‘It’s Takapa’s.’ Swagger’s chest puffed up with pride. ‘But I get to run the events here.’

‘Just who is this Takapa?’ she asked. She couldn’t let Swagger think she knew anything about this.

‘Maybe I’ll introduce you. I think he’d like you.’

Kate tried to keep the alarm from her voice. ‘He’s coming here?’

Swagger nodded. ‘Tonight.’

‘Tonight … Well. Cool.’

Swagger looked at her strangely. ‘You all right, honey?’

Sure, she thought. I can’t wait to say hi again to the murdering freak I screwed over. The murdering freak who wants to get with me. The temperature suddenly seemed a couple of degrees colder, and she knew she had to change the subject. ‘You seem to know Ramone’s people, were you part of their gang?’

‘Had a girl once who was,’ said Swagger. ‘So I used to hang with them sometimes.’

‘When you were just human?’ she asked lightly.

He spat on the floor. ‘When I was nothing.’

Suddenly the door above them that led to the auditorium was flung open with a reverberating crash. A half-dressed black man greeted Shaun and then came shambling down the steps. As he approached, Kate recognised him as Swagger’s other sidekick from Ramone’s place.

Swagger didn’t seem impressed to see him wearing only a pair of ill-fitting trousers. ‘You went ’wolf on them?’ he said quietly. ‘You lost control?’

The man looked severely pissed off but said nothing.

‘Takapa said not to kill them,’ Swagger went on. ‘You kill them, Eric?’

The big man shook his head. ‘Lost them. The little kid, the whitey and that skinny bitch, Jasmine.’

Swagger looked at Kate sharply. ‘Seems your boyfriend’s got himself some new buddies.’

It was all Kate could do not to collapse with relief. Instead, she just shrugged, kept her face neutral. ‘That’s cool. So do I.’

He nodded at her approvingly, then turned a more critical eye on the black guy. ‘You lost control, Eric. I don’t know if I can trust you on my personal staff no more.’

Eric held himself stiffly. ‘Sorry, Swag.’

Swagger fixed him with a stare so cold it made Kate shiver. ‘Tell you what. Why don’t you go get our gladiators down here?’

Eric turned to obey, but as he walked down on to the floor of the rink, Swagger called to him again. ‘Oh, and Eric? I want you to fight down there with them. For me, huh?’

Eric froze for a few moments. Then he carried on walking without turning around. The heavy slaps of his bare feet on the concrete sounded around the arena, lingering long after he’d been swallowed up by the shadows.

Swagger patted the bench beside him, indicating Kate should sit down.

Kate forced herself to do so. ‘What did you mean, gladiators?’ she asked casually.

‘I’m an emperor here,’ Swagger said proudly. ‘We bring people here to fight. Fight for their lives.’