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“Stop stalling,” I snap. “What’s the price per head?”

There’s a twitch in Torelli’s jaw. I’m sensing things about his body language I would never have noticed before. It seems the Bond has increased my sense of perception, just as it’s made me stronger and faster.

This additional information reveals to me that Torelli is growing ever-more suspicious by the second. I wish I had my Orb-Blade at my side – because the more the tension rises, the quicker I sense that violence will erupt.

Torelli leans forward, perhaps thinking the same thing.

“I don’t have an interstellar warrant on my head, he repeats, “but if three Law Enforcement agents caught me selling girls, I sure as fuck would get one. Prostitution is one thing. Actual involvement in the slave trade is another. I've got no interest in having three triads come here with Orb-Weapons drawn, ready to arrest me.”

He narrows his eyes.

“How did you find me?”

Hadrian’s aura flares with impatience. Before I can stop him, he barks out: “We’renotfucking cops.”

Unfortunately, I sense that Hadrian’s denial is all the proof Torelli needs to be convinced weareLaw Enforcement agents.

“You’re not?” Torelli scoffs. “I don’t fucking believe you!”

Torelli reaches down – and before I can react, he presses something beneath his desk.

Holes suddenly open in the walls to our left and right. Tiny little holes – with red, laser tracers emerging from them.

The red dots paint our bodies. Each one is presumably connected to a weapon. If Torelli presses that button again, we’ll all be mincemeat.

Not a word is said.

Hadrian and Kitos are tense – literally vibrating with energy.

Out of the corner of my eye, I make sure that Allie is low enough to the ground to be beneath the gunsights. I thank the Gods she is. If the weapons start shooting, she’ll survive, at least – and with her concealed weapons, amidst the chaos that follows, she’ll at least have achanceto escape.

Torelli stares at us with his dead eyes. He doesn’t say a word, waiting for us to snap first.

The tension grows and grows – like drops of water into an over-filled glass, ready to spill over the moment the surface of the water breaks...

Only, in this instance it’s not going to be water that’s spilled.

Finally, I speak:

“You know, Torelli – it’s hard to get blood stains out of a carpet, and this is averynice carpet you have.”

Torelli stares at me for a second, and I wonder if I’ve just signed our death warrants.

Then, suddenly, he laughs – low and cruel.

“You think you can just walk in here on my fucking turf, wave some money around, and I’ll fall for it? Youstinkof Law Enforcement. I might be a businessman, but I'm not stupid. I’m not going to risk getting my fucking head chopped off with the promise of a few easy bucks. When you get on the Aurelian Kill list, there's onlyoneway off of it...”

By being killed.

Torelli growls: “You're going to need toproveto me you're not cops.”

Prove we’re not cops? How?

I take a deep breath. I suddenly have the feeling I’m going to have to murder an innocent to win this man’s trust.

I’m shocked I’d even consider such a thing – but I would. I don’t know how far I can degrade myself for the sake of Allie and her sister, but I know I’d do terrible things to win her heart and trust.

“Okay,” I challenge Torelli. “How?”