Page 114 of Black Reign

“No.”

“Xavier.”

I stare.

He pushes the glass into my hand.

“Drink the fucking Scotch before you invade something.”

I take a swallow.

Mostly so he stops talking.

“Better?” he asks.

“No.”

“Lie to me.”

“Marginally.”

“There we go.”

He holds out his hand.

“Device.”

“No.”

“I’m handling Vesper.”

A laugh escapes me before I can stop it.

“You?”

“Bro code.”

“You don’t know what that means.”

“I absolutely do.”

“No.”

“Give me NULL.”

“Not happening.”

Drew takes off his sunglasses.

That means, somehow, he believes he is serious now.

“Look. You’ve cleaned up our shit for years. Leo. Vale. Me. Haverhill. Every time one of us does something stupid, creepy Blackwell appears with a laptop and makes it go away.”

“Creepy?”

“Complimentary creepy.”

“Nothing you say improves.”