Venture Untamed (The Venture Books) by R.H. Russell Page B

Justice. His mouth was set in a disapproving line.
    “Hello.” Jade gave Justice a polite smile, and Venture another warning look.
    “Hey,” Venture said grudgingly.
    “Miss Jade,” Flora called from the hallway, “We’ll be late!” Flora was just as tall as Venture, and, as a result of working alongside her father, the bladesmith, she was nearly as sturdy. On the surface, the girls seemed to have nothing in common, but Flora was one of Jade’s few classmates, and her only true friend outside the Fieldstone household.
    “Coming!” Jade turned to Venture. “Able drove me here. He’s waiting outside to take you home. Father’s got a mountain of records waiting for you tonight,” she said confidentially. “He says he needs a set of good, young eyes to go over them with him, but I think he just misses having you around the house all day.”
    No doubt he wanted to know how things had gone today. And what was Venture going to say about that?
    “Good-bye, Vent,” Jade said. “Justice.”
    Justice said good-bye to her, then turned on Venture with a fierce whisper. “What do you think you’re doing?”
      “Going to get dressed so I can get to work. What are you doing?”
    “I decided to drop by on my way home and see how things were going.”
    “You’re checking up on me.”
    “I’m your guardian. I have responsibilities.”
    As though he knew nothing about responsibilities.
    Justice put a hand on his back and nudged him aside. He lowered his voice. “What are you doing being so casual with her in a place like this? She is Jade Fieldstone.”
    “I know who she is.” Venture shrugged his hand off. “I have to go change.”
    When he emerged from the changing room, Justice was still there in the hallway, putting on his gloves.
    “You don’t seem to understand.” Justice picked up right where they’d left off. “She’s a beautiful girl from a good family. Before you know it, she’ll be the most desired lady in Springriver county.”
    Venture slipped by and headed for the center door, buttoning his coat.  
    “And she’s going to have to start acting like it.”
    “How’s that your business?” Venture pushed the front door open.
    On the stoop, Justice caught Venture’s arm. “You’re my business. What do you think people see when they look at the two of you together?”
    Venture pulled away.  
    “They think something improper is going on.”
    “What?”
    “At the very least they see a young bondsman who doesn’t know his place. They think someone ought to put you in your place.”
    Venture stuffed back a stream of curses and stepped down to the path. First Hunter and now Justice, reminding him about his place.
    “It’s nothing but trouble for you.”
    Nothing but trouble? His friendship with Jade was the only good thing that had come out of the terrible things that had happened to both of them. He spun around. “How am I supposed to just stop being friendly to my mistress? She isn’t going to like it and she is the boss, isn’t she?” he said sarcastically.
    “She’s never been the boss to you.”
    “That’s right. Jade doesn’t want to be my boss.” They’d settled that the day they’d met, and she hadn’t given him another order since.
    “You explain to her what I’ve told you, and if she really cares about you, she’ll agree to leave you alone.”
    No, she wouldn’t. Jade would cling all the more tightly to their friendship, be all the more obvious about it out of spite to anyone who would try to tell her who she could befriend.  
    “I am not going to do that.” He threw his bag down and glared up at Justice. Would decking his brother count as getting into another fight?
    Justice’s hands curled into fists. “Do you think Grant Fieldstone is the only one who can give you a beating for that—that kind of defiance?”
    Venture had learned to judge a man’s hands. His brother had heavy hands, hands that could do some damage. Still, he said, “If that’s what