Friction

Prologue-3

Thrusting his chin out, Leo sneered at the other man. He shook his head, choosing his next words with great care. “You never did quite fit in here, Lars,” he began. “So, it's your lucky day. You're out.”

Lars stared at him with his mouth wide open. “I'm out,” he said, growing paler by the second. “Leo, think about this for a moment. I've always had your back. You'd be lost without me.”

“Not the words I'd use.”

Pale as a ghost, Lars turned his head and stared at the whimpering Gia. That was when it all clicked. Leo understood why the other man had been unwilling to discipline his subordinate. “You like her, don't you,” he said. “Does she snuggle up to you at night? Whisper sweet nothings in your ear? Does she tell you that you're the only man who can satisfy her?”

It was so obvious he couldn't believe he hadn't seen it earlier. Of course, that didn't stop the other man from denying it. “Shut up,” Lars hissed. “Just shut up!”

“Take her,” Leo said, jerking his head toward the woman. He couldn't keep a self-satisfied smile off his face. “Have yourself a real good day, man. Do all the things you've always wanted to do. Come night, you're gone.”

The look of shock on Lars's face only stoked his anger. He despised weakness, his own more than that of the other man. He should have removed this pathetic wretch from his crew months ago. “You go south, Lars,” he said. “You know what that means.”

Passing through the neighbourhoods south of here meant going into Bloody Nails territory. For a guy like Lars, that may as well have been a death sentence. It should have been a death sentence.

Gia had stopped crying long enough to stare up at Lars with those big brown eyes of hers. Perhaps she had been unaware of the depth of his affection. Pity that. If a man had to die, he should at least spend some time in a woman's embrace.

“Go.”

Lars offered her a tight-mouthed frown, then nodded. “Good-bye,” he said softly, striding past Leo. Apparently he was eager to begin his exile. Not even willing to have a little fun with the girl first.

Soft.

Gia got to her feet.

She wiped tears off her face, then turned her back on Leo and padded barefoot into the tiny bathroom. He decided to let her go. The woman did bring in enough money, and he was convinced she had learned her lesson.

Rage filled him as he sat down on the edge of the bed. After everything he did for his crew – all the sacrifices he made – they failed them in every way imaginable. Why did he always have to be the strong one?

Leo…

He should have put Garvin in charge of the girls; that man was not the sort to let infractions slide, and he wouldn't call Leo down here to address a matter that could be solved with a few quick flicks of a belt strap.

Leo.

This was all-

LEO!

Leo tilted his head back, blinking up at the ceiling. “Who's there?” he said, getting to his feet. “Come out here!”

I've come in answer to your prayers, Leo.

The blood drained out of his face. Pressing a palm to his forehead, Leo moaned. “This isn't funny.” The steadiness in his voice was a shock. “Whoever you are, let me see your face.”

You asked if I would deliver your people from evil, Leo. I will not. But you will. If you let me make you strong.

The Almighty? Was he actually hearing the voice of the Lord Above in the back of his mind? Each syllable was like a caress that made every nerve in his body tingle, but he could not believe it.

Clenching his teeth, Leo snarled down at the floor. He hissed, spit flying from his mouth. “The Almighty is a myth!” he bellowed. “If you want to fight me, then let's get it done already!”

Why would I fight you?

Turning around, he found nothing but an empty apartment. There were chips in the white-plastered walls, places where the paint was peeling. The small kitchen on the other side of the room was empty.

So far as his eyes could tell, he was alone. That did nothing to kill the sensation of being watched by unseen eyes. Shivers ran down his spine like droplets of water from an icy shower. “Where are you?”

Everywhere.

Staring down at the floor, Leo felt a shiver pass through him. He shuddered. “What do you want with me?” he asked, pacing across the room. “What do you want with me? Answer me, damn it!”

To make you strong.

The door to the bathroom opened.

He turned around to find Gia standing there with her mouth open, her face as pale as the purest snow. “Who are you talking to?” she asked, shaking her head. “Leo, there's no one else here.”

Kill her.

“But-”

She thinks you're mad. Well, given the circumstances, Leo couldn't argue with her. She thinks you're weak, Leo. Breaking under the pressure. Kill her before she tells your crew what she saw.

He was across the room in seconds, clamping hands onto Gia's neck. She stared up at him with eyes that looked ready to bulge out, her face growing paler and paler as she gasped. At one point, she clamped her hands onto his wrists and tried to pull free of his grip. It did no good. He was stronger.

Gia opened her mouth to draw in more breath, her face turning purple now. She made an ugly croaking noise before going silent at long last. Her body went limp in his arms. Dead.

Leo dropped her.

The corpse landed on its side, spread out across the white-tiled floor. He had killed a woman. In three years of running this crew, he had never killed not once. He had beaten men senseless, taken their money, but never killed.

It gave him pause to realize that he was strangely comfortable with what he'd done. Gia had always had a little too much nerve for his liking. Now, he would never have to deal with her insolence again.

Good. Now I have work for you.

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Leo shut his eyes. He grunted, stifling his dissatisfaction. “What sort of work?” he inquired. “More importantly, what do you offer in return? I'm no one's servant.”

I will make you strong, Leo, strong enough to destroy your enemies. And in return, you will destroy my enemies. A ship awaits to take you to Leyrian Space.

“Leyrian Space?”

He'd heard of Leyria, of course. Every child on his world had learned the tales of the despots who enslaved their people. “Leyrian Space is on the other side of the galaxy,” Leo said. “The exact opposite side of the galaxy. It would take even the fastest ships over eighteen months to get there.”

Have faith, my child, the voice replied. Have faith.

PART I