Can't do anything but stand there while the man I live with holds my life in his hands.
He leans in, presses a kiss to my forehead, then he releases me and walks away.
"Come back to bed," he calls over his shoulder. "And don't make me come looking for you again."
I wait until I hear him settle onto the mattress, then I look at my reflection one last time.
The anger is gone. The spark is gone.
There's just a woman with a handprint bruising on her throat and tears sliding silently down her cheeks.
I turn off the light and go back to bed.
CHAPTER 2
Leviathan
Numbers don't lie.
I stare at the spreadsheet on my laptop, the glow of the screen harsh in the dim office.
Steel Kittens pulled in twelve percent less than last month.
That's the third dip in a row.
Could be seasonal—winter's always slower—but my gut says otherwise.
Someone's skimming, or the girls aren't pushing drinks hard enough, or management's gotten lazy.
I make a note to have Klutch run an audit.
If someone's stealing from the club, I'll find them, and they won't enjoy what happens next.
A knock on the door. I don't look up.
"It's open."
Zenon steps inside, dropping into the chair across from my desk like he owns the place.
In a way, he does. We built this together—him and me, from the ground up. Prospected together under Salvo, earned our patches together, bled for this club together.
He's the only person in this world I trust without question.
"You look like shit," he says by way of greeting.
"Fuck off."
He grins, unrepentant. "Klutch wants to talk to you about the protection run next week. Says the Italians are getting twitchy about the route."
"They're always twitchy. Tell him to handle it."
"Told him you'd say that." Zenon stretches his legs out, crossing his boots at the ankle. "He's also asking about the new shipment. Wants to know if we're moving it through the usual channels or switching things up."
I close the laptop, finally giving him my full attention. "What do you think?"
"I think the usual channels have been too usual lately. Cops have been sniffing around the south side. Might be time to reroute."
I nod.
