All the King's Men: The Beginning Read Online Free PDF Page B

without even trying. How he shut that shit off so he didn't go crazy was a mystery, but it sure was a nice gift to have at times like this, when Bain wanted desperately to probe Royce's private thoughts for signs of betrayal.
    "What strides have you made?" Royce asked. "Have your enforcers turned up anything?"
    Bain shook his head. "They arrest dealers almost every night, but so far my men have turned up only dead ends. And since we're not allowed to hold them for more than a few days…" He eyed Royce and shrugged, making it clear he needed Royce to reconsider the terms of the truce.
    All the King's Men had been created after the last war between their races to uphold the truce and maintain the peace. Since vampires were inherently stronger than drecks, Bain had made it a stipulation of the peace negotiations that an enforcement agency would be created, and that drecks caught breaking the law or engaging in potentially aggressive behavior, or behavior that could lead to a violation of the truce, would be subjected to arrest and containment within the king's agency. Royce, who had just taken power of the drecks after his predecessor was killed, agreed to the AKM agency on one condition. That any drecks arrested could not be contained for more than thirty days—and thirty days was only for the most heinous acts—and would be turned over to the drecks for prosecution.
    The deal had been a hollow victory, but one Bain could digest with the knowledge that his warriors would be the primary peacekeepers between the two races.
    Unfortunately, drug dealing wasn't considered a heinous act, and he was forced to turn the dealers he caught over to the drecks within a week of arresting them. And since dreck laws were more lenient than vampire laws, they had started to see repeat offenders. A lot of them. The same dealers being arrested two or even three times in less than a year.
    "Perhaps we need to revisit incarceration and punishment for dealers," Bain said, watching Royce's reaction closely.
    "What do you mean?"
    Bain told him of the repeat arrests. "Obviously, your punishments aren't getting the job done, Royce. The same drecks are being arrested time and again. Perhaps you're allowing these criminals to be released too quickly." All this diplomatic beating around the bush made Bain's skin crawl.
    Royce smiled, but the polite display looked forced. "You handle vampire affairs your way, Bain, and I'll handle dreck affairs mine."
    "No offense," Bain held his hands up as if to convey he wasn't trying to step on toes. These political dances with Royce could be so sensitive. He had to tiptoe around hot topics as if he were Fred Astaire.
    "None taken." Royce's false smile smoothed into a placated grin.
    "I'm only suggesting that if we're going to work together to catch whoever's manufacturing cobalt, as we've agreed, that more cooperation surrounding the length of incarceration of dealers could be beneficial." More tap dancing.
    "Noted," Royce said dismissively. "I'll consider it." He paused. "Now, I'd like to talk about the excessive force one of your enforcers used to take down a dreck who stole a human female's purse."
    It looked like the cobalt discussion was tabled. For now. Bain would continue pushing the topic in future meetings, and if Royce continued to give him the same mealymouthed answers and noncommittal horseshit much longer, he would take matters into his own hands, even if it meant risking peace. He put on a steely smile as his head began to ache. This was going to be a long night.
     

 
    Chapter 3
    Tristan unlocked the door to his suite at AKM where he spent most of his time with Josie. Several members of AKM stayed at the facility at least part of the time, mostly team leaders and medical personnel who had to remain on call. Basically, anyone who needed to be able to respond quickly when an emergency arose had a housing unit on site.
    He smiled at the candles on the table and the scent of homemade Italian food, which