fuck didn't even notice. "She's so fucking hot. Tight little waist and shit. I bet I know what else is tight." He lurched forward, his hand extended toward my crotch.
He never made contact, though, as I grabbed his wrist with one hand and drove one of my daggers into his throat with my other. I didn't tolerate sexual assault, and I sure as fuck didn't tolerate disrespect in an environment like this one.
The stupid Reaper remained frozen, my knife in his throat right up to the hilt and blood beginning to pool around the entry point. I held him like that for a moment, then raised my foot and kicked him backward. My knife slid free with a sickening, wet pop, and blood spray arced across the dirty floor as the Reaper collapsed in a heap, choking and gurgling as he died.
Still, the whole room remained silent like no one wanted to draw my attention by moving or making a noise.
Zed handed me a dark gray handkerchief from his pocket, and I used it to calmly clean off my knife as best I could before sliding it back into its sheath.
"Roach, I understand you're new to this position, but I think you can guess my feelings toward disrespect in any form. No?" I tilted my head to the side as I eyed the new Reapers’ leader. Fuck, he was young. I hoped to hell Cass knew what he was doing on this one.
He jerked a sharp nod, meeting my eyes in return and not flinching at the unrestrained violence he must have seen there. Good.
"My deepest apologies, Hades," he replied, casting a disgusted look at the dead man. "Mad Dog has been letting his addiction to our supply get out of hand. This was inevitable."
I arched a brow. "Mad Dog, huh?" That was convenient. I'd planned on killing him tonight anyway. “I imagine that concludes my reason for visiting you this evening.”
Understanding flashed across Roach's face, and he gave a short nod. "Yes, sir. I imagine it does." Then he raised his voice as he addressed the still dead-silent room. "Does anyone else want to challenge my authority over the Shadow Grove Reapers? Maybe you need a reminder that I have the support of Hades and the Timberwolves."
Not a single one of the Reapers spoke. Smart little gangsters.
Zed gave a cold chuckle. "I think they got the message." He clapped Roach on the shoulder like they were old friends. "Don't hesitate to call if you need a hand with anything."
The violence in his eyes said exactly what kind of help he was offering, and I doubted anyone missed the implication.
Roach jerked a nod. "Understood. It was nice of you both to stop by."
I inclined my head in acknowledgement. "Macy will be in touch tomorrow." Because my help didn't come for free. Macy, my lovely, mild-mannered bookkeeper, would issue Roach an invoice. After all, we weren't friends, and all businesses needed to remain profitable. Even the illegal ones.
"I look forward to it," Roach responded without hesitation. His gaze was steady and confident, and he earned a small amount of my respect for not flinching. He was already doing a hell of a lot better than the previous Wraiths’ leader. Fucking Skate had been like a skittish weasel.
Zed and I turned and left the clubhouse area like we were goddamn royalty, feeling the hostile eyes of the Reapers on us the whole damn way. I didn't blame them for hating me; it was understandable. But they also feared me, and that was the important part.
"Well, that went a whole lot quicker than anticipated," Zed murmured as we headed back toward the main club. "Feel like staying for a drink?"
I wrinkled my nose at the sweaty death-metal crowd. "Not here. We could go check out that new club over in Shadow Heights."
Zed peered at me with a surprised brow raise. "Meow Lounge?"
I gave a casual shrug. "Sure, why not? Always good to check out the competition, right?" Because as rapidly as Copper Wolf was expanding, I still couldn't own every bar and club in the state. There would always be competition; it was up to us to keep up-to-date with what they were doing and where the customers were favoring. Right now, the Meow Lounge was getting a lot of hype for being so newly opened, and I was curious to see what they were doing differently.
Zed gave me a bemused smile, then brushed his hand over my back. "Seems like as good