Chapters (52)
- Copyright
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Acknowledgments
- Read More from the Market of Monsters Series
- More Books from HMH Teen
- About the Author
- Connect with HMH on Social Media
“I figured.” Nita smiled softly and rose. “Well, think about what you want from Alberto Tácunan’s databases. I’ll be in contact.”
Nita turned to go, and Adair called, “Oh, Nita.”
She turned back. “Yes?”
“Our other deal still stands.”
Nita blinked. “Other deal?”
“Our information exchange. If you find out why Fabricio, the doted-upon heir to Alberto Tácunan and his fortune, is so desperate to go into hiding, desperate enough to sell the person who saved him on the black market”—Adair cocked his head—“if you find me those answers, I’ll tell you how the Dangerous Unnaturals List was created. How a list that is so blatantly about killing and selling certain valuable unnaturals for profit got legalized.”
Nita tilted her head. “Will that information help me now?”
He considered. “It might. I don’t know. But even if it doesn’t, you want to know, don’t you?”
She did. The idea of secrets fascinated her, and the information was one more piece of a giant puzzle that she was trying to piece together. She felt like she was starting to dissect a body, and Adair was offering her a bone saw. If only she let him use her scalpel in return.
“Fabricio’s been reticent,” Nita admitted. “But if I find anything out, I’ll make that trade.”
He smiled, thin and clever. “Good luck, Nita. Say goodbye to Kovit for me.”
Then Diana helped him to the back, and they vanished into the depths of the pawnshop.
Eleven
NITA LEFT THE PAWNSHOP, miraculously managing not to trip on anything or break anything. Outside, the sun shone blue and bright, the crisp spring air making her tug her sweater tighter. The scent of just-bloomed flowers and freshly cut grass mingled together with the garbage from a craft brewery just up the block and the pervasive odor of car exhaust.
Nita couldn’t trade with INHUP to eliminate the Dangerous Unnaturals List.
She let out her breath. Was she just supposed to let Kovit die? Give up?
What else was there to do? It wasn’t like she could stay here thinking of new plans forever. They had one week. And the whole black market was still after Nita, hunting for her to rip her apart and sell her body. It wasn’t like she could move freely.
She needed to go to Buenos Aires and steal Fabricio’s father’s information.
Once she did that, she’d have more options. Once she knew everything about everyone, once she had all the power that information could afford, once she could trade information like currency to eliminate the threat against herself, she’d find a way to buy Kovit off the list too.
Adair had said that Tácunan Law was full of information on higher-ups in INHUP. Surely she could use it to blackmail them to take Kovit’s name off the list?