He cleared his throat again. “No…ugh…well, I’d like to thank you for your service.”
Lincoln nodded and looked past him to check on Donatella. Thankfully, she’d moved on from Holloway and was in conversation with a woman. The tension in his shoulders instantly relaxed. He decided to give Khal the attention he so desperately needed.
“I appreciate your hospitality seeing as how I’m an uninvited guest.”
Khal smirked as if he had regained his superiority. “The Bible says, ‘And he said unto them, go ye into all the world, andpreachthe gospel to every creature.’ All are welcome, Colonel.”
Lincoln frowned at the nerve it took for him to speak to him through scripture while pimping out his female flock. He decided to test the preacher to see how long he could stay in character.
“Membership drive, huh?” Lincoln asked, rubbing his beard.
“Yes, sir. Come one, come all to the Lord!” he exclaimed.
“Hmm? What does your church have to offer that the others don’t?”
“Why, the true Word of God, Colonel Creed.”
“The Bible is the Word of God. Don’t need a church for that,” Lincoln pointed out, shaking his head.
“Ahh, but…not every church is blessed with someone that can interpret andteachthe true word.”
“And, that’s you?”
“Yes, it is, praise God,” Khal declared.
Enough of this shit!
Lincoln scanned the room with a squint until his eyes landed on Donatella.
“You have some beautiful women here. Are they all members?”
“Yes, sir, they are,” Khal boasted with a proud smile.
“And… are all these men members?”
The preacher hesitated before answering. He was carefully choosing his response. “No, not all of them. Most of them are like you, influential men of power.”
“I have no power,” Lincoln scoffed.
“Oh, but you’re wrong, Colonel. You’re a Creed. Your father is a retired senator and your brother is a governor.”
“That meansthey’repowerful,” Lincoln mused.
Khal laughed. His shady brown eyes lit up with glee. “Colonel, if I were a betting man, I’d say you were on the fast track to being promoted.”
Even though both his dad and his brother were politicians who led very public lives, it never ceased to irritate him how much strangers thought they knew about his life.
“If that were true, how would that help you and your church?”
“The more influential members we have, the easier it is to spread the word. The battle is near, Colonel. We need an army, an army of powerful soldiers.”
“Alright, Khal. Let’s cut to the chase. Is any of this for me?” Lincoln asked, nodding his head toward one of the women walking by.
Khal turned around to see what he was referring to. When he turned back, he was smiling.
“Of course, brother.Allthat we have to offer is yours.”
“In exchange for?”
