Serpenti

by Brooke Sivendra

  Alistair’s eyes narrowed. “What do you want me to do? Weep in the corner for the man who despised me?”

  Jesse pulled a knife and slashed Alistair’s other cheek. He howled again, spewing a string of profanities.

  “What I want is for you to cut the crap and start talking,” Jesse told him. “Tell me about the oil you discovered at the ruins and why you didn’t tell King Asher about it.”

  Alistair blinked, clearly surprised, and Asher realized the man had thought his secret was still under wraps. “King Martin should’ve told Asher. That’s not my job.”

  “King Martin didn’t have a chance, did he?” Jesse asked through gritted teeth.

  Asher’s jaw clenched.

  Alistair’s eyes hardened. “It doesn’t matter now. The deal has been done.”

  “What deal?” Jesse asked.

  Asher didn’t know if he knew and was asking just to hear it from Alistair, or if Jesse actually had no idea. His voice gave away nothing.

  “The deal I brokered for Santina,” Alistair said with a smirk. “But there’s one contingency to that deal: I must stay alive. They hail King Asher, but I’m the one who will be remembered. I’m the one who will save Santina.”

  Jesse moved quickly, holding a knife to Alistair’s throat. “Stop fucking around and start talking before I slit your damn throat.”

  “I sold it,” Alistair said slowly. “I sold the ruins and the oil wells to Adani. Santina will never be hungry again.”

  Asher jolted like he’d been stung by a wasp.

  “What do you mean you sold it?” Jesse shouted, his voice scathing. All calmness was gone.

  “Hail Crown Prince Alistair,” Alistair said with a smirk. “I was Crown Prince and I negotiated the deal. Father was too weak—he would never have allowed the sale of the holy land. I did what needed to be done.”

  Jesse shook his head slowly. “You’re a fucking idiot. Where are the sale documents?”

  “The deal is done,” Alistair said.

  “Where are the documents?” Jesse asked, turning the knife in Alistair’s thigh.

  Alistair grunted as he wheezed in a breath. He gave a pained laugh. “Underneath my bed. Seriously.”

  Jesse stood abruptly and his chair fell over behind him. “I’m going to find those documents, and if they’re signed with the King’s stamp, God help you,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “Remember the part of the deal that says I must be alive,” Alistair said airily.

  “Alive and well are two very different things,” Jesse said before striding toward the door.

  His eyes landed on Asher as he emerged into the office but his words were directed at his team. “Search Alistair’s living quarters.”

  Everyone scuttled like fleeing mice and Jesse met Asher’s gaze.

  “If the documents are signed with the King’s stamp,” Asher said, “and the King is dead, the contract can’t be contested, can it?”

  Jesse shook his head. “No. If it is stamped, it’s Adani land now. Alistair is right. Your father would never have agreed to this, and with good reason—but he’s also right about the money. If he brokered a good deal, Santina will never be hungry again.”

  “But at what cost?” Asher exclaimed. “Adani would be a step closer to taking Santina,” he said, his hand going to his throat. He felt like the walls were closing in. “How did he do this? I’ve seen Alistair make deals and he’s not a strong negotiator. He didn’t do this alone. Someone helped him, Jesse, and I need you to find out who that was.”

  “What do you want me to do with him?” Jesse asked. “He should be kept alive for now.”

  Asher looked to the screen, his eyes landing on his pathetic excuse for a brother. “Get the name of the person who helped him broker this deal, then put him in a cell. Give him the same courtesies Abi was given.”

  Jesse nodded then looked at his watch. “You’re due to go to the hospital in an hour for your MRI. Doctor’s orders,” Jesse said quickly, like he expected Asher to object.

  “I’ll check in with Abi, and then I’ll meet you in the dining room. I want to know as soon as those documents are found,” Asher said stridently.

  “Sure,” Jesse said. “Give me ten minutes to deal with Alistair and I’ll come find you.”

