Wild Country (The World of the Others #2)- Anne Bishop Page 0,158

are correct.” Tolya said nothing else for a moment. “You’re still considering relocating to Bennett, Mr. Blackstone?”

“I am. Thaisia has changed, and, as I said, it’s time to settle down. As a professional gambler, I can make sure games of chance in my saloon are run clean, and my brother can handle the bar.”

“Would you like to see the saloons that are available?”

Parlan shook his head. “First I’d like to spend a little time in the saloon that’s already up and running, get a feel for the kind of entertainment the town is looking for.”

“Our entertainment will seem quite small to you.”

He forced himself to smile. “Perhaps. Then again, small can still be profitable for everyone.”

“I understand you have your own railroad car.”

“Yes. The men on the train moved it to a siding before the train went on to the next station, but no one working at this station knows anything about pumping out the waste tank or filling the clean-water tank.” Or so they said. Then again, he’d only seen two people working in the station—one dealing with the deliveries and the other handling the ticket counter and the little shop. “I’d like to rent a room at the hotel, if that’s all right.”

“I’ll inform the hotel’s manager that you’ll be checking in.” Tolya pushed back his chair and stood, a clear signal that the meeting was over.“Did you leave your luggage at the station? Nicolai will bring it to the hotel for you.”

“Thank you,” Parlan said as he followed Tolya’s lead.

Maybe this was for the best. The blowhard businessmen—to say nothing of their wives—would have become tiresome very quickly. If they hadn’t already bolted back to the train station, trying to buy tickets on the next train to anywhere, he’d sever their business arrangement by forgiving their debt as long as they left town. Then he would spend a few days considering the possibilities while he got acquainted with the town and its officials.

He’d consider other things too. After all, there weren’t many places for someone to run anymore.

“Is there a jeweler in town?” Parlan asked.

“There is,” Tolya replied. “His store is down the street, next to the bookstore.”

“Glad to hear it. I have a couple of family pieces I’d like evaluated.”

“It’s good to evaluate family pieces from time to time.”

As Parlan walked down the street to the Bird Cage Saloon, he had the uneasy feeling that Tolya hadn’t been talking about jewelry.

* * *

* * *

Tolya stared out the window, thinking of this latest group of ill-informed humans. How could they understand so little and still manage to survive? Or had they understood so little about Bennett because the deal wasn’t of interest to them to begin with? Was the plan to grease the right palms, make the deal, and then disappear, leaving their “associate” to run the saloon?

Might have worked if they’d been dealing with another human.

A fight for dominance. He’d seen that flash of interest in Parlan Blackstone’s eyes when that was mentioned. If Blackstone really intended to settle in Bennett, it wouldn’t take long before he chafed at the town’s restrictions and began to think, as humans so often did, that he could change things to suit himself and his pack.

If someone believed that a human form meant thinking like a human, if someone didn’t understand what would happen to this town if the Sanguinati and Wolfgard didn’t rule here …

It would be simple enough to eliminate Blackstone. The Sanguinati could slip into his room tonight and feast while he slept. But this was the adversary they could see. The other members of the pack might be harder to find once the leader was killed. And if they killed one member of that pack, they needed to kill them all.

Tolya called.

Yuri replied.

Tolya thought for a moment.

* * *

* * *

Virgil, a Blackstone human has come to town,> Tolya said.

Virgil struggled to keep his fangs from lengthening to Wolf size since Becky Gott was telling him about buttons and he didn’t want to scare her.