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mouth, she wished to take them back.
    Prince gasped. He looked up with a pained expression, tracing the scar on her face. His body tensed, and his dark blue eyes became distant. No doubt, he was reliving that time at Hawk’s Lair.
    Seeing Prince this way brought back her own memories of that place. Back then, she suffocated on the smell of cigarettes and liquor.
    Stop. With a shake of her head, she returned to reality.
    “After all, it would be ugly if I didn’t get a matching one!” Sasha forced a smile onto her face, chuckling at her own joke. Changing her tone so abruptly sounded strange.
    Prince stared straight through her.
    “I was joking, relax! Why do you have to take me so seriously all the time?”
    Prince’s eyes grew hazier by the second. His fists clenched tighter as his arms trembled. With a quick step forward, Sasha slammed her knuckles into his arm.
    “Ow!” Prince jumped backwards.
    Before Prince could defend himself, Sasha clipped him once more.
    “Ow! Stop!”
    Sasha ignored him and leaned into a third punch. This one hit him straight in the shoulder. It hurt her knuckles.
    Prince fell backwards against the wall.
    Sasha stepped toward him. Prince shut his eyes to prepare for the impending blow, but it never came. Instead, Sasha ruffled his hair.
    “I’m the worrier and you’re the gambler, don’t confuse us.”
    Prince cautiously opened one eye. He opened his mouth but could find no words. Sasha capitalized on his shock to change the subject. “Honestly, men are such idiots. Tell them a few nice words and they melt right in front of you.”
    Prince gave her a small smile.
    “Flower will be back soon, then we can talk about the drop,” she said.

LAO
     
    The acrid charcoal smell of burnt flesh lingered in the air.
    “Welcome to the Dragon’s Pit.” Lao took off his hat and placed it at the entrance. “At least that’s what my men call this place, a rather tasteless name if you ask me. I apologize for the smell, a man died here not too long ago.”
    Lao looked across the room at his unfortunate guest. The man stood completely still, his feet shackled onto the floor and his hands tied behind him. Bruises in varying stages of yellow and blue covered the man’s body. His shredded shirt barely clung on.
    “I only have three rules.” Lao walked up to the man, staring into his golden eyes.
    Sweat dripped from the man’s hair. A single lightbulb illuminated the windowless concrete walls and blackened ceiling.
    Lao didn’t mind that the man kept quiet. He wasn’t sure if the man physically could talk. It was entirely possible that his jaw had been broken or tongue cut off.
    “The first rule is that I control violence. You want someone hurt? You come to me.”
    He circled the man who began coughing. No doubt, breathing was hard for him, especially with the noose around his neck.
    “The second rule is that I control entertainment. I am responsible for all the games that are played in this city and because of it, I take interference very seriously.”
    Lao kicked the man in the back. The chains around his feet clacked but held steady. His body lunged forward until only the noose held his body up, choking the life out of him.
    “The third rule is that my judgment is absolute.” Lao circled the man until he was face-to-face with him. “There will be no courts or trials, we humans do not deserve that much. You killed a Hawk. You violated my first two rules. Would you like to defend yourself?”
    Lao grabbed the man by his hair and pulled him back upright, glaring into his eyes. “If you wish to defend yourself, now is the time.”
    The man coughed for a while, regaining his breath. When he did, he began laughing. The laugh was deep and slow, filling the air with a depressing undertone. It persisted throughout his coughing fit.
    Are you taking me seriously? Lao yanked the man’s head and threw him backwards so he was once again upright on his own.
    The man swayed and eventually found his