Lover Mine (Black Dagger Brotherhood #8)(16)

John didn't make a move, neither confirming nor denying.

"And I also find it curious that you want to ask me about drug deals, given that Rehv knows everything about the trade here in Caldwell."

At this point, iAm came into the kitchen. He went to the pot and gave it a stir as well, then braced himself next to his brother, assuming the same pose. John hadn't heard they were twins, but damn, you had to wonder.

"So what's doing, John," Trez murmured. "Why doesn't your king know what you're up to and why aren't you talking to my man Rehvenge?"

John faced off at the pair of them and then picked up the pen and

wrote for a little bit. When he flashed the paper forward, the Shadows leaned in.

You are perfectly aware of what's going on here. Stop wasting our time.

Trez laughed and iAm even smiled. "Yeah, we can read your

emotions. Just figured you might want to explain yourself." When John shook his head, Trez nodded. "Okay, fair enough. And I gotta respect your no-bullshit policy. Who else knows that this is personal to you?"

John went back to the pad-and-pen routine. Rehv, most likely, given that he's a symphath . Qhuinn and Blay. But none of the Brothers.

iAm spoke up. "So that tattoo you just got . . . it have to do with her?"

John was momentarily surprised, but then figured they could either

smell the fresh ink or feel the reverberations of the faded pain.

With a quiet scribble, he wrote, That is none of your business.

"Cool, I can respect that," Trez said. "Listen . . . no offense, but why can't you trust the Brothers with this shit? Is it because she's a symphath and you're worried about how they'll take it? Because they're down with Rehv."

Use your head. I go all guns-blazing about her with them and we find her? Everyone in that house is going to expect a mating ceremony at the homecoming. You think she'd appreciate that? And if she's dead? I don't want to stare across the dinner table every morning at a bunch of people waiting to see if I hang myself in the bathroom.

Trez barked out a laugh. "Well . . . there you go. And I can't fault logic like that."

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So I need your help. Help me help her.

The two Shadows looked at each other and there was a long stretch of

quiet. Which John took to mean they were having a conversation gray

matter-to-gray matter.

After a moment, they glanced back to him, and as usual Trez did the

talking. "Well, now . . . since you've done us the courtesy of cutting the shit, we'll do the same. Talking to you like this puts us in a difficult position. Our relationship with Rehv is tight, as you know, and he's as personally invested in this as you are." Just as John was trying to figure out a way around all that, Trez murmured, "But we will tell you . . . neither one of us is picking up on her. Anywhere."

John swallowed hard, thinking that was not good news.

"No, it isn't. She's either dead . . . or she's being held somewhere with a block." Trez cursed. "I think Lash has her, too. And I totally buy the idea that he's working the streets for cash, and that's the only way to find him. If I had to guess, he's trying out human dealers first before converting them to the Lessening Society--and mark my balls, he's going to start inducting them ASAP. He'll want to have total control over his retail team and the only way he's going to get that is by turning them. As for hotbeds of dealing, the malls are always jumping. So is the high school, although that's going to be tough because of daylight problems for you. Municipal construction zones, too--

the vendors in those catering trucks always used to buy from us. Also, that Xtreme skating park. Lotta shit goes down there. And under the bridges--

although that's mostly homeless, bottom-feeder real estate, so the crank ratio for cash will probably be too low for Lash to get a hard-on over."

John nodded, thinking this was precisely the info he'd been hoping to get. What about the suppliers, he wrote. If Lash stepped into Rehv's shoes, wouldn't he need relationships with them?

"Yup. The big one in town, Ricardo Benloise, is pretty f*cking

insulated, though." Trez glanced at his brother and there was another silence.

When iAm nodded, Trez turned back. "Okay. We'll see if we can get you some intel on Benloise--at least enough so you can trail his ass in the event he meets with Lash."

John signed without thinking, Thank you so much.

Both of them nodded, and then Trez said, "Two caveats."

With his hands, John urged the guy to continue.

"One, my brother and I don't keep anything from Rehv. So we're

going to tell him you came to see us." As John frowned, Trez shook his head. "Sorry. That's the way it is."

iAm interjected, "It's cool with us that you're digging deep. Not that 52



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the Brothers aren't, it's just the more hands on deck, the better her chances are."

John could see that, but he still wanted to keep shit private. Before he could get scribbling, Trez kept going.

"And two, you must fully inform us of any information you get.

Rehvenge, that f*cking control-freak bastard, has commanded us to stay out of it. Your turning up here? Well, isn't that just a convenient way for us to get involved."