The Stray's Delusion

The basement felt smaller.

He swallowed hard but kept smiling.

“Eliminate me, and you don’t just remove a problem,” Rocco said hoarsely. “You remove the weight that keeps the scale from tipping.”

Ivanov’s jaw flexed.

Rocco’s voice steadied.

“Rule number one. We fight. We discipline. We teach lessons when necessary.” His eye gleamed. “But we don’t turn knives inward.”

A beat.

“You break that