  Jesse nodded to the men lining the walls of the office. They escorted Asher to the dining room.

  As Asher approached, he held back, lingering in the doorway. Abi hadn’t seen him and he took a moment to watch her. She sat beside Lenna, and Rachel sat opposite them.

  Lenna was writing and they looked on with smiles.

  “What happens next?” Abi asked, her eyes lingering on the paper underneath Lenna’s hands.

  “He dies,” Lenna said. From where he stood, Asher could only see written words on the paper. Had she been writing a story?

  Abi frowned. “Why?”

  “Because the good ones don’t live. Only the bad ones,” Lenna said.

  Asher wondered if that was the truest thing he’d ever heard.

  Asher

  He held the papers in his trembling hands. They were stamped, and the Lithe ruins were no longer Santina’s.

  Asher’s blood boiled.

  Not only had Alistair attempted to murder their parents, he’d fraudulently sold holy land, the ruins that were to be Santina’s next tourism attractions, and Asher’s favorite place in the Kingdom.

  Alistair thought he’d be hailed for saving Santina, but what he hadn’t fully considered was the backlash from Santinians for selling their land to Adani. Alistair’s thinking had been short-sighted—he hadn’t considered the long-term income of a tourist destination, and he hadn’t considered the impact of Adani’s influence over their border controls.

  Martin Snider. That was the name Alistair had given—the name of the man who had helped him broker the deal. The problem was, they had no idea who Martin Snider was.

  Asher groaned, burying his face in his hands. He hadn’t thought things could get any worse. How wrong he’d been.

  He put the papers aside and opened the stack of mail on his desk. He read through the condolence letters and dictated response letters. He paused when he opened the letter from the Adani King and Crown Prince.

  His teeth ground as he read the words.

  He dictated a very different response to the other condolences letters.

  Your Majesty and Your Royal Highness,

  Thank you for your condolence letter. In the time since the passing of my father, and the kidnapping of Abigail Bennett, my position on our relationship has changed.

  Santina ceases all alliances with Adani.

  We are not foolish, and we are not stupid. We do not wish any harm to come to Adani, but we will fight for what is our own—this includes the Lithe ruins, the sale of which was brokered illegally without the consent of King Martin. The King’s stamp was unauthorized and we will not be handing over the ruins or any of the land included in the deal. The broker of this deal has been charged with treason.

  I will not tolerate liars, murderers, or anyone who intends to harm Santina.

  Regards,

  King Asher

  Asher replayed the message and his heart broke again. Asher had to set an example, had to scare his enemies. He wanted them to feel a slither of his fear—of his pain.

  His gaze lifted as Jesse strode in.

  “Can I have a minute?” Jesse asked.

  “Sure,” Asher said, putting his Dictaphone aside.

  “Our search of Colonel Steven’s office didn’t result in any hard evidence, but we did review his diary—he kept a paper diary with his appointments. He met with someone called HW a week before Abi was taken hostage.”

  Asher’s eyes narrowed. “Who is HW?”

  Jesse grimaced. “Henry Walker—a key interest in Abi’s kidnapping. Stevens recorded the location and time, and the security team has verified the meeting via security footage and confirmed Henry Walker was in Santina. Midnight was an odd time for
a meeting, and it was strange that Colonel Stevens would be meeting with him at all. We’re trying to establish who initiated the meeting and what was discussed. The table they were seated at was in a blind spot, which was likely not an accident. Henry Walker is known as a ‘black mark’—someone who has no official association with the Adani government but does jobs for them that they don’t want to be linked to.”

  “Why would a man like that even be allowed to enter Santina?” Asher asked slowly.

  Jesse sighed. “I don’t know, and I can’t think of a good reason why Colonel Stevens would’ve been meeting him, but it’s likely that the colonel also permitted his entry into Santina. He is no longer a threat, though—Henry Walker is dead. He was murdered a few nights before the colonel. Whatever the reasons for their meeting, both men knew something they shouldn’t—something someone is prepared to kill for.”

