Steel Victory (Steel Empire Book 1) by J.L. Gribble Read Free Book Online

cops before she even left her office.
    His hand felt heavier on her shoulder, fingers digging into her skin. “I did indeed hear that. Perhaps the young lady and I need to have a talk about respect. And your name is?”
    “She’s Toria Connor.” Fabbri answered before Toria could even open her mouth. “She’s the daughter of the Master of the City.”
    Frown deepening even more, the officer said, “I see. The daughter of such an upstanding member of the city should understand that she needs to set a good example for her peers.”
    “Then I will leave her in your capable hands, sir.” Now Fabbri was just was simpering. “I need to attend to my customers.”
    Toria was disgusted. Her hands clenched into fists, and she fought back every instinct to throw up a shield and repel the policeman.
    “Of course, ma’am.” His grip tightened another fraction on Toria’s shoulder. “Allow me to escort her out.”
    The grip released, and he nudged her forward. Toria held her head high as she preceded the cop toward the exit. Paige the waitress stood in her spot next to the menus, jaw hanging open. Toria ignored her.
    First she almost blew up her apartment. And now she might get arrested. At least Kane was outside, not in here with her stupidity.
    Mama is going to kill me.

    Kane had come to Toria’s rescue, as usual, and scrounged up both the best and worst possible adult to get her out of this mess. Dr. Lena Joensen, dean of Jarimis University, where Toria and Kane had both just finished their sophomore years. She was the second dean of Limani’s local university, personally picked to succeed the founder, Victory’s progeny Jarimis. And since Jarimis University included students from both the British and Roman colonies, the dean maintained one of the unelected city council seats along with Victory. She’d also taken a personal interest in the education of the young pair. When Kane had showed up at the small police station with Dean Joensen in tow, the police released Toria into her care after a lecture on “appropriate public behavior” and “representing her mother in public.”
    Now Toria and Kane leaned against each other on a bench outside the station while the dean finished filling out paperwork inside. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t been arrested, the damage was done. The few cops and visitors in the station now knew the Master of the City’s daughter had been there. Rumors would spread.
    “Thanks, hon,” Toria said after soaking in her partner’s calming presence.
    He tilted his head and kissed her temple. “Still couldn’t reach Victory or Mikelos at the house.”
    At last, Dean Joensen exited the station and sank onto the bench on Toria’s other side. Toria forced herself to look at the dean. But the older woman stared across the parking lot, her expression unreadable, as she brushed an errant silver lock behind her ear.
    “Um . . . I’m sorry?” Toria knew it wasn’t enough. Another potential rumor: Dean Joensen bailed out a simple university student because she was the daughter of the Master of the City. Talk about favoritism. “I didn’t mean to lose my temper. But she set me up.”
    “No harm done, Toria. You’re not in any permanent trouble.”
    “People will talk.”
    “So let them talk. We can hope the smart ones will wonder what happened and see the sign on the restaurant.” Dean Joensen patted Toria’s knee. “And that those same smart ones will start to rethink who they have elected to Limani’s ruling council.”
    Now she began to get it. “You don’t like her either, do you? That’s why you came when Kane called.”
    “I was given a seat on the city council after I became dean of Jarimis University,” Dean Joensen said. “Because so many of the students are citizens of the Roman and British Empires. I’m their voice while they live in our city, another check on Limani’s neutral position between the two colonies. Jarimis never sat on the council because Victory