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how far she could push her rivals before they pushed back. For hundreds of years, she’d played various factions off against one another while keeping them under her thumb; no one was better at ensuring that the anarchy of Omega never got out of control.
    In the end the turian leader nodded, accepting her terms.
    “I’ll inform our people,” he said.
    “I knew you’d see reason,” she replied, dismissing them with a wave of her hand.
    The turians turned and left without another word, the eyes of Aria’s krogan bodyguard following them until they descended the ramp to the level below and disappeared from view.
    “It didn’t take them long to figure out what happened,” Grayson commented once they were gone.
    “The Talons are smart,” Aria replied. “They’re growing fast. A little too fast. They needed to be knocked down a notch.”
    “Glad we could do our part,” Sanak chimed in.
    You four-eyed ass-kisser
, Grayson couldn’t help but think.
    “Sanak informs me the sand is secured at your place,” Aria continued. “I’ll send a crew over to pick it up in the morning.”
    Grayson nodded.
    “I won’t send them too early,” Aria added with a sly smile. “I’d hate for you and Liselle to have to cut your evening short. You’ve earned the right to celebrate. Everything at the club is on me tonight.”
    “Thanks,” he said, taking the compliment in stride.
    Aria was hard on those who failed her, but she was generous with those who came through.
    “Liselle mentioned she’d be on level two,” Aria added, giving Grayson his cue to leave. He was smart enough to take the hint.
    He went and got himself a drink at the VIP bar before making his way down to the second floor. He took his time, letting the atmosphere of Afterlife wash over him. In the end, it took him nearly twenty minutes to find Liselle. As he’d expected, she was on the dance floor, surrounded by a crowd of fawning young men and women.
    Grayson had come to terms with Liselle’s penchant for humans: she liked them, and they liked her. He knew the asari preferred to partner with those outside their own species; their unique biology allowed them to take genetic traits from alien partners and incorporate them into the DNA of their offspring. But Liselle was still young; it would be decades—or maybe even centuries—before she passed from the maiden stage of the asari life cycle into the childbearing years of matronhood. Whether she would still be attracted to humans, or if this was just an experimental phase of her youth, he couldn’t say. And in the end, it didn’t matter. All Grayson knew was that she was interested in him right now, and he planned to enjoy the relationship as long as it lasted.
    He pushed his way through the others on the dance floor, drawing irritated looks that quickly changed to envy when Liselle saw him and draped her arms around his neck to pull him in close.
    “Aria seemed pleased with your work tonight,” she shouted, leaning in close to his ear to make her words heard above the music.
    They were pressed tight against each other, Liselle’s body gyrating to the music while Grayson did his awkward best to try and match the rapidly pulsating rhythm.
    “I couldn’t have done it without you,” he reminded her.
    As he leaned in close to her ear, the familiar alluring scent of her perfume rose up and engulfed him. For some reason, however, it didn’t rouse the normal lust-filled urges.
    Liselle was quick to notice his lack of reaction.Grabbing him by the wrist, she quickly dragged him across the dance floor and into a corner where the music was only a dull roar.
    “What’s wrong?” she asked.
    From her expression it was clear she was concerned, rather than upset. As it always did, her concern made Grayson feel guilty and somewhat ashamed.
    He preferred to see their relationship as primarily physical. For the most part, Liselle seemed to have a similar perspective. To think it was anything more was ridiculous;