Chapter 15 · Steel Claw Wants a Word

Su Mian's hand grabbed Chen's wrist.

Her fingers dug in hard enough to bruise. Chen's fist stopped three inches from the Enforcer's face. The crowd noise came back all at once, a wall of screaming that made his skull ache.

The Enforcer was still kneeling. Blood ran from his nose into his mouth. He wasn't looking at Chen anymore. He was looking past him, at something behind the ring.

"Get him out," Su Mian said. Her voice shook. "Now."

Chen pulled his arm back. His knuckles were still swollen, the skin split across two fingers. When he flexed his hand the bones made a wet grinding sound. Not pain. Just pressure. Like wearing a glove three sizes too small.

The Enforcer crawled to the ropes and dropped over the edge.

Old Xu was on his feet somehow. One hand pressed to his ribs, the other reaching for the rope. His face was gray. "Kid," he said. "We're leaving."

"Nobody's leaving."

The voice came from the back of the room. The crowd split down the middle like someone dragged a knife through it.

Steel Claw walked up the center aisle.

He looked smaller than Chen expected.