"It's fully permitted, Delilah," Elias replied, his voice dropping an octave, losing the friendly edge. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a folded yellow city document, holding it up just enough for the tungsten light to catch the official seal. "I cleared this with the city council three days ago. Now, I'm going to have to ask you to leave my property."
The color drained from Delilah’s face, only to be replaced instantly by a flush of absolute, unhinged fury. Being proven wrong in front of an audience was a fate worse than death for a woman whose entire identity was built on neighborhood supremacy. She ignored the permit entirely.
"You think a piece of paper stops me?" she hissed, bringing the phone up to her face and aggressively tapping the screen. "You think you can just bring this... this element into our community? Send officers now," she practically screamed into the receiver, glaring daggers at Elias. "He refuses to shut it down. I feel threatened. Bring everyone."
Elias watched her chest heave as she held the phone to her ear. A slow, chilling smile touched the corner of his mouth. He didn't move to stop her. He didn't beg. Instead, he leaned back against the gleaming red hood of the Mustang and crossed his arms.
"Go ahead," Elias murmured, his voice cutting through the fog with lethal calmness. "But you may not like who shows up."