  “What is Thomas Security saying about this?” Asher asked, his mind reeling.

  “That they need more information. Which brings me to the real reason for this chat: now that your mother is awake, they think it’s in your best interest to hold the public ceremony for your father. They want to see which of your ‘friends’ turn up to pay their respects, and then they want to use that opportunity to follow them, get tags on them, and see who they speak to. Every step they take and every word they speak will be monitored.”

  Asher raised an eyebrow. “Are they actually capable of doing that?”

  Jesse nodded. “They say they can. They’re all flying in for it, once you give the go-ahead. They want to be onsite for security purposes, and to handle the logistics of such an operation.”

  Asher sighed. “Okay. When do they want to do it?”

  “They said that’s your call, but the sooner the better.” Jesse took a deep breath. “And, Asher—they want Abigail Bennett, and her father, by your side. They believe that will send a very strong message to your enemies that you’re not afraid.”

  “You said yourself that Abi doesn’t need any media attention right now,” Asher said with a raised eyebrow.

  “That was correct a few days ago,” Jesse admitted. “I didn’t want her photographed getting off the plane. Her ankle is coming along well and with another week of rest the doctor thinks she’ll be able to walk on it. A good makeup artist will be able to hide what’s left of her bruising and cut lip. I think we should set the public funeral for a week from tomorrow. That will give your mother some more time to prepare herself, will give security time to assemble, and will give your enemies time to clear their schedules—because we want them all here.”

  Asher thought it through for a moment and then nodded. He wanted the public funeral over with—the sooner the better—and if it provided any of the intelligence they so desperately needed, that was a good thing too.

  “Okay,” Asher said. “A week from tomorrow.” His gaze dropped to the Dictaphone and he removed the tape. He would save that letter for after the funeral. He wanted Adani officials to attend—he wanted to look them straight in the eye and look at his father’s killers. He wanted to show them they had underestimated him.

  Asher was going to show the world what happened when Santina was threatened.

  Jesse nodded then excused himself.

  Asher picked up his Dictaphone again to prepare a speech he didn’t know how he would deliver.

  It is with pain and sorrow that I bid farewell to my father, King Martin.

  Asher

  A knock at the door interrupted him yet again. He was expecting Jesse, but Abi entered and he felt the tension melt from his body.

  “Hey,” he said, holding out arms for her.

  She paused, seeming to take him in for a moment. She moved toward him with ease, despite having to use the crutches.

  “Come here,” Asher said, his voice noticeably lower. He really needed to write his father’s obituary, he knew, but Abi was a welcome distraction from the weight of that duty.

  He leaned her crutches against his desk and guided her onto his lap. His lips brushed against hers, and for a moment everything was okay.

  “How does it feel sitting here?” she asked gently, her hand cupping his cheek.

  He sighed. “Foreign, uncomfortable. I feel like an intruder in my father’s office.”

  She looked over the desk, a desk still occupied with his father’s things. He couldn’t bring himself to pack them away.

  “Why don’t you make a new office? Make one that is yours,” she suggested gently.

  “Because I’m scared I’ll lose him,” Asher said with a shake of his head. “I know it doesn’t make any sense, but at least in this office—where he spent most of his time—I can almost feel his presence, and I pray he’s guiding me. If I move to another office, there will be no reminders of him, no presence, and then I’ll be completely on my own. So, I think this is the lesser of the two evils.”

  She kissed his forehead. “I don’t think I’ve ever told you how amazing I think you are, Asher. I believe in you, and I’ll always have your back.”

  He closed his eyes, relishing in her touch. It heated his body and calmed his soul. He wondered if his mother had the same effect on his father.

  “The public funeral will be held in one week,” Asher said, pulling back so he could see her eyes. He watched her carefully, looking for any sign of hesitation—any indication she wasn’t ready—but saw less than he’d expected. “Security has advised that we should arrive together,” he explained. “They want to see how Santina and our enemies react.”

