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“That’s the best part,” Wren said. “In this case, the business and play are one in the same.”
It was taking everything in Odin to keep from interrupting, but he was annoyed that his friend had so obviously come here with a plan that he hadn’t bothered to share prior to their arrival.
Things hadn’t gone as expected since the moment they’d stepped foot in the building. There was still no sign of Isa, and while that could be a good thing it might also be the opposite. If Altz hadn’t informed Frost of this meeting, that meant they stood a chance of convincing him to turn. But if he had and Isa still wasn’t here…
That most likely meant he was held up elsewhere, and there wasn’t anything Odin could think of that would warrant Isa missing out on this willingly.
Anything good, anyway.
“We’ve been running this planet fairly comfortably,” Wren began to strum his fingers over his black-jean clad thigh, “You stay in your lane, and we stay in ours. But now you’re fucking Isa, and I admit I’m a bit hurt, majesty.”
Altz didn’t seem the least bit appalled by the other man’s crass phrasing. “Because?”
“If it was a Dominus you wanted,” he licked his lips slowly, “clearly there was a better option than Isa Frost.”
He chuckled. “You think you’re more attractive than Isa?”
“I think I’m a bigger package,” Wren corrected, leaning forward when the Emperor’s eyes immediately dropped to the spot between his legs. “Now that I have your attention, how about we lay out all the cards, shall we? We’re all king’s here. We know what matters most.”
“And what’s that?”
“Profit.”
Altz set the knife down on his desk. “I’m listening.”
Odin had wondered why they’d been allowed through the doors, but it was all starting to make sense. The Emperor he knew was a cowardly man who only cared about himself. His people were an afterthought at best, almost as though he enjoyed living on a planet where his title was mostly for show. Since he’d started sleeping with Isa, Odin had assumed he’d either been bribed or threatened into it, but if Altz was afraid of his lover, he wasn’t showing any sign of that now.
He was too distracted eye-fucking Wren.
And Wren…Odin almost shook his head at him. That bastard must have known the Emperor had the hots for him before coming here.
“Isa can offer you many things, but he can’t offer you the world’s weight in gold the way I can,” Wren said. “That’s a particular skill only I possess.”
“Are you saying you’re willing to share, Dominus Shen?” Altz asked.
“That’s the other point I want to make. Unlike some, I’m good at sharing.” He feigned being hot, tugging at the collar of his shirt, opening the material up even more for the Emperor’s hungry gaze.
“You should have come to me sooner,” Altz sounded uncertain.
“If I’d known a partnership was on the table, I would have.”
The Emperor hesitated, the first inkling of fear finally shinning behind his green eyes.
“We can take care of Isa,” Odin jumped in, not wanting to miss the opportunity to press on that crack in the other man’s resolve. “We’re planning on doing that anyway. At least in this scenario you get something out of it. What’s there to lose, really?”
“My head?” Altz snorted and dropped back against his chair. “You think I don’t know exactly what a man like Frost is capable of? Why else would I allow him to—” He stopped abruptly, clearing his throat, and dropped his gaze to the shiny surface of his desk.
So it wasn’t because he was enamored by Isa. That was good at least. It meant they really did stand a chance here. If they could convince the Emperor to work with them instead, they could cut off some of Isa’s support. Frost would be forced to seek aid elsewhere in his time of need, and any of the threats he’d been able to make about using the law in his favor would be out the window.
Vetle, Odin’s underboss, had informed them of Frost’s plan to try and have sex work made illegal, which would severely cripple the Red Light District, destroying Odin’s territory’s worth. The only way he’d be able to accomplish that goal would be with the Emperor in his pocket, but if he was in someone else’s instead…
“We have a plan to handle Frost,” Wren said.
“Tell me.” Altz frowned when Wren shook his head.
“All due respect, this isn’t our first time making a deal. Whether what you’re saying is true and you really don’t have any personal feelings for him or not, we can’t risk sharing details with you. Telling you this much is already a risk.”
“Coming here was a risk,” Odin corrected. “Isa has already used you to threaten our positions.”
