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Chapter four
Gunnar
I've got to getback to Dreamland.
Not because I'm horny...although, fuck, Iamhorny. Nah...it's just because I'm eager to see that gorgeous girl again. Because she made me a promise, and I need to go back alone.
She's probably using me, but I don't think I'd mind being used by a girl like that.
We sit in the attic of an old church in Celestial Hills, where Luka calls home. His blonde hair falls into his face, tattooed fingers moving quickly as he sorts out cash from last night's score. Rook is standing by the window, smoking a cigarette, and he glances over as we keep parsing through the cash.
"Everything looks good?" he says.
I snort. "Looks like money."
"The boss'll be pleased," Rook says, snubbing out his cigarette on the windowsill and tossing it out to the street below. He comes over with his hands in his pockets, his brow furrowed as he looks down at the table covered in green bills. "That was a good tip you got last night, newbie."
Luka cocks his head. "Still not sure how you got it, but..."
"Like I said," I mutter. "I overheard some folks talking about it at the bar."
Rook chuckles. "I wouldn't recommend lying to Luka," he says. "He's got a knack for sussing out a liar...and you don't want to be a liar."
Luka leans back slightly and steeples his fingers while I keep working...and I slowly stop, looking up at the two of them.
"What?"
"Well?" Luka says. "Out with it. You got a tip."
I frown. "I did."
"From who?"
I shrug. "From the pretty girl at the bar."
"Your favorite," Luka chuckles.
"That's the one."
"Can't trust a stripper, newbie..." Rook warns.
"Why not?" I ask. "She offered the info without any catch."
"There's always a catch," Rook says, resting his hands on the table and leaning close. "Those girls at Dreamland--they're prisoners. It'll take all of a few days or weeks for her to wheedle her way into your heart...and then next thing you know, she's gonna be asking you to help her get out, to buy her off Nero Rossi. You think you can afford that?"
I glance down at the table. "Maybe."
Luka's fist suddenly slams down on top of the cash, and I startle, jumping back. "I catch you talking about Vance Solace's money that way again, and you'll be in deep shit."
I swallow hard, the weight of Luka's anger pressing down on me. "I...I'm sorry," I stammer, my voice barely a whisper.
Luka's blue eyes bore into mine, his gaze intense and unforgiving. "Vance Solace is the most powerful man in Celestial Hills, and we owe him. We owe him big." His voice is low, a dangerous rumble that sends shivers down my spine. "You don't understand the lengths he'll go to protect what's his."
Rook takes a step closer, a stern expression on his face. "Listen, kid, we've all seen what happens to those who cross the boss. People go missing, never to be seen again. Remember that guy getting his teeth kicked in last night outside Dreamland? That could be you if you fuck him over."
My heart races as I try to comprehend the gravity of the situation. The allure of Dreamland and the promise of that dancer have clouded my judgment.
But now, standing in this dusty attic, with Luka and Rook in front of me and a locked door at my back...?
