“I see.” My mark leans his head back, his mouth tipped open, not even trying to be discreet.
Of all the things to notice next, I spot a gold band on his left hand. I assume that’s not his wife.
“Rarely do these leeches stick to drugs and weapons,”Ares bristles. “Human trafficking usually follows. No one is using my club for anything illegal. Without permission or payment.”
“It’s easy to launder dirty money with expensive liquor,” I tell him.
“Next, he’ll be making deals with other families. All without our blessing,” Ares hisses, taking a seat next to me, crowding me. “That ends tonight.”
“Why don’t you let me throw him out?” I suggest, reaching for my gun. “Make an example out of him, and maybe he’ll move on.”
Every person I don’t kill is one less burden on my soul. One less evidence trap I can fall into.
“If you make a show of kicking him out, the distributor or mafia boss he’s dealing for might show up next.” Ares looks around. “You should know powers are consolidating.”
I act bored at his comment. But Shane has seen the same thing. High Lords are emerging. Calling on smaller houses to bend the knee. “This man needs to quietly disappear.” Ares squeezes my leg under the table.
“Making people disappearismy specialty.” I throw back the one glass of whiskey I got to pour and stand up.
“I have my seven guards standing by,” Ares says, giving a signal.
“What happened to guards ‘guard’?” I ask.
“They are here to guardme,” he answers smugly.
“In case handsy-man over there has an accomplice planted somewhere?” I ask with a snort.
Ares grips my shoulder. “I talk. You destroy, got it?”
I resist an eyeroll and just nod. Then I follow the Ares toward the booth of trouble. The woman instantly removes her hands from between the man’s legs and flees, her big tits bouncing.
“How many times are you going to come here and embarrass yourself?” Ares speaks, his voice all ice and gravel.
“Fuck off, Zervas.” His disrespect stills the air, and it feels strangely personal. There’s more going on here. “Do you think I don’t know what you really want?”
At the right moment, I step out from behind Ares like a Targaryen dragon. The man’s eyes snap up to me. Goddamn… I see a flash of recognition in his face.
Fear. He knows who I am?
I smile without warmth to lean into the situation. “Do you want to tellmeto fuck off?”
He opens his mouth, but he doesn’t get the one syllable past his lips. I’m across the table before the word forms, dragging him out of the booth by his jacket. His glass of vodka spills, and the glass shatters all around us.
A wall of Greek guards and the brothers close in, seamless and silent, shielding my wrath from the crowd. I drag him to the bowels of the club through a maze of narrow halls that stink of bleach.
We reach a soundproof room lit by one bare bulb, and I throw the guy into a chair.
Before I start rearranging his face, Ares pushes me out of the way and smashes the guy’s nose. “That is for her”
Her?This has to do with a woman? Not selling drugs. I knew it.
“You gonna just stand there?” Ares wipes blood off his knuckles.
“Hardly.” I brandish my knife and lick it. “Tell me when I can start cutting off fingers.”
“You won’t get away with this,” the guy snarls.
“I already have, mate.” I pull my fist back, and the first strike delivers a crimson shower that rains on his black suit.
