in his mouth. “I’ll keep this short,” he said, his mouth working around the bread. He pointed at Rambles. “I want the bastards behind this to pay—hard. No one fucks with me, no matter where they are. You remind those bastards in Ten Ways of that.”
Rambles considered for a moment. “How far do you want me to go?”
“As far as you need to. But,” Nicco said, pausing to swallow, “I don’t want the whole damn cordon coming down around my ears, got it?”
Rambles seemed mildly disappointed, but he nodded, anyhow.
I nodded as well. Nicco was being smart. Ten Ways may be a hellhole, but it was a proud hellhole. Outside bosses were barely tolerated, and then usually at the fringes. Hell, even the city guard garrisoned the men stationed there outside the cordon. If Rambles went in looking for serious trouble, he’d end up with most of the Kin in Ten Ways lining up against him in a matter of days.
“Good,” said Nicco. He flicked his fingers at Rambles. “Now, get the hell out of here.”
Rambles bowed slightly in Nicco’s direction, smirked at me, and left. Since the Arms were still looming behind me, I took the hint and stayed.
Nicco took a sip of whatever was left in his cup, made a face, and set it aside. “You’re going, too.”
I sat up straighter. “What?”
“To Ten Ways. You’re going in.”
Shit. That was what I’d been afraid of. I’d spent five years in that pit before finally clawing my way out. The climb hadn’t been easy or pretty, and I’d sworn I wouldn’t go back. Besides, if I was busy in there, I wouldn’t be able to track Ioclaudia or my relic out here.
I wet my lips and thought fast.
“I don’t know if I’m the best person for this job,” I said. “I have history down there.”
“I figured that would help—you know the cordon.”
“ Knew it,” I said. “That was a long time ago. And if anyone does remember me, they’re as likely to stab me as talk to me. I didn’t leave a lot of friends in my wake when I left.”
“So take some Cutters in with you.”
“You know that’s not how I work,” I said. I ran a hand through my beard. “Dammit, Nicco, I—”
Nicco snapped his fingers. Hands clamped down on my shoulders. The Arms behind me bore down so hard, I thought they were going to push me through the chair. I winced and tried to look unfazed. I doubted I fooled anyone.
Nicco leaned back in his chair and examined his fingers. “Are we having another disagreement, Drothe?”
“No,” I said. “I just—”
“I said, are we having a disagreement ?”
The Arms put their full weight into it. I heard something creak dangerously. Probably the chair, but I could have sworn it was my spine.
“No,” I gasped. “Absolutely not!”
“Good.” Nicco gave a nod, and the pressure went away. “Leave.”
The two Arms walked out of the room and closed the door behind them. Nicco waited for the sound of their shoes on the stairs to fade before he spoke.
“You’re lucky I like you, Drothe.”
“Yeah,” I said, rubbing at my shoulders. Everything still seemed to be where it belonged. “Lucky.”
“Damn it, Drothe!” Nicco pointed past me to where the Arms had been. “I should have had them beat the living crap out of you. What the hell were you thinking? Arguing with me in front of them, in front of Rambles? Shit.” He sat back in his chair and glared at me. “Sometimes I think I give you too much freedom, even for a Nose. You forget your place.”
“Believe me,” I said. “I never forget my place.”
“Don’t give me lip, Drothe. Not right now.”
I held up my hands. “I get it—no squabbles in front of the help.” Or at all, at the moment. Even my tired brain could read that one. Right now, I needed to play along. “So what do you want me to do in Ten Ways?”
“I want you to find out what the hell’s going on.”
I frowned. I had expected to be told to shadow Rambles’s efforts and report back. “Isn’t that Rambles’s
Rambles considered for a moment. “How far do you want me to go?”
“As far as you need to. But,” Nicco said, pausing to swallow, “I don’t want the whole damn cordon coming down around my ears, got it?”
Rambles seemed mildly disappointed, but he nodded, anyhow.
I nodded as well. Nicco was being smart. Ten Ways may be a hellhole, but it was a proud hellhole. Outside bosses were barely tolerated, and then usually at the fringes. Hell, even the city guard garrisoned the men stationed there outside the cordon. If Rambles went in looking for serious trouble, he’d end up with most of the Kin in Ten Ways lining up against him in a matter of days.
“Good,” said Nicco. He flicked his fingers at Rambles. “Now, get the hell out of here.”
Rambles bowed slightly in Nicco’s direction, smirked at me, and left. Since the Arms were still looming behind me, I took the hint and stayed.
Nicco took a sip of whatever was left in his cup, made a face, and set it aside. “You’re going, too.”
I sat up straighter. “What?”
“To Ten Ways. You’re going in.”
Shit. That was what I’d been afraid of. I’d spent five years in that pit before finally clawing my way out. The climb hadn’t been easy or pretty, and I’d sworn I wouldn’t go back. Besides, if I was busy in there, I wouldn’t be able to track Ioclaudia or my relic out here.
I wet my lips and thought fast.
“I don’t know if I’m the best person for this job,” I said. “I have history down there.”
“I figured that would help—you know the cordon.”
“ Knew it,” I said. “That was a long time ago. And if anyone does remember me, they’re as likely to stab me as talk to me. I didn’t leave a lot of friends in my wake when I left.”
“So take some Cutters in with you.”
“You know that’s not how I work,” I said. I ran a hand through my beard. “Dammit, Nicco, I—”
Nicco snapped his fingers. Hands clamped down on my shoulders. The Arms behind me bore down so hard, I thought they were going to push me through the chair. I winced and tried to look unfazed. I doubted I fooled anyone.
Nicco leaned back in his chair and examined his fingers. “Are we having another disagreement, Drothe?”
“No,” I said. “I just—”
“I said, are we having a disagreement ?”
The Arms put their full weight into it. I heard something creak dangerously. Probably the chair, but I could have sworn it was my spine.
“No,” I gasped. “Absolutely not!”
“Good.” Nicco gave a nod, and the pressure went away. “Leave.”
The two Arms walked out of the room and closed the door behind them. Nicco waited for the sound of their shoes on the stairs to fade before he spoke.
“You’re lucky I like you, Drothe.”
“Yeah,” I said, rubbing at my shoulders. Everything still seemed to be where it belonged. “Lucky.”
“Damn it, Drothe!” Nicco pointed past me to where the Arms had been. “I should have had them beat the living crap out of you. What the hell were you thinking? Arguing with me in front of them, in front of Rambles? Shit.” He sat back in his chair and glared at me. “Sometimes I think I give you too much freedom, even for a Nose. You forget your place.”
“Believe me,” I said. “I never forget my place.”
“Don’t give me lip, Drothe. Not right now.”
I held up my hands. “I get it—no squabbles in front of the help.” Or at all, at the moment. Even my tired brain could read that one. Right now, I needed to play along. “So what do you want me to do in Ten Ways?”
“I want you to find out what the hell’s going on.”
I frowned. I had expected to be told to shadow Rambles’s efforts and report back. “Isn’t that Rambles’s
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