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RHAIM

I couldn’t deny I liked Lia trembling by my side.

It was almost as good as her trembling beneath me, for entirely different reasons.

“Did that just happen?” she whispered.

I laughed. “Oh—it’s happen- ing. The ball’s in motion now—and he can fucking choke on it.”

“You know I’ve always hated him, right?” she went on.

“Of course. You’re a female with a pulse, and he’s a lech of the highest order.”

“I—just—” she began, slightly breathless, and I turned toward her, half worried she was going to swoon on me.

“I promised you the board. And I make good on my promises. All of them.”

She took a pensive sip of her champagne—blinking. “Wait—does that mean—” and I saw the horror of her calculation on her face.

“That if he doesn’t fucking vote for you, him, and his chucklefuck of a son, so that it’s unanimous and looks good in public, I’ll burn Corvo down around him? Yes.”

“Rhaim,” she said quietly, biting her lips—now trying to stop from crying.

“Hey, hey—none of that. Not here,” I said, finding a handkerchief from one of my tux’s inside pockets—and realized we’d attracted a few onlookers. “You’ve had a stressful day,” I said, slightly louder, so she’d get the hint.

And she did, taking it and running with it, just like we were a team. God, she was incredible. “Absolutely,” she said, blotting carefully beneath her eyes. “I’m happy to be here though,” she said, her subsequent smile almost blinding.

“Yeah?” I teased her, because I couldn’t resist—and I was tired of being careful. “Just you wait for later tonight.” I said it with quiet menace, but she took it and ran.

“For when you sing?” she said, sparring with me. “Because my dad said he was going to make you?—”

I laughed. “Yeah,” I agreed. “That,” I said—and there was a disruption by the door. Nero had arrived, and scattered applause had started up, like the sound of machine guns.

“I’m going to go remind him he said that,” she said, backing away from me in heels.

“Do,” I nodded, waving her off.