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“What chafes me,” Sam said, “is the way Ashford just sits there like he’s so happy about the whole thing He knows the score He’s as much a part of it as Pa Or you Don’t think you can buy me off with a few cheap brews You’re just as ineering because I didn’t want all the petty social birdshit And now look at me”

“Yeah,” Bull said

Sa obscene and colorful Bull sat down across from her

“Okay, stop that,” she said

“What?”

“That looking repentant thing I feel like I’ It’s creepy” She took a long pull at the bulb, the soft plastic collapsing under the suction, then expanding out a little as the beer outgassed “Look, you and Pa are both doing what you think you ought to, and I’et it Doesn’t ht She wants you to lose allies So no o put your dick in a vise? I’ to, just because it would mean Pa won”

“Thank you for that, Sam”

“Go put your dick in a vise, Bull”

Bull’s hand terminal chimed

“Mister Baca?” Gathoni’s voice said “You should come back to the office, maybe”

Sam’s expression sobered and she put down the bulb Bull’s belly tightened

“What’s going on?” he asked When Gathoni answered, her voice was controlled and cal for -Un? It just blew up”

Chapter Fourteen: Melba

W

hen she’d thought about it, planning the final, closing stages of her vengeance, she’d pictured herself as the conductor of a private sy her baton to the orchestrated chaos It didn’t happen that way at all Theshe went to the Thomas Prince, she didn’t know that the day had finally come