Serpenti

by Brooke Sivendra

  Asher searched Jesse’s eyes. “Trust . . . That’s the funny thing—right now I don’t know who to trust.”

  Jesse nodded. “I understand, and that’s exactly why I think this team should be brought in. They have no personal stake in the politics of our region and have nothing to gain from seeing Santina fall.”

  Asher didn’t know what to do. “I’ll speak with them and then decide,” he said eventually.

  “Good,” Jesse said, dragging a chair to sit beside Asher as he turned on the television screen mounted on the wall opposite the desk.

  Asher looked at the growing stack of mail. It was like two towers threatening to topple over. He needed to work, needed to get back to routine—and tomorrow he would.

  Now that Abi was home and his mother was stable, life was as good as it was going to get, for a little while at least. It was time to stop feeling sorry for himself.

  Santina needed him.

  The television screen flickered and five faces looked at him.

  Compelling black eyes drew him in. “Your Majesty, I’m James Thomas. This is my brother, Deacon. And this is Samuel, Jarrod, and Cami.”

  “Hello,” Asher said, his voice masking the well of emotions that were threatening to swallow him. “Thank you for meeting with us.”

  “Firstly,” Deacon said, “our condolences for Noah and your father.”

  Asher nodded. He was scared to think about them, because if he did, he might break down.

  “We operate Thomas Security,” Deacon continued. “We’re based in New York but have clients and thus agents all over the world. We specialize in cases that require multiple layers of security. Jesse contacted us after your father’s death, and we’ve done a preliminary assessment of your security and looked at a few key pieces of intelligence surrounding your father’s passing,” he said. “We understand the enormous pressure you’re under right now, but regardless of whether we work together in the future or not, we want to give you this advice: Your enemies are watching, and right now you need to show them you’re strong and not afraid. Your speech on the balcony was perfect. Every time you’re in public or on the telephone, that’s the person you need to be—no matter how hard it is.”

  James Thomas nodded. “The best thing you can do is to confuse whoever is behind these attacks. You want to keep them guessing about your next move so they can’t counter it. People are predictable when they’re afraid, and your enemies will use that to their advantage.”

  “But who are my enemies?” Asher asked, his voice strained.

  The man introduced as Samuel cleared his throat. “We’re still working on that, but so far we have narrowed the list down to twenty key players.”

  Asher raised an eyebrow. “From Adani?” he asked.

  “From Adani,” James said with a nod, “and some local.”

  Asher met James’s gaze. “Did Alistair make that list?”

  “Alistair made the list,” James said, his eyes seeming to search Asher’s. James continued, “I’ve been where you are—when you don’t know who to trust—and I’m sorry you’re in this position. I understand you might not want to face the fact that Alistair is involved, but we have questions for him, and you might not like his answers.”

  Asher looked at them all. “I want the answers, and I want everyone involved to be punished. I won’t be lenient on anyone—family or not—who has been involved in Noah’s murder, the attack on my parents, or Abi’s kidnapping. No one will be spared.”

  James gave a nod that indicated he approved of Asher’s answer. “Good—then we’ll work well together. That said, Abi’s case is slightly more complex than investigating the death of Noah or the attack on your parents,” James said, seeming to choose his words carefully.

  “It will be best if we consult directly with Jesse on Abi’s case,” James said.

  Asher raised an eyebrow. “Why is that?”

  “For the same reason my wife doesn’t know all the details of my past,” James said, his face remaining impassive. “I suspect Abi has a criminal record—however good her intentions—that it will not serve you to know. It will put you in a position of conflict given your title, and if you’re ever questioned over her past, it will be best if you can be honest and say you don’t know. If something arises that we think you do need to know, Jesse and I will make that decision.”

  Asher looked to Jesse, who nodded, indicating he was onboard with this plan.

  “Can you find the information you need to investigate the murders and the kidnapping? Won’t you need teams here in Santina?” Asher asked.

  James nodded. “We have methods of obtaining information that others don’t have, we have skill sets that others don’t have, and we can find information that government agencies pay us a lot of money for. If you’re asking out of concern for Abi’s criminal past being exposed—assuming there is one—I can assure you that if we find the information, we will make sure it’s buried so deep that no one will ever see it. Given your title, you should work with us purely for this reason, even if we don’t investigate the murders.”

  “The problem is: how do I know whether or not I can trust you?” Asher asked cautiously.

  “You can’t know that,” Deacon said flatly. “Not right now. Like all relationships, trust takes time. But whether you hire us or not, if we wanted to find the information, we could. If we wanted to expose it, we could. We have no desire to do that, and we wouldn’t waste our resources on such an activity when we have nothing to gain. If you ask anyone in the industry about Thomas Security, they’ll tell you we’re the people who are called when someone’s world starts to crumble.”

  “You’re under enormous pressure right now,” James continued. “A good security strategy will mean you can focus on Santina and fulfilling your role, and you won’t have to think about watching your back.”

  Asher nodded, his eyes dropping to his towering stacks of mail. He needed to be able to focus on his job. He needed that more than anything.

