Rex had already anticipated this.
Frankly, though he wasn't expecting much, Bellana kept her cool better than he thought she would.
She kept her face still, her posture relaxed, that is, until a rough hand reached out and fingered the end of her braid. The contact broke her strong façade. This place was basically the slums, a sump where bad people marinated in grime and cruelty, where everything bright eventually got smudged black.
And Bellana was bright. Untouched.
Her color made her look like a Barbie. Someone who doesn't belong here at all.
Rex fit right in, while she stood out like a sore thumb.
Just from that alone, he knew there was no avoiding being tested by these thugs.
"I thought renting a vault in this garbage of a place had something to do with not asking questions," Rex said—staring at the man straight in the eyes. No fear in his eyes. "Show me the portal unless you want my business to also be your… business."
