Silence Was My Goodbye , Now Watch Me Rise

Minnie Cox and May Mason followed me out.

“What happened?”

Minnie glanced at my swollen, reddened knee. Her eyes were cold.

“What's the act this time, Young Mr. Delgado? Trying to guilt Gloria into staying with an injury?”

May had her hands in her pockets. “Solomon, you pulled this same stunt three years ago. Aren't you tired of it?”

“I bet that notebook of yours has the exact angle of the fall calculated too.”

Minnie pressed two fingers to her temple. “Solomon, you've already cornered Jay. All he wanted today was one pocket watch. Did you really have to hurt yourself in public over that?”

“If what you want is face,” her voice was completely flat, “I'll dance the rest of the evening with you. That enough to save it?”

I gritted my teeth against the pain and stood, pushing past both of them.

“Move.”

“Solomon!”

Minnie lost her patience. She seized my arm. “If we hadn't pitied you back then and helped you get your footing, you think you'd even be standing here today?”

I wrenched hard, trying to break free of her grip.

She flung my arm away.

The sound of bone sliding out of joint.

My left shoulder dislocated.

The pain swallowed every sound in my throat.

Minnie's hand froze in midair.

She stared at my arm hanging limp, but her voice stayed rigid. “You had to fight me on this? All so you could chase after a woman?”

I clenched my jaw, right hand clamped over the dislocated shoulder.

Sweat ran down my face and dripped onto the tailored suit.

May's lip curled. “Drop the act.”

“You're Solomon Delgado—the real heir who grew up rough. A little injury like this is nothing to you. Don't expect us to go soft.”

My face was drenched in cold sweat, but I smiled at her.

“You're right. I grew up rough. It doesn't hurt.”

I let go of my right hand. My left arm hung dead at my side.

The smirk vanished from May's face. She turned away, unable to look at my shoulder.

Minnie's voice shook. “I'm calling the private doctor.”