Chapter 1 - Kas

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"When the law fails to
serve us, we must
serve as the law."

~~Kenneth Eade

****************

~~Kas~~

The sweet taste of artificial cherry coated my tongue as I swirled the hard piece of sugary goodness around my mouth. It wasn't the best flavor in the bag but it would do for the time being. The couch I was currently lounging on was worn and lumpy but the back went just high enough that I could rest my arms wide across it, emphasizing the toned muscles. My legs were sprawled out before me, but my relaxed posture didn't calm the nervous man in the chair in front of me.

David was a mousey little man, with thinning brown hair and worry lines creasing his forehead. I could see the sweat beading on his forehead as he fidgeted anxiously, his light brown eyes darting to look at anything but me. For a man in his mid-thirties, he looked closer to fifty and I took no pleasure in the fear that my presence created in him. It was just... pathetic, really.

Letting David stew a bit longer in his creaky folding chair, I looked over his shoulder to the door and the man standing alert beside it. Bullock was a large bull of a man, his stoic expression and empty dark eyes only adding to the threatening aura the man expelled. If I didn't know him, even I might have been concerned for my own safety.

"You can go," I told Bullock, inclining my head in acknowledgement. "I've got this handled."

Bullock made a noise, a mix between a grunt and a snort, before exiting the office and leaving me alone with David. The moment the door clicked shut behind Bullock, the man in front of me became even more nervous which I hadn't realized was possible.

"Why are you so nervous, David?" I asked curiously.

"I, uh, I'm not nervous," David denied with a forced laugh, scratching the back of his neck. "Why would I be nervous?"

"That's a good question. I'm glad you thought of it for me," I countered sarcastically, my eyes boring into his head. "Let's get to the point, shall we?"

David nodded reluctantly, his hands clasped in his lap like a child in the principal's office. He knew exactly why he was here but didn't want to own up to the fuck up until he absolutely had to.

"We have rules, David," I began, watching for any shift in his demeanor. "I believe I've been very clear about what those are, have I not?"

"Yes, sir," David answered shakily, not meeting my eyes as his fingers twisted in his lap.

"And you're aware of the consequences when someone breaks those rules?" I asked conversationally, already knowing the answer.

David nodded quickly, his head now bowed so low that his chin practically rested on his collarbone. It was a mystery to me of how a man this timid had managed to build himself such a business and hold it with a horrid reputation. It was a ruse, a facade I could see through like thin plastic.

"Can you tell me the rules, David?" I asked, cocking my head to the side as his shoulders tensed. "I'd like to hear you say it."

David swallowed audibly, beads of sweat trailing down his temples.

"You get forty percent of profits if I want to continue doing business in your territory," David began to list, his voice shaky and I could tell he was choosing his words carefully.

"Or at all," I added, reminding him of the warning he had been given when our crew had first taken over the area.

"Right, of course," he hastily agreed.

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