  He looked back to the screen.

  “What is this going to cost?” Asher asked.

  “That will depend on the strategy we devise. Vincent, at Jesse’s request, has asked this of us as a favor,” James said with a slight smile, “and I like having a man like Vincent owe me something. But there will be some additional costs involved.”

  “I can’t make this decision without knowing what those costs are,” Asher said. “Santina is not a rich kingdom.”

  James Thomas looked him dead in the eyes. “You might be richer than you think.”

  Asher’s eyebrows wove together. “How do you mean? We can barely feed our people.”

  “We are still looking into this, so I’m hesitant to give you full details at this stage, but it seems as if Alistair became aware of a potential oil reserve. We’re verifying this data, but if our initial intelligence is correct, the reserve sits below the holy ruins at Lithe. It is one of the few sites that had never been excavated, for obvious reasons. Your father discovered Alistair’s extracurricular activities two days before his death.”

  “He said nothing of this to me,” Asher said slowly. Why wouldn’t he have told me?

  “I think that’s because he didn’t get a chance,” James broke in. “He ordered his own testing to be done, and they started work the day he was killed. The men who were performing the testing haven’t been seen since, and the company is refusing to talk.”

  “What do you mean by ‘haven’t been seen since’?” Asher asked. “Are they dead? Or missing?”

  “Likely dead,” James said without pause. “But we would need to send a team to the site to investigate that. Everything we’ve done so far has been performed remotely, but if you want us to work with you, the sooner we get a full team to Santina the better.”

  “And who would be on this team?” Asher asked. “Will you be coming to Santina?”

  “No,” James said. “I will send multiple teams to perform various roles. If I turn up in Santina unexpectedly, you
’ll know things are really bad.”

  “How much worse can things get?” Asher asked, the strain of the last few days taking its toll. “My father is dead. Noah is dead. My mother is fighting for her life, and Abi only just made it home alive.” His eyes narrowed at James Thomas’s surprisingly calm expression.

  “Things can always get worse,” James said. “You don’t have to hire us, Your Majesty—”

  Asher waved his hand. “Call me Asher, please,” he said.

  James nodded. “You don’t have to hire us, Asher, but you do need to hire someone. You need a team that doesn’t have an interest in Santina or the region. Jesse can’t do this alone—his security team isn’t big enough. You need multiple teams, Abi needs multiple teams, your mother needs multiple teams, and you need at least four teams to follow Alistair and investigate the other names on our list. This is a huge operation now, and I don’t say this to frighten you—you already know it—but you’re next on the list. Maybe your enemies will wait for Santina to fall, but maybe they’ll get impatient and decide to make it fall. They tried to strip everything from you, Asher, and they won’t hesitate to tidy up loose ends. Once that’s done, you’re next. And if that happens, Santina will fall.”

  Asher looked away, his jaw grinding. His gaze landed on a photo of his parents—their wedding photo. He would not fail them.

  “Okay,” Asher said. “What happens first?”

  James nodded his approval. “First we install a security system that will ensure there’s not a blind spot in the entire palace. I have a team on standby—they landed a few hours ago. I didn’t want to be presumptive, but the faster we move, the greater our chance of keeping you alive. The team will work overnight installing the cameras, and tomorrow they’ll be in the ceiling to finish the wiring. I want to do it tonight while Alistair is asleep. The less he knows, the better.”

  “Alistair sleeps during the day,” Asher said. And parties all night.

  James smirked. “Not tonight. He’s fast asleep, and he won’t be waking up anytime soon.”

  Asher frowned. Had Alistair drunk too much and passed out?

  “Get some sleep,” Deacon said. “We’ll handle things. We’ve got you covered, and we’ll provide an update and strategy briefing in the morning.”

  “Thank you,” Asher said before the screen went blank.

  He turned to Jesse. “What’s with Alistair? How much has he been drinking?” Asher hadn’t seen him drink at the hospital, but maybe he had been busy making up for that temporary sobriety.

  Jesse gave an odd grin. “He only had one drink—the one I gave him. I drugged him at James Thomas’s request.”

  Abi

  Abi sucked in a breath as new bandages were applied to her back.

  “That’s it, you’re done for this evening,” the doctor said with gentle eyes. “I’ll give you some pain relief. Take some before bed and again when you wake up. I’ll be back tomorrow morning to see how you’re doing.”

  He pulled a little white bottle from his bag and handed it to her.

  “Keep ice on your ankle and we’ll X-ray it tomorrow, but it’s likely just a slight sprain,” he said.

  “Thank you,” Abi said, and he gave a gentle nod before excusing himself.

  In the silence of the room, Abi took her first good look at her surroundings. She was in a suite of some kind—she supposed it was guest quarters. The room was much more minimal than she’d expected. It was void of luxurious velvet and detailed ceilings. It was a far cry from the sitting room she’d first been taken into, but it was more elegant. The gray and beige color schemes matched those of her own apartment, which was an odd coincidence.

  A knock at the door stole her attention and she called out, “Come in.”

