Page 63 of Dance with the Dragon Duke

“Look with youreyes, then,” Dark grumped.

Jonas pulled a small, layered monocle from his pocket. “If I get closer, are you going to bite my head off?”

“Just keep your hands and your cat to yourself and you can inspect them all you need to.”

The cat was still busy with the curtains, flexing her claws in the fabric.

Jonas bent at the waist and examined one of the larger glittering gems on the Hell tree. He whistled through his teeth appreciatively. “How many more will grow?”

“As long as no one picks one, it will continue to grow and produce more wealth indefinitely.”

“Fascinating.” Jonas tucked away the special monocle in the breast pocket of his jacket. Then he took his time studying the golden telescope. His fingers flexed like he wanted to reach for the knobs, and Dark sent him another warning snarl.

“Well, I’ll need to think about all this,” the Bargainer said, stroking his angular chin.

Dark snorted. “Don’t play with me. You want them both.”

Jonas smirked over his shoulder. “I confess, I haven’t done as good a job as I usually do in feigning disinterest. You caught me off-guard with these two beauties. It’s not every day you see anything like them. But properties up north are expensive, and I just finished building the house you’ve now got your eye on. It was supposed to be my daughter’s one day.”

“It’s a fucking diamond tree,” Dark said.

Jonas exhaled through his nose. “It most certainly is.”

“And you want it.”

“Gods, do I ever.” He glanced at it, and his eyes went shiny and round.

“You could buy your daughter two new houses with something like that.”

“Three,” Jonas agreed, then he exhaled. “But let me look into the cost of the properties you want, and I’ll write it all up and—”

Someone pounded on the door, rattling it in the frame.

“We’re closed,” Jonas shouted.

The next knock was twice as loud.

“Shove off,” Jonas barked. “We’re closed, I said.”

The knob twisted, and metal screeched. Startled, the cat bounded from the curtains into her owner’s arms. The door flew open. Two cloaked men shoved inside.

Jonas began, “Who the fuck are—”

The intruders drew revolvers and aimed them. Jonas and Dark dove behind the counter as bullets went flying. One lodged in the wood over their heads. Glass shattered. A screaming commotion echoed from the street outside. The boom of the next gunshot was earsplitting.

The cat dug its claws into its owner’s jacket, white hair standing on end.

“Shoot my things, if you must,” Jonas shouted, hunkered down beside the duke, “but if one blasted bullet hits my cat, I’m going to rip your fucking faces off!”

Another bullet pierced the wood. Dark grabbed for the door to the storage room and kicked it open. Jonas crawled inside with his pet.

As more shots rang out, Dark dragged his treasures in behind him. Jonas shut the door and threw the latch. The doorway was made of heavy wood, but a rain of bullets pelted a hole in the frame. The room was crowded with boxes and tables for sorting items.

“They’re bound to run out of ammo soon,” Jonas said, kicking a box of trinkets away from him.

“Are they trying to kill me, or are they trying to kill you?” Dark wondered aloud.

“Well, now I know why Leif wasn’t at work this morning,” Jonas said, prying a paw off his collar. “He must have tipped someone off about our meeting, and they’re here to rob us.”

---