Lover at Last (Black Dagger Brotherhood #11)(29)
Author: J.R. Ward

Imagine that.

As newscasters and reporters tried to make sense of the tragedies, he merely continued growing his business by any means necessary. Human minds were awfully suggestible; it required hardly any effort at all to get middlemen drug dealers to train their own guns on their temples and pull those triggers. And in the same way nature abhorred a vacuum, so too did the demands of chemical supplementation.

Assail had the drugs. The addicts had the cash.

The economic system more than survived the forced reorganization.

"I’ll head up," the man said at a hidden door. "And let him know you’re here."

"Do take your time."

Left to his own devices, Assail strolled around the high-ceilinged, open space, linking his hands and putting them at the small of his back. From time to time, he paused to look at the "art" that was hung on the walls and partitions – and was reminded why humans should be eradicated, preferably by slow and painful means.

Used paper plates tacked to cheap particleboard and covered with handwritten quotes from TV commercials? A self-portrait done in dentifrice? And equally offensive were the aggrandizing plaques mounted next to the messes declaring this nonsense to be the new wave of American Expressionism.

Such a commentary on the culture in so many ways.

"He’s ready now."

Assail smiled to himself and turned around. "How accommodating."

As he entered through that sneaky door and ascended to the third level, Assail did not fault his supplier for being suspicious and wanting more information on his single largest customer. After all, in the shortest of time, the drug trade in the city had been rerouted, redefined, and captured by a complete unknown.

One could respect the man’s position.

But the digging was going to end here.

At the top of the set of industrial stairs, two other big men stood in front of another door, sure and solid as load-bearing walls. As with the guard on the first floor, they opened things up fast, and nodded at him with respect.

On the far side, Benloise was sitting at the end of a long, narrow room that had windows down one side, and only three pieces of furniture: his raised desk, which was nothing but a thick slab of teak with a modernist lamp and an ashtray on it; his chair, of some modern derivation; and a second seat across from him for a single visitor.

The man himself was like his environment: neat, officious, and uncluttered in his thinking. In fact, he proved that however illicit the drug trade was, the management principles and interpersonal skill sets of a CEO went a long way if you wanted to make millions in it – and keep your money.

"Assail. How are you?" The diminutive gentleman rose and put out his hand. "This is an unexpected pleasure."

Assail went across, shook what was extended and did not wait for an invitation to sit down.

"What may I do for you?" Benloise said as he himself resettled on his chair.

Assail took a Cuban cigar from out of his inside pocket. Snipping the end off, he leaned forward and put the snubbed piece right on the desk.

As Benloise frowned like someone had defecated on his bed, Assail smiled just short of flashing his fangs. "It’s what I may do for you."

"Oh."

"I have always been a private man, living a private life by choice." He put away his clipper and took out his gold lighter. Popping the flame, he leaned in and puffed to get the cigar into a sustainable burn. "But above and beyond that, I am a businessman engaging in a dangerous manner of trade. Accordingly, I take any trespass of my property or intrusion upon my anonymity as a direct act of aggression."

Benloise smiled smoothly and eased back in his throne-like chair. "I can respect that, of course, and yet I am confounded as to why you feel the need to point this out to me."

"You and I have entered into a mutually beneficial relationship, and it is very much my desire to continue this association." Assail puffed on the cigar, releasing a cloud of French-blue smoke. "Therefore, I want to pay you the respect you are due, and make clear before I take action that if I discover any person upon my premises whom I have not invited thereupon, I shall not only eradicate them, I shall find the source of inquiry" – he puffed again – "and do what I must to defend my privacy. Am I being clear enough?"

Benloise’s brows dropped down low, his dark eyes growing shrewd.

"Am I?" Assail murmured.

There was, of course, only one answer. Assuming the human wanted to live much past the following weekend.

"You know, you remind me of your predecessor," Benloise said in his accented English. "Did you meet the Reverend?"

"We ran in some of the same circles, yes."

"He was killed rather violently. About a year ago now? His club was blown up."

"Accidents happen."

"Usually in the home, so I’ve heard."

"Something you might keep in mind."

As Assail met those eyes straight on, Benloise dropped his stare first. Clearing his throat, the Eastern seaboard’s biggest drug importer and wholesaler swept his palm over his glossy desk, as if he were feeling the grains that ran through the teak.

"Our business," Benloise said, "has a delicate ecosystem that, for all its financial robustness, must be carefully maintained. Stability is rare and highly desirable for men like you and me."

"Agreed. And to that end, I plan to return at the conclusion of the evening with my interim payment, as scheduled. As I always have, I come to you in good faith, and give you no reason to doubt me or my intentions."

Benloise offered another smooth smile. "You make it sound as if I am behind," he moved his hand around, waving it dismissively through the air, "whatever has upset you."

Leaning in, Assail dipped his chin and glared. "I am not upset. Yet."

One of Benloise’s hands surreptiously dipped out of sight. A split second later, Assail heard the door down at the other end of the room open.

Keeping his voice low, Assail said, "This was a courtesy to you. The next time I find anyone on my property, whether you sent them or not, I shall not be even half so polite."

With that, he got to his feet and ground the lit cigar out upon the desk.

"I bid you a fond good evening," he said, before walking away.

Chapter Fourteen

Talk about a late start.

As Qhuinn dematerialized away from the mansion, he couldn’t believe that it was ten o’clock at night and they were just getting started. Then again, the Brotherhood had stayed holed up in Wrath’s study forever, and when he and John had finally been let in, V’s announcement that the proof against the Band of Bastards was ironclad had led to a good half hour of trash-talking Xcor and his buddies.