Casim was the easiest link to pull from the chain.

“What do you know of the other underbosses?” he asked. “You’re just one in a sea of replaceable buskers that Wesley took under his wing.”

Tavia shook her head.

He didn’t know how wrong he was.

Wesley had kept Tavia versed on every other underboss in the realm. Just in case, he’d said to her. You never know when they’ll crawl from their shadows.

Tavia knew their wants and their ways. She knew their limits and their lies. She knew each and every one of the underbosses by name and she knew that all of them would turn against Dante Ashwood for a better offer. If crooks could be trusted to do one thing, then it was to not be at all trustworthy.

“Are you saying that you’re not powerful enough to convince the others to help?” Tavia asked. “Maybe I should be talking to Ilaria or Stelios instead.”

She would have done it in the first place, except that Casim was not only their closest ally, being underboss of the city they were hiding in, but he was also one of the most scared when it came to Wesley’s name.

Casim’s snarl grew.

“Watch yourself, busker. Don’t think that just because you were under Wesley’s protection before that it affords you any mercy now that the Kingpin has him.”

Tavia wondered if someone’s teeth could break from gritting them so hard, because if so, then hers were fit to bursting. Just the mention of Wesley’s absence set her off-kilter and brought her hand to his bone gun, which was nestled in her belt loop, where she always kept it these days.

It gave her the smallest of comforts, but it was all she had left of him.

“Wesley is where he needs to be for the moment,” Tavia said, the bluff heavy on her lips. “And you’re a fool to threaten me. Wesley named me the best busker in all of Creije.”

“But he’s not there with you,” Casim said, sounding uncertain. He craned his neck, searching the shadows of the room with grim reluctance, as if Wesley might just appear around the corner.

And there it was.

Maybe there were those who might have feared Casim.

But Casim feared Wesley.

And Tavia could use that.

“Wesley isn’t here,” she said. “For now. But do you really think that the Kingpin can hold him for long, or that he’s not exactly where he wants to be? Dante Ashwood is powerful, but Wesley is Wesley, and when he gets back, he’ll come to me asking for a report on who was too scared to do what had to be done. He’ll want to know his enemies.”