The Ex-Con Who Conquered the World novel Chapter 61

"No... please, don't..."

Eliza was still conscious, tears of shame streaming down her face. Too weak to fight, she could only brace herself on her hands and keep crawling backward across the floor.

Dawson was past the point of restraint. Grinning like an animal, he moved toward her.

Then—

The door slammed open.

A panicked underling rushed in.

"What? Did that bastard show?"

Dawson's face went cold.

"Boss, no, it's not that—"

"Then what the fuck are you doing here? You got a death wish?!"

"Boss, it's Mr. Norris Burgess. He's here. Downstairs at the bar."

"Wait—Mr. Burgess is here?"

Dawson froze. Eliza was forgotten in an instant. "Move. Take me to him. Now."

Norris ran the Celestial Wyrm Society's operations. He'd only gotten out of prison yesterday, and last night Dawson and the others had thrown him a welcome-back party at one of their other spots.

If not for that, he'd already have grabbed Eliza last night instead of waiting until tonight.

Downstairs, the slow bar was in full swing.

Bass pounding. A girl in shorts so small they were basically underwear was working the decks. Lasers cut through the haze of smoke and sweat, bodies pressed together in the dark.

Near the center stage, in one of the big booths, Norris lounged in a floral shirt, cigar in hand, surrounded by lackeys and a small army of waitresses in bunny outfits.

Dawson hurried over with his men. He went straight to Norris, glass in hand, bowing slightly. "Mr. Burgess. You should've told me you were coming. I'd have—"

Norris cut him off with a glare and blew smoke in his face. "Told you? Why the fuck would I tell you? I'm hitting up one of our own clubs. You got a problem with that? What, you think that year I did inside was your chance to move up?"

The men around Norris shifted. Their eyes went hard. Some of them weren't just street muscle—they had the look of real fighters.

Dawson's knees nearly buckled.

He forced a smile. "Mr. Burgess, that's not what I meant. My loyalty's never been in question. I just meant—if I'd known you were coming, I'd have set up a proper room. VIP treatment."

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