She simply reached out her arm, hooking it in his. Her body felt much more stable than it had been when they'd stopped. Hauling her along, Sin led her down the street at a moderate pace—which was still faster than she could really handle—trying his best to appear as if he was unconcerned. The genius at his side said nothing.
Maybe working with her wouldn't be so bad. He could admit he was partially at fault for the way things had started between them, but only partially. She still wasn't exactly the kind ofperson he'd want as his best friend, but it sounded like she had plenty of reasons to be proud of what she did.
Then again, pride was still a sin.
They boarded a train and made the trip back to OutLink, but the conversation never returned to the same comfortable level it had been back there on the side of the street. He tried to think of something kind to say, but his mind was blank, filled only with images of her striking eyes. His only interaction with people was either guarding them, the false flirting he did with the employees of the bar beside his place, or interacting with priests and followers of the Legion. He had no idea what to say to a socially awkward girl—who was at least ten times smarter than him—without sounding like an idiot.
When their train stopped, he helped her up, and she took one step too close, then inhaled. He laughed. "Second-hand smoke is addictive too, you know."
"I know. I still like it." Then she turned for the door.
Sin closed his eyes and prayed to himself. Was this woman trying to make his head spin? Did she have multiple personalities in there? He took her arm and guided her from the train, making sure she didn't trip at the threshold.
At least he'd finally made a little progress.
Chapter Nine
On his fourth day with her, Sin was called to take the girl somewhere else, and she was falling behind again. It seemed she still thought molasses was an appropriate speed for high threat areas. He glanced over his shoulder and felt the grinding of his teeth. Forcing his jaw to relax, Sin slowed down, hoping she would catch up. He needed her to be closer. His job wasn't to sit by and watch while someone shot her, it was to protect her, and he couldn't do that with three paces between them.
"I really don't need to lose you in the middle of the street. In case you forgot, someone wants your head!"
"Yes, Legate," she answered.
She was breathing hard. He hadn't expected that. He also hadn't noticed it before, but he hadn't really been watching her. Did she never get off her ass? How did she keep herself so thin? He nearly slapped his own head, reminding himself she was an Ingénue. This woman probably calculated her caloric intake, or more likely, she just had surgical enhancement anytime her form didn't meet her expectations.
He decided a few extra minutes in the open wouldn't hurt, and she obviously couldn't keep the pace he was setting. Sin waited for her to reach his side, then walked at the pace she set. The girl didn't bother thanking him. She didn't even look up, but he saw her eyes move toward his legs. With a sigh, he decided it would have to do. For once, he would be nice to her for the entire fucking day—not just part of it.
"Ever been to DCB before?" he asked, trying to break the ice between them.
"No, Legate."
He fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Not usually your round, huh?"
There was a strange pause before she answered. "DCB is not a top-tier corporation. The expense of an Ingénue is outside their annual budget. This is the first and only time they have applied for a contract with OutLink."
So, did that mean they were beneath her notice? He couldn't help but wonder what it was she did notice. She said she liked to be outside, so maybe that was why she liked walking so slow? He could probably use that to get her to open up a bit. After all, he was a priest; he was supposed to be easy to talk to. He wassupposedto inspire trust. He chuckled at the thought, and the girl's head tilted slightly at the sound of his laugh. It was an acknowledgment. Not much of one, but right about now, he'd take what he could get.
They reached the train platform, and he moved her to the side, away from the press of bodies. "So, I was thinking," he looked down, seeing only cloth, yet hoping for another one of those imperceptible twitches. "Did you want to take the path through the gardens on our way back?"
She gave him one, lifting her head almost enough to look at his belt. "That would be an inefficient use of your time, Legate, and you seem to dislike it when we are in public."
"Immediately outside OutLink, yes, because that's the easiest place to pick us off."
"I understand, Legate," she mumbled.
He groaned, dragging his hand across his face. "I was trying to benice. Isn't usually this hard, but you aren't exactly making this a fucking friendship made in the stars. You know that, right?"
"Yes, Legate."
The train arrived, saving him from snapping her head off. He guided her to the private car at the end. Pressing his hand against it, a transmitter in his wrist unlocked the door. With a gallant—and slightly sarcastic—bow, he held the door while she entered, then stepped inside himself. The girl found a chair and lowered herself into it like a princess, her body folding as if the movement of each joint had been calculated.
It probably had.
Sin stood facing the door, watching her reflection in the glass. With his back to her, she seemed to relax. Her shoulders softened and her head even raised, daring to look through the windows. It was almost like her entire personality had just shifted again.
But in this light, her eyes weren't merely grey, he realized, they were nearly silver. They didn't look like cybernetics, but neither did his, and he'd never seen that color before in nature. Granted, they were quite pretty, most likely why she'd gotten them. Then they turned to him.
He was tired of whatever game they were playing. It was like every time he thought they'd made progress, it all vanished the very next time he saw her, forcing him to start all over. Who knew, maybe she wanted him to act like a well-mannered servant? If so, he could do that. He'd even do itnicely.