  “Wow. Okay,” she said. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”

  “I think the sooner I face this, get answers and deal with those involved, the better,” Asher said.

  Abi nodded. “Okay,” she repeated, still sounding unsure. “If you think it’s a good idea, I’ll be by your side.”

  He drew her in, needing her closer. He threaded his hands through her hair, angling her lips to his. She made him feel powerful, made him feel like they could conquer the world. And they damn well might have to.

  “Obviously, there’ll be no hiding our relationship after that,” he said. “Are you sure about this? About us?”

  He expected another pause, another uncertain answer.

  Abi shook her head heavily. “I’ve never been unsure about you. I’m still worried about my past, and if it will cause problems for you, but if the security team thinks they can handle that”—she smiled, meeting his eyes—“then I’m all in.”

  Asher kissed her, pouring all his fear and worries into that kiss. Her tongue swept over his and his body reacted, begging for more. Her hands ran through his hair, tugging it like she, too, couldn’t get enough.

  His office phone rang like a shrill siren. He cleared his throat.

  “King Asher speaking,” he said, his hand tightening on Abi’s hip. He didn’t want her to move an inch.

  “Asher, this is James Thomas. I need a minute of your time. Please ask Abi to leave,” he said, his voice calm but urgent at the same time. It was unnerving.

  He hesitated, then put the phone on his desk.

  “Give me a few minutes. I’ll come and find you,” he said.

  “Sure,” she said without pause. She kissed him, then ran her thumb over his lips. “See you soon,” she said with a smile before gliding out of his office.

  Asher returned his attention to the phone call. This had better be good.

  “James,” Asher said.

  “Thank you,” James said. “I want to let you know we’ll be attending the funeral. All security procedures are in place, but I want to be there myself—I want to see with my own eyes what’s going on.”

  Asher paused. “Right,” he said, still wondering if this was strange, or standard protocol for James Thomas.

  “But that’s not the reason for my call,” James said. “I’m going to brief you directly on this situation from now on. Jesse can communicate with me as he needs, but you’ll be the only one fully briefed. And if you see or feel anyt
hing concerning, the same applies—you come to me, you don’t go to Jesse. Understood?”

  Asher’s spine tingled. “Is there a problem with Jesse?”

  “I don’t know,” James said simply. “We’re running into blocks getting data, more than usual. That means that they—it’s likely more than one person—are working with your enemies. I’m not saying one of those people is Jesse, but until I can absolutely clear him, any concerns come to me.”

  But that wasn’t enough for Asher, not now. “How much do you trust Jesse right now?” he asked, keeping his words calm.

  “Based on the intelligence we have been able to uncover, I have no reason to suspect him of foul play,” James answered, his voice warming slightly. “And Jesse was the one who requested to bring us in. Anyone who knows us knows that we’re the best—so if Jesse was involved, it would be a really stupid move on his part to do so. Then again, sometimes desperate people do desperate things. I’m not ruling him out yet; in fact, the only two people that are ruled out are you and your mother. As far as I’m concerned, everyone else is still under suspicion.”

  Asher felt his defenses rise. “Abi included. That’s why you told me to ask her to leave.”

  “This isn’t personal, Asher,” James said coolly. “If someone you know—especially someone close to you—has something to hide, you’re better off knowing it now rather than later.” Asher thought he picked up a trace of pain in James’s words. Maybe James Thomas is speaking from experience.

  “Anything else?” Asher asked. His mood was souring by the second, even though he knew the other man was right.

  “Yes. Martin Snider is an alias, of that much we’re sure. We’re continuing to work on this lead—and we have reason to suspect that the colonel is still alive,” James said.

  Asher’s jaw dropped open—both at the revelation, and at the casualness of James Thomas’s voice.

  “How?” Asher said hoarsely.

  “Pieces of communication we’ve intercepted. I don’t have anything definite as yet, but there’s talk of a hostage in Santina. We think it’s him.”