She's gonna get murdered by knifearm. Christ. It feels so stupid, like a plot point in one of her brothers' dumb movies. And then Knifearm gutted that stupid bitch like a fish. And she'll deserve it, as far as she's concerned. If he just kills her, she's lucky.

But fear is expensive and anger is cheap. She feels it filling her veins, building slowly, waiting for an opportunity.

Big talk for somebody lying on their back on the ground while some asshole grins at her. She sits up slowly, staring him straight, as defiant as she can muster. "Cut the smalltalk," she says. "What do you want?"