Page 44 of Hard Bargain

No one spoke. Dominic let the hush stretch, watching each face. Fear thrived in silence. Men often revealed themselves faster when forced to sit with it.

Knox hovered just inside the door, uncertain where exactly he belonged in this room, before stepping farther inside. Not quite a participant, but not just an observer either.

Cassian started. “You all know why you’re here.” His voice was calm, almost conversational. “You work for Mercer. You touched something that didn’t belong to you. This is your opportunity to be honest.”

A big man with a busted nose tried to meet Dominic’s eyes. “Nobody told us who owned it. We just did the job.”

Another, thin, twitchy guy kept his eyes locked on the floor. “Mercer said we’d get paid double if we kept quiet.”

Cassian circled the room. “And you all just followed along without asking questions?”

Dominic remained beside Knox as Cassian continued the questioning.

The room had shifted. The men were beginning to fracture under pressure, each response changing the atmosphere by degrees—tiny cracks widening with every contradiction, every hesitation, every glance exchanged between them.

Cassian ran through names, timelines, details, forcing them to repeat themselves until inconsistencies surfaced.

Dominic let him work. He had no need to rush this. He watched, letting Cassian’s words echo and the men’s nerves unravel. All the while he tracked Knox. He could see the way the boy’s shoulders tensed when someone lied. The way his eyes narrowed when another stuttered or stumbled over an answer. This was unfamiliar territory for him, and yet he didn’t shrink away from it. Interesting.

After three more rounds of denials, Dominic leaned closer. “What do you see?”

Knox hesitated before lifting his chin toward one of the men. “The skinny one. He knows more than he’s saying.”

“Why?”

“He keeps answering too fast. Before Cassian even finishes the question. Like he has prepared what he’s gonna say.”

Dominic gave a small nod. “And him?”

Knox’s gaze shifted toward the man seated at the far left. “That one’s scared,” he whispered. “But not just of you. He keeps looking at the others. Like he’s afraid one of them’s going to say something that gets him killed.”

A surprisingly insightful read.

Cassian slammed a hand against the wall. “We’re not here to play games. If any of you want to walk out of here breathing, now’s the moment to stop being stupid.”

That was all it took. One of them cracked first. Words spilled out in a desperate rush, accusations turning wild and frantic as he tried to redirect blame. Another shouted over him. A third denied everything louder than before.

The room splintered. Fear had finally done its work. Dominic watched Knox absorb it all—the ugly desperation of men realizing their options had run out.

“You see it now, don’t you?” Dominic murmured close to Knox’s ear. “Who’s bluffing. Who’s close to breaking.”

Knox kept his eyes on the men as the room descended into panic, his face pale but focused. After a moment, he gave a tight nod. “Yeah.”

Dominic straightened, watching him for another second before making his next move. “Sort them.”

Knox recoiled before turning to him. “What?”

“You heard me. Decide. Tell me who’s lying and who’s telling the truth. If you’re unsure, say so.”

For the first time since entering the room, genuine alarm broke through Knox’s composure. His gaze snapped back to the restrained men. “I—What happens to them?”

Cassian answered for him. “Those who knowingly stole from Dominic pay with their lives. That’s how this works.”

Whatever uncertainty remained among the captives shattered all at once.

“No—”

“Please, I swear—”