Read Online Steel Victory (Steel Empire Book 1) by J.L. Gribble - Free Book Online
Authors: J.L. Gribble
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ladies in the booth next to ours are panthers? Having trouble reading your own sign?” Her last sentence dripped with more sarcasm than she had intended, but the woman was too easy to goad. Lena could berate her for it later, but right now she would have her fun.
A slight flush reddened Fabbri’s cheeks. “They were let in while I was running an errand outside of the restaurant. That waitress has already been let go.”
Lena had observed the heated exchange without comment, but this forced her to put in her two cents. “You fired her?”
“Of course I did.” Fabbri sniffed her disdain. “The girl could obviously not be trusted to keep the unsavory elements of Limani out of my restaurant. I run a respectable establishment.”
Relaxing against the padded booth, Victory caught the restaurant owner’s eyes with her own. This time Fabbri did flinch away. “And you were able to tell that the two ladies behind me were werepanthers, how exactly? I know I have these silly fangs to give me away, but it’s not like werecreatures have tails while in their human form.”
In a stiff voice, Fabbri said, “One of my assistant managers recognized them from a dance class. Since they were already halfway through their meal, I allowed them to stay.”
“Only so you could collect their bill at the end of their dinner.” Lena’s tone dared Fabbri to argue.
“At least be consistent in your prejudiced policies, Fabbri,” Victory said. “Otherwise no one will respect you.”
“That’s it.” Fabbri stepped back from the table and pointed at the door. Her raised voice attracted the attention of most of the diners in the restaurant. “Get the hell off my property. Or I’ll call the police.”
“I’m insulted!” Victory’s sarcasm was on full force, maturity be damned. “You’d preemptively call the police on my daughter, a partially trained warrior-mage, but not on me, the vampire Master of the City. Lena, shouldn’t I be insulted?”
“You should definitely be insulted,” Lena said. “I don’t believe Ms. Fabbri has the proper respect for your strength.”
“Is that supposed to be a threat?” Fabbri said. “Because I will call the authorities and have both of you arrested.”
Victory slid out of the booth. “Don’t bother. We’d be long gone before they got here anyway.” She held a hand out to Lena, who levered herself to her feet. Pitching her voice so it carried to the rest of the diners with attentions riveted on the unfolding scene, Victory said, “Have a good evening, Ms. Fabbri. Next time, we’ll be sure to come back when you do have fresh carrot cake. I was so looking forward to it.”
She walked past the tables and toward the entrance. Victory was sure the poison-barbed long spears had now turned wooden and fought each other for a place through her heart. She imagined Fabbri smashing a chair and attacking her with one of the table legs, but then dismissed the image as too direct for the human’s subtle hatred. Evidenced by her call to the police when confronted with an angry Toria, she was much happier allowing others to do her dirty work.
Soon they were ensconced back in the town-car. Victory was deep in thought, frustrated by the woman she was forced to work with.
“It wasn’t that bad,” Lena said. “You didn’t even lose your temper.”
“Oh, it was tempting.” Straightening in her seat, Victory scrubbed her face a few times. “I am not looking forward to facing her tomorrow night.”
“Neither am I. Shall we make some calls in the morning?”
“If you take Daliana and Lorus, I’ll get in touch with Max, Tristan, and Genevieve,” Victory said.
Lena could handle the representatives of Limani’s elves and other werecreatures. Victory would deal with the head of Limani’s Mercenary Guild and the much higher-strung wolf and panther representatives. The panthers were still touchy regarding politics, terrified of losing their hard-won council position.
“Not a
A slight flush reddened Fabbri’s cheeks. “They were let in while I was running an errand outside of the restaurant. That waitress has already been let go.”
Lena had observed the heated exchange without comment, but this forced her to put in her two cents. “You fired her?”
“Of course I did.” Fabbri sniffed her disdain. “The girl could obviously not be trusted to keep the unsavory elements of Limani out of my restaurant. I run a respectable establishment.”
Relaxing against the padded booth, Victory caught the restaurant owner’s eyes with her own. This time Fabbri did flinch away. “And you were able to tell that the two ladies behind me were werepanthers, how exactly? I know I have these silly fangs to give me away, but it’s not like werecreatures have tails while in their human form.”
In a stiff voice, Fabbri said, “One of my assistant managers recognized them from a dance class. Since they were already halfway through their meal, I allowed them to stay.”
“Only so you could collect their bill at the end of their dinner.” Lena’s tone dared Fabbri to argue.
“At least be consistent in your prejudiced policies, Fabbri,” Victory said. “Otherwise no one will respect you.”
“That’s it.” Fabbri stepped back from the table and pointed at the door. Her raised voice attracted the attention of most of the diners in the restaurant. “Get the hell off my property. Or I’ll call the police.”
“I’m insulted!” Victory’s sarcasm was on full force, maturity be damned. “You’d preemptively call the police on my daughter, a partially trained warrior-mage, but not on me, the vampire Master of the City. Lena, shouldn’t I be insulted?”
“You should definitely be insulted,” Lena said. “I don’t believe Ms. Fabbri has the proper respect for your strength.”
“Is that supposed to be a threat?” Fabbri said. “Because I will call the authorities and have both of you arrested.”
Victory slid out of the booth. “Don’t bother. We’d be long gone before they got here anyway.” She held a hand out to Lena, who levered herself to her feet. Pitching her voice so it carried to the rest of the diners with attentions riveted on the unfolding scene, Victory said, “Have a good evening, Ms. Fabbri. Next time, we’ll be sure to come back when you do have fresh carrot cake. I was so looking forward to it.”
She walked past the tables and toward the entrance. Victory was sure the poison-barbed long spears had now turned wooden and fought each other for a place through her heart. She imagined Fabbri smashing a chair and attacking her with one of the table legs, but then dismissed the image as too direct for the human’s subtle hatred. Evidenced by her call to the police when confronted with an angry Toria, she was much happier allowing others to do her dirty work.
Soon they were ensconced back in the town-car. Victory was deep in thought, frustrated by the woman she was forced to work with.
“It wasn’t that bad,” Lena said. “You didn’t even lose your temper.”
“Oh, it was tempting.” Straightening in her seat, Victory scrubbed her face a few times. “I am not looking forward to facing her tomorrow night.”
“Neither am I. Shall we make some calls in the morning?”
“If you take Daliana and Lorus, I’ll get in touch with Max, Tristan, and Genevieve,” Victory said.
Lena could handle the representatives of Limani’s elves and other werecreatures. Victory would deal with the head of Limani’s Mercenary Guild and the much higher-strung wolf and panther representatives. The panthers were still touchy regarding politics, terrified of losing their hard-won council position.
“Not a
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