  Asher entered, closing the door behind him, and she was glad to finally have a moment alone with him.

  Their eyes met and her chest warmed.

  “Hey,” Abi said, her voice much higher than usual.

  The corner of Asher’s lips turned up. “Hey,” he said, taking his suit jacket off and slinging it over another chair. “Your parents have gone. They’ll be back in the morning. Rachel, Lenna, and Daniel are settled in the guest rooms.”

  “Thank you,” Abi said, tucking a loose strand behind her ear. She desperately wanted a hot shower, but the doctor had said she couldn’t because of her back.

  “It’s the least I could do,” Asher said, taking a seat beside her. He cupped her cheeks in his hands and Abi closed her eyes, falling into a kiss she’d thought she’d never get again.

  “Talk to me,” Asher said, his voice low. “Tell me everything that happened, Abi.”

  She opened her eyes, meeting his with a sigh. “I don’t even know where to start,” she said, resting her elbow on the top of the couch, supporting her back.

  Asher threaded his fingers through hers and brought them to his lips. “I need to know. Start at the beginning. I have all night, and I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Okay, but do you have wine? I’d really love a glass of red,” she said with a cheeky grin.

  “I’ll be back in a minute,” Asher said before placing a kiss on her cheek.

  Abi sat staring at the walls, wondering if she should turn the television on. She looked for the remote control and saw it was across the room—too much effort, she decided.

  Asher came back with a bottle and two glasses. Abi recognized the label. “You really liked it,” she said with a small smile. It was the same bottle she’d bought the night he’d come to their apartment, before they’d gone to the ruins. She’d thought things were complicated then but she’d had no idea of just how complicated they would become.

  Asher grinned. “I did. Shame about the price tag. I spent my entire monthly allowance on the one bottle.”

  Abi grinned. “Nothing but the best for the Prin—”

  Her eyes widened slightly as she stopped herself. King. He was King, by the most horrific circumstances, and Abi knew he didn’t want the title.

  “King,” he said, his voice sounding strained, and then he gave a forced smile. “Wine. Then tell me what happened, and then I’ll tell you everything you missed.”

  “Deal,” Abi said quietly, taking the glass from his hands and settling in. “A car passed me on the highway and straight away I sensed something wasn’t right, but the car passed me and continued on, so I told myself I was overreacting. When I saw the car pulled up on the side of the road a few minutes later, I knew I’d been right. A man was standing outside the car holding a gun, and I knew what was going to happen. They fired at my car, forcing me off the road. At that point I had two options: run and be shot at, or stop and be taken. I stopped, because I knew that was the surest way of surviving. If I’d tried to run, they would’ve killed me the second I stepped outside the car.”

  She continued on and told him everything she could remember. Some details were clear, others were muddled. Trauma did that, she knew.

  “Is that all?” Asher asked, his eyes searching hers.

  She tilted her head to the side. “Yes. What do you think I left out?”

  Asher chewed on his cheek. “I’m not saying you left anything out, but I want you to be able to tell me everything. I know what happens to captive women, Abi, and if it happened, it’s okay. I’m still here for you, I still want you—more than I ever have.”

  “If they raped me, you mean?” Abi asked, her voice even and calm. She knew these were hard subjects, but given her line of work, she’d been talking about them for years, and that made it slightly easier.

  “Yes. I know you told Jesse you weren’t, but he wondered if you didn’t tell him because that’s a hard thing to tell a stranger. I want you to be able to tell me, if you need to,” Asher said, his eyes caressing her.

  Abi dragged her bottom lip through her teeth. “The irony of it all is that Lamberi was my saving grace. Because I was being prepared for him, he didn’t want the men to have their way with me. Did they touch me? Yes—they removed m
y clothing, they searched my cavities—which was really just an excuse for them to touch me. But did they force themselves on me for intercourse? No, by some miracle they didn’t,” she said, her voice a hoarse whisper. “It didn’t happen.”

  “I believe you,” he said, running his thumb over her knuckles.

  “But what if it had?” Abi asked, watching him carefully.

  Asher didn’t hesitate to respond. “Then I would find you the best therapist in Santina—in the world—and I would do everything I could to help you work through it.”

  She smiled. He was a good man, her King. “Now it’s your turn,” she said.

  He put his empty glass down and she noticed that he refilled hers, but not his own. When Asher began to talk, she had no idea of the things she would hear. So much tragedy, too much for anyone’s heart, but amongst it all there was an ember of hope.

  “You fought for us,” Abi said. It wasn’t a question. He’d made a deal with King Martin. “But I still don’t really understand.”

  “Your parents are going to explain that side of things. It’s not my story to tell,” he said gently.

  Abi frowned, but didn’t want to push it. She focused on the positive. “Your father was really going to support our relationship?”

  Asher nodded. “I want you. I’ve wanted you since the moment I walked into IFRT,” he said with heated eyes. “I’m not asking you to marry me right now, but my father was right: who I choose to be my queen will be one of the biggest decisions I’ll ever make. I look at my parents and know there is no way my father could’ve been the king he was without my mother’s support.”