Mimi's Demons

Chapter 71: Complimentary Fear Mongering

Duke smiled, cold, dry, professional, but Garcia echoed it with his own relieved grin anyway.

"I like it," he said. "My daughter could use another...playmate. How old is he?"

"He will be eleven next month, but he is mature for his age. Very obedient. His English is very good too. There is a word you have for those like him, 'prodigy' I believe?"

"Good. Anything less wouldn't be able to keep up with my daughter. She's very bright herself."

Garcia nodded, leaking more relief than was healthy for one who should be practiced and raised for talks such as these.

"Now, to the next matter..." Garcia sat straighter at Duke's words, probably trying to discise it as a simple shifting to a more comfortable position but it made him look like a child listening up to a teacher. "You're courtesy has been wanting. I'm sure your father taught you thoroughly on the manner and I've had a chat with him about his parenting. According to him, it's all on you, and having known the man I'm obligated to believe him."

As he watched the cartel head go through another round of just-hidden panic (hidden to anyone else but him), he saw Honrye wriggle again, probably growing hungry at the fear he tasted in the air.

Duke's smiled wide. "So, I thought I'd help him out a bit." He cocked his head. "Honrye."

"I told you not to say my name," growled the kid, even as he shuffled away from the potted plant. As he drew closer to the table the sunlight streaming in from the floor to ceiling windows seemed to dim, as though a cloud passed over them. A ripple moved across Garcia and his henchmen. One even reached into his suit jacket for his gun.

"Oh, so you don't want your meal?"

Honrye growled just deep enough to sound inhuman, especially after speaking in his childish, pre-broken voice. Cromwell glanced back, eyebrows bunching, disconcerted. Omen, however, didn't so much as blink.

Garcia stared and muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?" asked Duke, just out of curiosity.

"That's not a child," his voice shook. "That's not even a man." He looked to Duke, all pretense of hiding his feelings gone and his eyes wide, jowls trembling. "Querido Dios, what--what have you brought upon us?"

"Well, not everyone likes Taco Bell, and he's hungry." Duke shrugged. "Might as well put it to use."

Duke, Omen, and Cromwell left the conference room to the sounds of screaming. Monty, at his station in the secretary's desk that, looked at the closing door with lowered, bemused eyebrows. But rather than dropping his mouth in dawning horror like Cromwell (who really shouldn't be phased by screaming people, he's had to be in on torture sessions before), he only seemed confused that the screaming was happening although Duke was out of the room.

Omen merely tightened his mouth, especially as the screaming multipled to include Garcia's two cronies.

"Any calls while I was preoccupied?" Duke asked, straightening the lapels of his coat.

"Serena entered her report and Mr. Jackson of the southern district has raised a level three alert. Hurricane season seems to have done something unexpected on Mobile Bay."

Duke huffed. "That's his job, not mine. If we lose profits because of a storm they're coming out of his ass." He strode forward. Monty got up smoothly from his chair to join the precession of Omen and Cromwell in Duke's wake, his small tablet open and glowing off his thick glasses. Poor man really was on in years. Duke should be looking for a replacement, but he loathed replacing people. It was like trying to find the needle in a haystack finding competency in the human race, except in this particular haystack there could be shitty little surprises as well.

"The Secretary of State also left a call and left a message concerning the business with the Governor of Wisconsin."

"Doesn't he know everything's over text nowadays? No one calls anymore."

Cromwell snorted, even though he was still pale. They could hear the screams even after entering the elevator.

Monty went through important email and reviewed Duke's schedule for the morning as they rode down fifty or so stories to the basement. The building they were using was just one of many businesses Duke ran from the shadows. As far as the people who worked their new, Duke was but one of many heads in upper management. Little did they know the CEO was but a figurehead who moved on Duke's word.

Said CEO greeted them in the lobby when the elevator door opened, as though he had waited there the whole time. He bowed his head, though quickly. Best not to raise questions as to the line of authority, even though the lobby was empty except for one secretary at the long, golden desk, who was also on Duke's payroll. Like any normal secretary would work the front when Duke would be in.

"That was rather quick," said the puppet CEO, a man by the name of Rodger Selman who had aged well, appearing to be in his forties when he was well on his way to sixty. He had a charismatic smile that warmed people and hid everything else. Duke had seen him kill a man with that same smile which made others believe they'd found a true friend.

"He's still new," said Duke. "We have yet to gain anything to talk about."

"Ah, I know the feeling." He glanced behind Monty at the empty elevator. "Will I be hosting your young friend?"

"He'll be down in a minute."

"Then I'll direct him to the lounge when he does." Rodger Selman held a hand out to his side, directing them down a hall to a lavish lounge where he had prepared a proper lunch for them, catered from a nearby four-star restaurant.

Truly, the demon should be groveling to Duke by the time this day was over. Kid was downright spoiled.

But, of course, he just glared at Duke when he came in, led by Selman. His green eyes took in the rich food for only a second before narrowing back on Duke.

"Food won't make this better," he said. "I still don't see how this is helping Mimi."

Duke sighed. He should have known better. Children were ungrateful, after all.

"There's a delicious lobster bisque here with homemade crutons," said Omen abruptly, gesturing to a bowl and flashing his first smile of the day at the demon. "I'm sure you would like it."

Duke just stopped himself from giving Omen a look. Since when did the Sikh known demon-boy's likes? Screw that, since when did the most religious guy in their group decide to be nice to a demon of all things?

Duke only got more confused as the kid actually seemed to soften ever so slightly and, after only half the hesitation he'd use for anything Duke offered, made his way to the empty seat where Omen was already setting out a plastic bowl of lobster bisque.

Well, whatever. He had more important things to do, like reading up on the report Serena had texted him on Mimi. Hopefully he could get her to soften more than the demon kid and come to forgive him for whatever he had done that had scared her so.

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The boys are chattering together in their room across the hall from mine. My ASMR is boys happily playing pretend together. I wish they'd stop growing.