reel it in. "We haven't even gotten started on how you plan to make her my equal. All the other house heads will just step aside and let you pick the next sector leader, too?"
That got her back up. "Orchid House rules Two. It always has, and it always will."
"Why?" He pressed his advantage, needling her pride. "If you want me to get Lex on board with this, you're gonna have to sell your product a hell of a lot better. What makes Orchid House so damn special? Why should I give a shit about Lex having it?"
She stood. "Save me some time here. Is it a sales pitch you need, or an excuse?"
"A what?"
"An excuse," she repeated mildly. "Something convenient to tell yourself so you feel better about wanting control of my sector."
Oh, he didn't hate her. Hate was too mild a word for this, for his furious embarrassment at having the ugly truth of him stripped bare. She was the dark mirror of Lex, a woman who saw into his heart just as clearly and never gave him any credit at all--because he didn't fucking deserve it.
"I have an excuse," he replied in a quiet, deadly voice. "Getting you out is all the excuse I need. But I need a reason."
"Power," she whispered. "Think of everything you could do with it, yes?"
He could think of one thing Two could give him, beyond their well-trained crafters and hearty business in long-distance trade. "How much juice do you have in Eden?"
A mirthless smile twisted her lips. "How many horny, desperate bastards are there in the city?"
His heartbeat sped. "I'm only interested in one of them right now. Gareth Woods."
The tiny wrinkle in her brow smoothed. She approached the table, lifted the whiskey, and began to pour it. "Interested in him, or in his painful demise?"
"In causing it, mostly." He settled back into his chair and watched her. "What do you really want, Cerys? You'll never be satisfied sitting on a porch swing and counting your money. For once in your life, speak truth to a man. Maybe the results will shock you."
She drained a shot and poured a second before answering. "Do you have any idea how exhausting it is, catering to men? I don't promise to take up knitting or raise cats in my old age, but believe me, Mr. O'Kane. I wouldn't mind being able to tell a few of you fuckers exactly what I think of you."
Dallas laughed as he picked up his own glass. "Now that? Is a motivation I believe. So maybe we can find common ground without giving up hating each other."
"I like the sound of that," Cerys said with a smirk. "I think Lex will, too."
"Why don't we try a deal without Lex first? We both have something the other wants, don't we? Let's start with an alliance of neighbors."
She clicked her shot glass against his. "Agreed."
How to phrase it? No outlandish lies, promising things she'd know he'd never deliver. Just the right amount of opportunity and reluctance. "I'll bring your proposal to my woman. I'll even do my best to see she considers it. But I want a show of good faith in return."
"What you want is Gareth Woods on a silver platter. I understand."
"Access to him." He studied her over the edge of his glass. "He knows I'm hunting him. He's played a good game at staying out of my way, but I only need to find him once."
"I can make that happen," she assured him.
"How soon?"
She considered it as she finished her second drink. "It'll take a little time. Be patient."
Be patient. Words he hated, but they'd be worth it if he could put a bullet in the head of the man who'd been responsible for Lex's near death. Oh, he'd have to let Jasper come along, since the assassin had been gunning for Noelle. But that kill, that retribution--it would balance the scales. It would be the ultimate proof that no one crossed the O'Kanes and lived. Not a scummy sector leader like Wilson Trent, not a councilman straight out of Eden.
Hell, if he played his cards right, Lex might not ever have to know. Not about the kill, and not how he'd agreed to pay for it. He just had to snatch the bait out of Cerys's trap without letting himself get snared by the promise of power.
"All right," he agreed. "I assume you have a contingency if I can't talk Lex around?"