Poppy unclasped her hands and pushed them into her thighs, leaning forward. “He might have been out of line, but it was achild’s prank. You crossed an entirely different line when you made it an adult situation.”
An infectious joy spread through my chest, hot and bright. I couldn’t be more proud of my wife.
“Rayko,” I mused. “Is that a class ring on his left hand?”
My second smiled. It was a cold, lifeless grin. “Sure is, boss. A fancy college token.”
I tapped my fingers against the arm rests of the high back chair. “I like rings. Bring it to me.”
The soldiers chuckled, and a few let out whoops of delight. Poppy frowned and shot a confused look down at me.
I didn’t meet her gaze. What was the fun in giving away the punchline while the familiar scene was playing out?
With a brutal tug, Rayko pulled the ring off.
Breaking the commissioner’s finger in the process.
To the backdrop of his yowls, my second knelt on his good leg and extended the token.
I leaned forward, catching my wife with an arm as I examined the trophy. “Nah, it isn’t that pretty.”
“It’s gold, boss.” Rayko let out a hollow chuckle.
I hummed. “Still, put it back.”
The commissioner tried to scoot away, clutching his hand to his chest. The don’s enforcer stepped behind him, blocking his path. The man—his name escaped me, even though we’d faced off once in the bowels of the club—gripped the commissioner by the throat. The crook of his elbow snagged around the scum’s windpipe, and the enforcer lifted him, cutting off airflow. Rayko limped over, took Dallas’s hand, and slammed the ring back on the broken digit.
Tears leaked from the commissioner’s eyes as the fresh burst of pain consumed him. He might have screamed if his voice wasn’t cut off.
“Wait!” I called out. “I like it.”
The crowd roared with laughter.
Poppy was breathing hard, using her mouth, not her nose. This was where we would see if she could handle such audiences in the underworld.
I sent an unspoken burst of reassurance to her, hoping and praying it was enough.
“You like this piece of cheap jewelry, boss?” Rayko held up the hand. The black twinkle in his eye meant he was enjoying this despite his broken leg.
I was too, as were our other guests. My soldiers shook with mirth.
Poppy shook too. But she wasn’t in on the joke. No, she shivered with fear—and maybe, just maybe, a darker thread of excitement.
“Yes, maybe?” I drawled, rubbing my chin. “It does look good from here.”
Rayko tore the ring off once more and held it out. “Better?”
My face scrunched. “No, not really.”
Howls rang out, ascending to the rafters, the sound more animal than human.
The ring crushed over the swelling digit. This time a scream broke out, since the enforcer gave enough slack to keep the scumbag from passing out.
“Ah, now it’s pretty again,” I sighed. “Maybe I could add it to my vault?”
“I think,” Rayko mused, holding the hand high. “I think that you like itonhis finger.”
I snapped my own. “That’s it!”
