Page 15 of Knot All is Crystal
“And you let them in?”
I put my hand on his shoulder, squeezing tightly. “Don’t forget your place, Tyler,” I snarl. “Smarter people than you make these decisions.”
Tyler isn’t a part of the Conglomerate in the way Crystal and I are, but he knows enough of what’s going on here to be wary of me.
He shirks away, nodding his head. “Understood, boss. Yeah, I’ll be on top of it.”
Satisfied that he’ll keep her safe, I leave Queenie’s lounge and make the long journey to the interrogation rooms.
I find Kieran leaning casually against the wall of the first one, arms crossed over his chest. The Alpha is a force to be reckoned with, and it seems someone tried today. Blood splatters his white shirt, and his salt-and-pepper hair is a little disheveled. He smiles when he looks up, catching me with his dark gaze. It’s feral, all teeth, and unnerving.
“Puck, thanks for coming. I have someone I want you to meet.” I turn my attention to the man chained to the metal chair in the middle of the room. “This is Jarvis. Jarvis here works for me.”
“Nice to meet you, Jarvis,” I say flatly. This type of performance from Kieran is starting to get old.
But I play along.
After a silent beat, Kieran kicks Jarvis’s chair. “Say hello to Puck, Jarvis.”
“Hello, Puck,” the man grunts out. His mouth is full of blood, and I see a few teeth littering the floor beneath him. He’s gotten a good beating, but nothing permanent.
Yet.
It depends on why he’s here.
“Jarvis has been working for us for a few years now. He’s low-level, of course, but still, even the cogs are essential to the operation of the machine.” Kieran stalks forward, squatting in front of the shaking Beta. “I like my machine, Jarvis. I built it myself from the ground up. Every part and piece is one I selected. So when the machine breaks down, I take it personally. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Jarvis’s eyes are wide, but he doesn’t speak. Smart kid. Interrupting Kieran is never a good idea, especially when he’s on a tear like this one.
Kieran looks over his shoulder at me. “Puck, did you know Jarvis here wanted to break the machine?”
“Sounds like a bad idea, boss,” I drawl.
“I agree. But Jarvis thought skimming off the top of his wares and padding them with filler to have some to sell on the side was a good idea.”
I cringe. For a minute, I thought the kid may have been able to get by with just a light maiming, but this is something Kieran won’t let go.
I’m not sure who manufactures fizz, but I know Kieran is very protective of it. He never wants it to be seen as a cheap street drug.
And Jarvis tried to make it one.
I should ask where Ricky is. Step out and say this isn’t my business.
But Kieran made it my business, so here I am.
“What do we do with broken parts, Puck?” he asks, snatching Jarvis by the chin.
I suck on my tongue. “We replace them, boss.”
Jarvis’s eyes widen, and he shakes his head. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry. I needed some extra money. I have a baby on the way.”
“A baby. I do love a baby,” Kieran sighs, standing up. “And if you had come to me, maybe I would’ve found a way to put you in a more lucrative role. But messing with fizz? The product synonymous with the Conglomerate? I can’t let that slide.” He pulls a switchblade from his pocket. “You understand that, right? Fizz ismylegacy. And you made it dangerous. You cheapened it.”
He hands me the blade, and I step forward, sliding it open and holding it to Jarvis’s throat.
Kieran takes a step back and sneers down at the Beta. “You cheapenedme. And that is something I can’t let slide.”
Kieran won’t ask me to kill him.
