IRE

ating up, fueled b

eer announced the la

ce of local legend. The personal, custom-made dagg

box was b

que dagger re

obsidian, the blade etche

a cold, dang

ent throug

so tied to biker culture, this

eyes l

his pa

ndred t

o bolster his tough-guy

the next town over counte

price quickly climbing past

rting to lo

ther, Brenda, who gave him

ty thousand!" Leo ye

learly h

l, smug and triumphan

lent, waiting fo

ice cut through the s

, but it carri

mil

erupted

the man who had been silen

even raise

gave the auctioneer a slight lift of

rned a blotch

ade, his mouth

one million dollars, from Mr. Pet

le

o bid against

d that kind of mon

a

avel

Mr. Kade

nk, as if he'd just

he one I'd seen in the elevator, s

the room tur

ke a fool, his face a m

e was frozen

othing but a cold se

eryone, in the most br

d that I couldn'

to a close, and t

pulled aside

, and his face was twi

ath and stood, sm

inal text

minut

instantly, "

arted walking through the crowd, my steps ste

was about

I saw Kade Peterson fin

for the first time all night, his ice-

and everyone else, the