ammunition supply closet and pulled out the ice chest that was hidden behind it. He upended the thing so the food inside hit the floor. As lessers didn't chew and swallow, that was as clear a confession as any.
Mr. X's pale face was furious. "You've been keeping a pet, haven't you?"
O considered his plausible denials while he measured the distance between them. "She's valuable. I use her in my interrogations."
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"How?"
"Males of the species don't like to see a female hurt. She's an inducement."
Mr. X's eyes narrowed. "Why didn't you tell me about her?"
"This is my center. You gave it to me to run as I want." And when he found the fucker who'd squealed, he was going to peel the bastard's skin off in strips. "I take care of business here, and you know it. How I do the job shouldn't matter to you."
"I should have been told." Abruptly, Mr. X went still. "You thinking of doing something with that knife in your hand, son?"
Yeah, Dad, as a matter of fact I am. "Am I in charge here or not?"
As Mr. X shifted his weight onto the balls of his feet, O primed for a collision.
Except his cell phone went off. The first ring was shrill in the tense air, like a scream. The second seemed less of an intrusion. The third was no BFD.
As their head-on got derailed, it dawned on O that he wasn't thinking clearly. He was a big guy and a damn good fighter, but he was no match for Mr. X's tricks. And if O got himself injured or killed, who would take care of his wife?
"Answer it," Mr. X commanded. "And put it on speaker-phone."
The news was from another Prime. Three lessers had been eliminated at the side of the road only two miles away. Their car had been found wrapped around a tree trunk, and the burn spots of their disintegrations had scorched the snow.
Son of a bitch. The Black Dagger Brotherhood. Again.
As O ended the call, Mr. X said, "Look, do you want to fight with me or do you want to go to work? One way will get you killed for sure and right now. It's your choice."
"Am I in charge here?"
"As long as you get me what I need."
"I've been bringing plenty of civilians in here."
"But it's not like they're saying much."
O went over and slid the mesh top back on the third hole, making sure he could see Mr. X the whole time.
Then he put his combat boot on the cover and met the Fore-lesser in the eye.
"I can't help it if the Brotherhood keeps themselves secret from their own species."
"Maybe you just need to focus a little harder."
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Do not tell him to fuck off, O thought. Fail this test of wills and your female is dog food.
As O tried to rein in his temper, Mr. X smiled. "Your restraint would be more admirable if it weren't the only appropriate response. Now about tonight. The Brothers will go for the jars of those slayers they wiped out. Get over to Mr. H's house ASAP and get his. I'll assign someone to A's place, and I'll cover D's myself."
Mr. X paused at the door. "About that female. If you use her as a tool, that's fine. But if you're keeping her for any other reason, we've got a problem. You go soft and I'll feed you to the Omega piece by piece."
O didn't even shudder. He'd lived through the Omega's tortures once, and he figured he could do it again. For his woman he would go through anything.
"Now, what do you say to me?" the Fore-lesser demanded.
"Yes, sensei."
As O waited for Mr. X's car to get gone, his heart was going off like a nail gun. He wanted to take his woman out and feel her against him, except then he'd never leave. To try and calm himself, he quickly cleaned his S&W and armed up. It didn't really help, but at least his hands had stopped shaking by the time he was through.
On his way to the door he picked up the keys to his truck and engaged the motion detector over the third hole.
That techno prop was a real ass-saver. If the infrared laser was broken, a triangulated gun system would go off, and whoever got curious would have a serious case of the leaks.
O hesitated before leaving. God, he wanted to hold her. The thought of losing