cleared his throat. “I hereby call to session a status meeting of Kinky Bastard Vigilante Personal Gain Enterprises. We welcome Daniel Germainand Shea Ollivander to the table.”
“New attendees noted,”Ryuusaid.
“Fantastic,” Clark said. “And Chance, since you’re so eager to get to round two with your boy, why don’t yougo ahead and talk Break.”
Clark sat down, and Chance launched into the latest ideas for Break in the coming year. Each of the other owners valued the club for its privacy, safety, and as a place to conduct business in a shroud of protection and trust, but Chance loved to use it as a canvas for sweeping fantasy as well. Lucian kept the ideas within the realmoffeasible, but he liked Chance’s enthusiasm.
When Chance finished, Tim spoke up with talk of equipment he could make in his own shop and what needed to be ordered to make Chance’s dreams into reality. Chance agreed, mentioned a conversationwitha State Representative who showed interest in Break, and the meeting continued. Lucian monitored Shea, who seemed to take everything in stride. Shea had grown up with Chance, Ryuu, and Clark, and knew plentyabout Lucian’s business to follow alongwithout a problem.
Lucian also knew, however, that Shea would see that Break held all their vested interests, and was a symbol of how the four men supported each other in all their ventures. Fromcharity causes to bidding on public works projects to voting, they each helped the other succeed, and the favors they swapped were both currencyand insurance.
Sipping at a well-watered whiskey, Shea sat back and watched silently while the group spoke of an art show and the new director of tourism. Eventually the updates waned, and Luciansteepled his fingers.
“Tim?” Lucian asked. “How is your search going to find a second construction company to contract for your site prep and restorationwork?”
“Ongoing. Right now we’re working with Reynolds Construction, and they’re slow. My site manager and the CEO don’t see eye to eye onquality, either.”
“Mm,” Lucian nodded. “Shea? You chose to work for your Steve Walker. Do youback him?”
“Yes, I would,” Shea replied without hesitation. “He’s solid. Small fry compared to you, but honest and knows what the hell he’s doin’. Hasn’t looked for more, having enough to feed all his guys’ families has beenenough.”
Lucian hummed, met Tim’s gaze, and waited until the architect snapped a nod of affirmation. “Do you think Steve would be solicitous to a proposal from Akkard and Associates?”Lucianasked Shea.
“He’s no idiot,” Shea said. “He’ll jump on it. And it’llbe a blast to see himdo well.”
“Good deal,”Timsaid, smiling.
“Excellent,” Lucian said. “Thank you, gentlemen. I do appreciate the communication among our various corners ofthe city.”
“Aw, and we do it all for you, Majesty,” Chance drawled.
“Naturally,” Lucian said smoothly. “What other motive is there?”
“Don’t tango with his ego, Chance,” Clark said. “It’ll have you hog tied before you make your second move.”
“What you two bastards do on your own time is none ofmybusiness,”Chance said.
“So unfortunate that you make your private life so painfullyobvious to the rest ofus,”Luciansaid.
“You fuckin’love it.” Chance groped and squeezed Ryuu’s groin for all eyes to see, grinning like a starving wolf. Ryuu bit his lower lip and waved Chance’s hand away.
“So,” Chance said. “Now that the niceties are over, we talkin’ the serious shit or what?”
“Clark,”Lucianintoned.
At Lucian’s word, Clark nodded and beganmaking a report on the underbelly beneath various façades. The latest murders associated with gang activity in Gehnbatton. The influx of illegal substances being filtered through the Russian mob connections. Funding cuts to the city’s police department. A senator recently outed as homosexual in the throes of media scandal. Crimes, dirty games, statements of
“New attendees noted,”Ryuusaid.
“Fantastic,” Clark said. “And Chance, since you’re so eager to get to round two with your boy, why don’t yougo ahead and talk Break.”
Clark sat down, and Chance launched into the latest ideas for Break in the coming year. Each of the other owners valued the club for its privacy, safety, and as a place to conduct business in a shroud of protection and trust, but Chance loved to use it as a canvas for sweeping fantasy as well. Lucian kept the ideas within the realmoffeasible, but he liked Chance’s enthusiasm.
When Chance finished, Tim spoke up with talk of equipment he could make in his own shop and what needed to be ordered to make Chance’s dreams into reality. Chance agreed, mentioned a conversationwitha State Representative who showed interest in Break, and the meeting continued. Lucian monitored Shea, who seemed to take everything in stride. Shea had grown up with Chance, Ryuu, and Clark, and knew plentyabout Lucian’s business to follow alongwithout a problem.
Lucian also knew, however, that Shea would see that Break held all their vested interests, and was a symbol of how the four men supported each other in all their ventures. Fromcharity causes to bidding on public works projects to voting, they each helped the other succeed, and the favors they swapped were both currencyand insurance.
Sipping at a well-watered whiskey, Shea sat back and watched silently while the group spoke of an art show and the new director of tourism. Eventually the updates waned, and Luciansteepled his fingers.
“Tim?” Lucian asked. “How is your search going to find a second construction company to contract for your site prep and restorationwork?”
“Ongoing. Right now we’re working with Reynolds Construction, and they’re slow. My site manager and the CEO don’t see eye to eye onquality, either.”
“Mm,” Lucian nodded. “Shea? You chose to work for your Steve Walker. Do youback him?”
“Yes, I would,” Shea replied without hesitation. “He’s solid. Small fry compared to you, but honest and knows what the hell he’s doin’. Hasn’t looked for more, having enough to feed all his guys’ families has beenenough.”
Lucian hummed, met Tim’s gaze, and waited until the architect snapped a nod of affirmation. “Do you think Steve would be solicitous to a proposal from Akkard and Associates?”Lucianasked Shea.
“He’s no idiot,” Shea said. “He’ll jump on it. And it’llbe a blast to see himdo well.”
“Good deal,”Timsaid, smiling.
“Excellent,” Lucian said. “Thank you, gentlemen. I do appreciate the communication among our various corners ofthe city.”
“Aw, and we do it all for you, Majesty,” Chance drawled.
“Naturally,” Lucian said smoothly. “What other motive is there?”
“Don’t tango with his ego, Chance,” Clark said. “It’ll have you hog tied before you make your second move.”
“What you two bastards do on your own time is none ofmybusiness,”Chance said.
“So unfortunate that you make your private life so painfullyobvious to the rest ofus,”Luciansaid.
“You fuckin’love it.” Chance groped and squeezed Ryuu’s groin for all eyes to see, grinning like a starving wolf. Ryuu bit his lower lip and waved Chance’s hand away.
“So,” Chance said. “Now that the niceties are over, we talkin’ the serious shit or what?”
“Clark,”Lucianintoned.
At Lucian’s word, Clark nodded and beganmaking a report on the underbelly beneath various façades. The latest murders associated with gang activity in Gehnbatton. The influx of illegal substances being filtered through the Russian mob connections. Funding cuts to the city’s police department. A senator recently outed as homosexual in the throes of media scandal. Crimes, dirty games, statements of
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