I narrowed my eyes. “Business associates.”
“Yes.”
“So you sent in a spy?”
Benoit stepped forward, holding up a finger. “I don’t really like the termspy, per se. I like to look at myself as a social chameleon. Someone who can fit into any situation and?—”
“Get information for their bosses using underhanded, traitorous moves?”
Benoit opened his mouth to retaliate when King held up his hand. “That’s enough, Benoit. I understand this is not how you like to conduct business, Mr. Stavros, but we needed to know if we could trust you.”
“And this is the way you decided to go about it?”
“Yes. We needed more information. All we knew about you was that you were Giorgos’s second-in-command. After his untimely demise, I’m sure you can understand how we might have questions for his successor.”
“Which you could’ve had answered if you’d set up a fucking meeting. How am I supposed to trust you now?”
King slipped his hands into his pockets, his outward appearance all calm and patient despite my obvious agitation. I, on the other hand, was fucking livid. Not only had I been lied to, but all my previous business dealings had now been compromised. All because this fucker wanted to make sure I passed the Q&A portion of his little interview.
Fuck. That.
I wasn’t some employee of his, and it wasn’t up tohimwhether I decided to take him on. So he could take whatever intel he’d gathered and shove it up his?—
“I’m not sure how you’re going to be able to trust me. But if you want access to the U.S. market, you’re going to have to work it out.”
Okay, so maybesomeof it was up to him. The U.S. market was one of the biggest for me, and if this asshole was who people listened to then I was going to have to work shit out with him—despite wanting to go postal on his ass.
“This wasn’t the way to gain my trust.”
“Maybe not, but itwasthe way to find out what kind of person we’d be getting into bed with.”
“Why not just ask Benoit?” I turned my attention to Benoit, who was watching our exchange in silence. “Isn’t that why he was there?”
“Technically I was in your bed for the orgasms,mon monstre.But?—”
“Benoit,” King growled, “you’re not helping.”
“I’m just making sure he knows I was there because I wanted to be. Not in the hopes he’d scream out his business partners’ names mid-climax. The only name I wanted coming off his lips then was mine. Which, by the way, you can now see reallyisBenoit.”
“Can we please get back to the point?” King pulled an envelope out of his jacket pocket and tapped it. “The direction your previous leader was headed was one we don’t want any part of. Supplying terrorist groups. Traffickers.”
“Becauseyourhands are so clean?” I said.
“Not at all. But intentions matter. We needed to see what yours are.”
I let out a humorless laugh and crossed my arms. “Please, do tell me what mine are. I’d love to know.”
Instead of answering, King held out the envelope.
“The hell is that?” I said, staying right where I was.
“An offer.”
“You could just speak. Use your words.”
A slow, dangerous smile curved King’s lips as he continued to hold out the offer, not giving an inch. And neither did I.
“You’re going to want to take that,” Benoit said, but I didn’t look his way. I didn’t need him to give me his opinions. He’d done enough.
