The Almighty Dominance novel Chapter 836

Two men pinned Preston's right hand flat on the table.

"The gold room costs ten thousand," Bram said. "This room costs a hundred thousand. You eat a hundred-thousand dinner on a ten-thousand ticket? You came here to rob us?"

"No! Please! I'll pay for all of it!"

Bram brought the stick down.

The crack was louder than the scream. "My hand! My hand!" Preston slid to the marble, his good trousers dark and wet.

Nora ran round the table and pressed in behind Alex, both hands in his old jacket.

"Are they allowed to do that?" she whispered. "Are they allowed to kill people here?"

"No one will touch you while I'm here," said Alex.

He had a bread roll in his hand. Nora almost laughed. But her fingers stayed in his jacket.

Bram turned to the count. "And you. My man says you told everyone they knew a count when they saw one."

Count Charles stood up very straight, all ten rings shaking. "Do you know who I am? I am Count Charles of the capital! One call from me, and this whole house…"

"Count of what?"

"Of… of the capital!"

From behind Alex's shoulder, Nora's voice came out small, but clear. "There is no Count Charles in the capital. I know every titled house there. My grandmother made me dance with all their sons."

"That's a lie!" the count squeaked. "Patricia, tell them!"

Patricia said nothing at all.

"A fake count," said Bram. "In Miss Hale's room."

The stick came down on the count's head. He slid to the floor, and his rings rolled across the marble, brass under the gold paint.

Bram turned to Patricia. With the end of the stick he lifted the big sunglasses off her face. Under the make-up, last night's slaps still showed pink.

"Patricia Tiffany," he said. "Ms. Vale's people threw you out of the Seacrest." He dropped the glasses and stepped on them. "And tonight you sit in this room behind a pair of glasses."

"My grandmother booked it! I'll call the police! I'll…" Patricia had her phone out, stabbing at it.

"Take the phone. Shut her mouth."

"Yes, Mr. Bram," said a one-eyed man, smiling.

He grabbed her hair and slapped her, backhand, forehand, again and again. Last night they had counted five. Tonight nobody counted.

"Stop! Please!" Patricia slid down the glass with her hands over her swelling face.

Bram wiped his stick on the tablecloth. Then he turned to the corner, where Nora stood behind Alex with both hands in his jacket, and he lowered his head.

"Miss Hale. Mr. Alex." His voice was suddenly quiet. "Forgive the noise at your table. Nobody in this house will touch you."

Nora let out a breath she had not known she was holding.

"Bram!"

The voice from the door cracked like a shot.

A young man stood in the doorway in a dark grey suit.

Oscar Vale, Natasha Vale's little brother. The Grand was his, and half the harbour, and since the Brotherhood fell the rest answered to him.

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