Johnny thought the lieutenant still didn’t understand what he was saying or doing. But apparently, Dante had already pulled the strings from the shadows, and Johnny was already deep in a trap he hadn’t realized he’d walked into. Before Johnny could complete his statement, the lieutenant slapped him across the face—hard.
Johnny froze, eyes wide with shock, his head snapping to the side. Before he could recover, another slap followed, sharper than the first.
Gasps rippled through the guests. Whispered confusion began to spread.
“What’s going on?”
“Why is he slapping Johnny?”
“Why not the ex-convict?”
But none of them dared raise their voice too loudly. No one wanted the lieutenant’s attention on them.
The lieutenant finally spoke, voice sharp and cutting through the murmurs.
“I recei
