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Erin has the barman held by the back off his neck, so his feet are pattering, barely on the floor. I follow them up the narrow stairs, at Stephano’s office door, I tell Erin, “Don’t knock. Just stand aside.”
I burst the door open.
Stephano’s voice roars out. “What the…”
He’s a big man, and hot-tempered. A bobble-haired dancer is on her knees, sucking on his cock like there might be gold up his ass. His fingers and tongue are dripping with the juice of a brunette who’s leaned back against his desk. In his free hand, he’s waving a fat cigar.
He’s spitting with rage. Until he recognizes me. Then he turns his usual shit-eating grin back on, as he slides back into his regular role as the ever-dependable, loyal-to-the-end candidate for team player of the year.
“Lucia,” he tilts his head as he stretches his lips back over his big teeth. “Awkward moment,” he flutters, trying to stuff his pathetic birthday-cake-candle cock back into his pants as I hustle Erin and the barman inside. “It’s always a pleasure, to receive you, though.”
I show the girls a thumb and flick my chin.
Both of the girls slink quickly out and away with flutters of admiration fangirling at me as they go. They slam the door shut behind them. A sparkling cloud of giggles follows them as they flit back down the stairs. Their heels click, hurrying down the steps.
I look in Stephano’s eyes as I take the barkeeper from Erin, grabbing him by the long hair on the back of the head. I slam his forehead into the big desk. It leaves blood on Stephano’s paperwork. The mark that was already red above his eyebrows is a bleeding gravestone now.
I tell Stephano, “I watched this preening scrotum chisel two of the girls.”
Stephano says nothing. He keeps his face still. “Presumably he’s been doing it to all of them.” Stephano still doesn’t react. Even when I say, “He’s been filching the good spirits, too.”
In the big chair behind the desk, Stephano’s look is more puzzled than anything else. Seeing men confused when I take command of them is nothing new.
That’s something I love about my three princes. We play at the jostle of command between us, and we play hard. But outside the bedroom, or wherever the arena for fucking happens to be, I’m in charge and they all know it.
Already bored, I tell the barman, “Get out. Run. Do not pass Go, do not collect two hundred dollars.” He reaches to Erin for his satchel. I raise a finger.
“No. What’s in there is what you squeezed from the girls. Probably some more besides that doesn’t belong to you.” But then I move to stand in front of the door. “Erin, what does this streak of snot and piss know about security and protocol here?”
“Nothing, Donna.”
Yeah. Erin is a good guy. A pro. I can almost feel him tense up, though.
“Still,” I look into the yawning terror behind the barman’s face. “Putting the arm on the girls. I wonder what else you forced out of them.” His lip quivers. “Or into them.”
I step to one side as I pull the short bladed knife from behind my hip and swing it fast into the side of his neck.
I pull the blade out and stand back from the dark red gush that arcs high and sprays wide.
His eyes stretch wide as I tell him, “Must have forgot who you were working for.”
He crumples to the side into a twitching pile like a sack of dirty laundry. My eyes are on Stephano.
“He didn’t recognize me downstairs.” I tilt my head, “That seemed odd.”
A flush of alarm rims his eyes and he looks more baffled than ever.
“So. Either you had no clue what he was getting up to, or he kicked up to you, and you swallowed what he gave you.”
His eyes dart around the room.
“Because none of it reached us, did it, Stephano?” I look deep into his eyes. He’s trying to figure out which lie to tell me. What line he thinks I would be most likely to fall for.
“Which is the better option, Stephano?” I lean over the desk at him. “Either you’re no good at your job, or you were shafting us. Which would you have me believe?”
While he thinks it over, I wipe my blade on the barman and inspect the edge before I sheath it.
“Erin, I didn’t bring you in here to watch the show, either.“His eyes shut briefly as he makes a small nod.
