“You are,” Lucas said, gesturing to an empty seat at his table with his eyes. “And empty-handed, I see.”

“I’m not empty-handed,” Nick argued as a slightly-curvy woman with a medium build walked through the door behind him.

She was covered in leather and had random weapons strapped to her with custom-made leather sheaths. With the buckles from her weapon holders, the black leather pants and boots, the loose-fitting blue shirt that seemed to always be almost showing more cleavage than would be appropriate in a PG environment, she looked much like a swashbuckling pirate.

“This is the bastard who killed you in the middle of a quest?” the woman asked loudly as soon as she walked in the door. “The one that blew you and your friends away like a kite in a hurricane?”

“Yeah, he’s the one,” Nick answered.

“You telling me this is the two-timing backstabber that gutted you like a hooked fish for a lousy quest and a pretty girl?” she asked, seeking clarification once more.

“Yeah . . . that’s the one,” Nick said, making Lucas a little nervous.

Did he bring her here to help him kill me? Lucas tried to stealthily move his hand toward the backpack that he had dropped next to his chair.

“That’s great,” she said. “That’s great. Man, it’s good to meet you, boss. I wish I coulda been there to watch you kill this mile-an-hour mouth of a bastage. Hell, I’d have even done it half price!” The woman laughed heartily, slapping Nick on the back. “No offense, little man.”

“How is that not offensive? I’m bigger than you!” Nick retorted.

“Not where it counts,” she said, patting her coin purse. “And I’m betting boss here is more of a man by that measure too, aren’t you, boss?”

Lucas took in a deep breath, unsure of how he felt now that another loud, high-energy person had appeared. “I got enough to pay you fairly if you do the work,” he responded, not wanting to tell her exactly how much he had.

“That’s all that matters,” she said, walking over and shooting out her hand. “Name’s Bonnie, and for a price, I’m all yours.”

“As a mercenary, she means,” Nick clarified for her. “Only one I could find that was still in the starting town. I tried to find a few more, but she’s all that was left.”

“Mercenary? I’m whatever he can afford me to be.” She clinched Lucas’s hand tighter and gave him a wink. “Whatever you can afford,” she added in a quieter, more sultry tone.

A fit female body with all the right curves in all the right places was always going to be attractive to Lucas, but he couldn’t ignore the furry red ears poking out from behind her matching red hair.

“A fox girl?” Lucas said.