"She doesn't want anything?" repeated Ripper, the disbelief in his voice was a tangible thing.
"Not a single thing," I reassured him. "But I do."
"You want something for what she does?" he asked, not sure how that made any sense at all.
"Yes," I said simply. "I want you to protect her."
"Protect her from what?" asked Rip as he pushed Ripper aside. "Do people want to hurt her too?"
I nodded sadly. "I want you to protect her from everyone that wants to hurt her. You don't like being hurt right? So you shouldn't let anyone hurt her."
Ripper stared out at me. "You want me to protect her against those that hurt her? What will you give us in return?"
"What do you want?" I was willing to negotiate in order to make this happen. Ripper would be the best protection that she had until Bai Long Qiang had a chance to get to her.
