Page 61 of Throwing Fire

“If you know where to look,” he says, recovering. “And you got the creds.”

“I heard you got a hundred CeeBees to spare,” I say.

He looks squarely at me for the first time. Sneers and flicks the lapels of his cheap black-on-black unisuit. “Do I look like I got a hundred biggies to spare?”

“You know what you look like to me?” I ask, leaning forward. I wait until he shakes his head, so I’m sure I’ve got his full attention. “You look like a dead man t’me.”

Next to me, Myhre grabs my arm. Fuck, she’s got a grip on her.

Jaxon grins, showing that chipped tooth. “I’m not the one who’s been near death recently.”

“Just you wait,” I promise.

He grunts, to show I don’t scare him, but puts his hand under the R-and-D Xec’s elbow and draws her up. “C’mon, Chriz. You need some air.”

He pulls her, protesting, away from the table.

“Jaxon,” I call after him. Smile when he turns back and looks at me. “See you soon.”

He snarls and drags the Xec towards the exit.

I shake off Myhre, rise, and start to follow him.

Myhre throws herself out of her chair and grabs my arms. “Snow!”

“Back off, Ree. I can end this, right now.”

“Have you lost your mind? What are you going to do, behead him? In front of the guests? I’ll remind you that there is anextensiveofficial presence tonight.” At my expression, she continues in a low, urgent hiss. “Other than a few questionable credit transfers fromwithinour own organization and the highly dubious word of your street-sources, we have absolutely nothing on that man. There’s been no direct action against Miz Kerryon?—”

“They shot us outta the fucking sky, Ree,” I say tightly, still watching Jaxon’s retreat.

She glares at me. “When we can prove that, we will have him detained. Until then he is a Tyngguestat an official Tyngfunction.”

I killed the Old Man. I can kill a Tyng guest.

Myhre leans into me. “Snow, I am begging you ... I’m having enough trouble keeping you out of the public eye. If you harm that man here, tonight, with these people present, I will not be able to shield you.”

She’s talking sense. Even through the red haze of my killing rage, I can recognize that. I slowly sit back down, put my arm around Kez. “Okay, Ree.”

Myhre slumps into her chair, as much as the kimono’sobiallows. “Great Helas, don’t do that to me again.”

“C’mon, you don’t appreciate a little adrenaline? Adds spice,” I say, watching Jaxon and the ditsy Xec collect their PHUs from a bowing wait-bot and double-time it out the door. “Bet these functions are usually boring.”

“This has been the most eventful dinner I’ve been to in a long time, that’s a certainty.” She snaps her fingers and takes a bulb ofargentéwhen a wait-bot brings it to her. She reaches out with her free hand and clasps mine. I give her hand a squeeze then let go, slidemy hand under the table and wipe my palm on my thigh. Her palm’s a little sweaty.

I glance at Kez to see how she’s taking all of this. She’s pale. Mouth clenched. Big blues narrowed and fixed on the door Jaxon and his patsy have exited through. She hasn’t touched the smoking bowl full of iced shrimp in front of her.

“Kitten?”

“Why was he here tonight?” she asks me in a whisper.

That’s damn good question. And I don’t have an answer for her.

CHAPTER 23

Ihardly taste the dinner, which is a shame because I know what we laid out on it, so it should be fucking fantastic.

I’m too focused on Jaxon’s appearance, and disappearance, to pay attention to what I’m eating. Or to respond to the conversation that flows around me. I’m too busy thinking. Why was Jaxon here? If it was to taunt Kez, he didn’t stick around long enough to get in more than one good shot. If it was just to see if we survived the hit, he could have sent a patsy. I can’t see any reason for him to risk coming himself. Unless he doesn’t think I’m a threat. But he beat a pretty fucking hasty retreat when I bared my teeth.