going from disappointed to leering in an instant.
"I'm sure if you let me get my face between your le-"
