Biba stopped herself and turned away, all huffy and shit. I knew what she meant, even if she didn’t say it. It was the same reason she wouldn’t move in with me. The same reason she didn’t come back the night Schmidt dropped this bombshell on her. . . . She didn’t trust me. And yeah, you could argue, given our history, she had reason to be distrustful. But respectfully, fuck that. I made her a literal queen at Stormcloud. I put her on the fast track to permanent social dominance, wealth beyond her wildest dreams, and a wellspring of raw, unalloyed power. All she had to do was trust me, but she couldn’t.
“Okay, Biba,” I said, controlling my temper the best I could, “you don’t want my help? Fine. But I can’t let this stand. Threats against someone close to me and plotting from the Dean—it won’t stand.”
“What will you do?” she muttered to the floor.
“You’ll see.
Within ten minutes, Arvo and Sol were in the room. Biba tried to leave when they came in, but I told her to stay put. I wanted her to witness firsthand how quickly I could obliterate any threat to the Kings.
Arvo smirked as I sat her back down. Sol was giving her some kind of meaningful look like he wanted to ask if she was okay. It was all very sensitive and kind of annoyed me, but I let it slide. There were more important things to deal with.
I ran down the news about Schmidt.
I know I don’t need to explain,” I said, “that this is a direct challenge to our position.”
“Is it?” Arvo chimed in. “Seem to me like it’s mostly a challenge to Biba Quinn.”
He shot one of his sneering, insinuating glances Biba’s way. He looked her up and down like the Terminator scanning for threats. I was not too fond of that move of Arvo’s, how he seemed always to be mentally undressing and planning to impale every chick he saw. It was no different with his freshman squeeze. Tess was a tasty bit of tail, but as was always the case, Arvo’s desire for her was all wrapped up in complete disdain for her as a person. I mean, I’m not some sensitive emo-boy, but I don’t have total contempt for the girls I nail.
“Listen up,” I fired back at him. “If I say a threat to Biba is a threat to the Kings, that’s how it is. You better get on the same page with me, Hurley.”
Arvo rolled his eyes and nodded—insolent prick.
“What do you want us to do, exactly?” Sol asked.
“I gotta spell it out? Some asshole is setting up my girl for murder. I know she didn’t do it, so this anonymous snitch is clearly trying some kind of power play. I want you to find this guy and put his head on a fucking pike. That clear?”
“As crystal.”
“Then go. Make me proud.”
“Thank you,” Biba whispered from the bed.
She was talking to Sol. He didn’t acknowledge her, just turned on a heel and walked out the door fast. What a goddamn soldier. I couldn’t joke around with him the way I could with Arvo, but what did that matter? He was as reliable as they came. I knew he would carry out my orders to a T.
Arvo, on the other hand, was anything but reliable. There was a rebellion in him that drove me up the wall some days. It was apparent that following my directives was hard for him. He was an animal throwing himself against the cage.
Here’s the thing, though: a good leader knows when to crack the whip and when to let the rebel do his thing.
I had another bit of business for Arvo, something that would let him self-direct a bit. I caught him in the hallway and motioned for him to hang back.
“What’s up?” he mumbled.
“Shit is more complicated,” I confided, “than just Biba and her legal woes. Schmidt has us in his crosshairs.”
“Us? You mean like—”
“Yes, the Kings. The whole thing.”
“Should you be concerned?”
“I got no choice but to be. That’s where you come in. I need eyes on the Dean.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning if Schmidt takes a dump, I want the details. He doesn’t draw a breath without someone’s eyes on him—preferably yours, but you can delegate to some of our trusted seconds.”
Arvo thought for a moment. It always took a little time when Arvo started thinking.