Page 46 of City of Darkness

“Stop!” I cry out, keeping my voice down so we don’t attract attention. “Don’t kill him.”

“Where’s your knife to the throat?” Tuoni growls at me, squeezing the man’s neck tighter until the blood vessels in his eyes burst.

“I could have taken care of this,” I say, pleading now. Oh God. Oh fuck. I’m about to witness a murder, aren’t I? “Let him go, or you’re going to kill him.”

“I am the God of Death,” he seethes.

“You are, but right now, if you killed this man and sent him to Tuonela, there’s no telling what might happen to him there. What if it’s already reduced toKaaos?”

“He deserves thatKaaosthen.”

“No,” I say, grabbing his arm. “He’s just a fucking idiot who doesn’t deserve to die or rot in hell just because he hit on me. He’ll get what’s coming to him one day, I’m sure of it, but not today. We don’t kill people here on a whim, even when they fuck up.”

Death grumbles but finally loosens his grip.

The man slumps to the ground.

Dead.

Chapter 15

Death

The Choice

“He’s dead,” Hanna cries out, dropping to her knees beside the pick-up line boy.

“He isn’t,” I say with a sniff. “I would know.”

For further assurance, I wave my hand at him, and the man coughs, which makes Hanna exhale in relief. Then, I pull her up, giving the guy space as he slowly gets to his feet.

He puts his hand at his throat and rubs it as he eyes the both of us with blood-shot eyes.

“You tried to hit on her, and she fought back,” I tell the man, puttingcommandinto my voice. “Make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

The man gets that glazed look in his eyes, which I now know is the sign that I’m making them do and think things under my will.

The command works. He nods.

“Apologize to her,” I tell him.

He looks at Hanna. “I am so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

“Tell her you’ll never behave that way with any woman again,” I tell him.

He nods profusely. “I promise I will never behave that way with any woman ever again.”

“Very well,” I say with a flick of my hand, trying to keep the anger I still feel bubbling inside me at bay. “Go back to your friends, leave this place, and don’t speak a word of this to anyone.”

The man nods, his hand still rubbing his throat, and then scurries around the corner into the bar.

“Tuoni,” Hanna says to me slowly as she turns to face me. “I didn’t need?—”

I don’t give her a chance to speak.

I grab her face in my hands, and I kiss her.

Hard.