Sovereign (Acquisition #3)

by Celia Aaron

  Cal popped his head up and winked at me. “I’ll taste the rest soon enough.”

  He stood, and I wrenched the blankets back in place.

  Sophia and Lucius air kissed in the hallway as Cal strode out. “Get ready, we’re leaving in ten minutes,” he called over his shoulder.

  I rolled into the fetal position, holding onto myself because there was nothing else. I wanted to scrub every square inch where Cal had touched me with steel wool. Instead, I gathered my wits and got out of bed. Considering the hot weather, I would have dressed light in a tank top and shorts. Given the twists of the trials, I dressed in layers—tank top, light jacket, jeans, and boots.

  Once I’d tucked my knife into my boot, I whipped my hair up into a ponytail. My stark refection in the mirror barely resembled me. What little curves I possessed had turned to muscle, my eyes had grown colder, and my cheeks were almost gaunt. But it was the woman inside who’d changed most of all, to the point where I felt I was looking at a stranger. Would I ever get myself back?

  “Stella.” Sin stood in the hall, his medium gray suit hitting in all the right places. He didn’t even throw me a glance. “Let’s go.”

  I followed him down the stairs and into the breakfast room. Cal held sway over the table, ordering Laura around and discussing the sugar business with Teddy. Sophia met Sin’s eyes as we entered and gave him a chilly smile.

  I sat, trying to keep calm despite my growing sense of dread. Laura poured me an orange juice and set down a plate of my favorite breakfast—bacon, two eggs over-easy, and fresh fruit. My hand shook so badly I almost knocked my glass over.

  Cal smiled. “Calm down, Stella. My goodness. Would you like to sit on my lap? See if that makes you feel any better?”

  “Oh Daddy, you’re the worst sometimes.” Sophia tittered what I assumed was a laugh.

  “I was just trying to be nice. Comfort her a bit.” He watched me over his coffee cup as I sipped my orange juice.

  “What’s the plan?” Lucius leaned back in his chair, giving off an air of relaxation.

  “We’ll be taking the lovely Ms. Rousseau and Sin to an undisclosed location for a little fun. They may be back by nightfall. They may not.” Cal shrugged. “So, what wedding plans have we settled on?”

  My stomach turned. I forced myself to eat. I couldn’t be certain what was in store, but keeping my energy up was key.

  Sophia sighed as if shouldering a heavy burden. “We’ll have the wedding at our chateau of course. I haven’t decided on much else.”

  “You’ll need to get to work as soon as the Acquisition is over. I want some grandsons sooner rather than later.”

  “Daddy, there will be plenty of time for that.” She turned to me. “I hear you’ll belong to your stepbrother after the coronation.” She simpered. “I hope he treats you as you deserve.”

  “I hope you choke on your coffee.”

  “Stella!” Sin slammed his hand on the table. “Apologize.”

  “And there it is. The fire that’s never been snuffed out. Will today be the day?” Cal laughed before turning icy again. “Apologize to my daughter.”

  I clutched my napkin in my fist and stared at her, hoping she’d fall over dead as I’d said.

  Lucius squeezed my knee, and I knew I had to do it.

  “I apologize.”

  “More punishment is needed, to be honest, but we simply don’t have the time. I think it’s best we be on our way. The guests will be waiting for us.” Cal rose, as did the rest at the table.

  Lucius waited for me to walk past and fell into step behind me. “You can do this,” he whispered as we entered the foyer. I glanced over my shoulder. His light eyes weren’t fearful, but they weren’t colored with his usual mischief, either.

  I gave him a small nod as Sin strode past, Sophia on his arm, and walked onto the front porch.

  “Go on, now.” Cal shooed me out to the waiting limos. “Stella, honey, ride with me.”

  “Actually, I apologize, Cal.” Sin helped Sophia into the car, her lemon yellow sheath dress perfectly accentuated with narrow floral pumps. “But I did have some business I’d like to discuss. The Cuba conflict brought up some information you’d likely find of interest.”

  Cal wrinkled his nose and stared at me, as if trying to decide if hurting me was more important than Cuban business deals.

  “Fine, fine. Business before pleasure. Besides, I’m sure Sophia would enjoy Stella’s company just as much as me.” He laughed and slid into the back seat.

  Sin shot me a look, his face hard but his eyes warm. Together. We would get through this together.

  I walked around and sank into the backseat next to Sophia. She was speaking fluent French into her phone and paused, craning her head to watch as Sin got into her father’s car.

  “Merde!” She swiped her phone off as the car started moving. “Why?”

  “I guess Sin got tired of your sparkling personality.” I grinned as she balled up her fists. “Daddy’s not here to make me behave, so do me a favor and shut the fuck up for the ride. Sound good? Good.” I leaned back and turned my head, watching the oaks recede and the woods encroach.

  She fumed beside me and finally found her voice. “I will tell them both that you spoke to me like this. You will be punished.”

  “Then I’ll tell your father you’ve been fucking Ellis. So go ahead, be a bitch. See where that gets you.” I raised my voice as she sputtered. “Hey, can we get some music back here? I don’t think I can even stand listening to her breathe.”

  The chauffeur raised his eyebrows at Sophia and she stammered out “f-fine.”

  The music rose, classical and airy, as we hit the main highway. Sophia didn’t speak for the rest of the trip. It was only a small victory, but it was mine.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  STELLA

  THE JOURNEY ENDED AT a sprawling Tudor mansion surrounded by a lush lawn dotted with shade trees. No gate stopped entry from the main road, but a guard stood at the ready to check our credentials. Several cars hemmed us in as we approached the mansion.

  We pulled through the roundabout and stopped in front of the massive dark wood doors as people climbed the shallow front steps. I opened my door, happy to be away from Sophia’s presence. Sin and Cal walked up behind us, Cal greeting everyone in his usual jovial manner. He stationed himself outside the doors and waved us through.

  “Whose house is this?” The interior was dark. Heavy curtains and old, faded paintings gave it an 18th century feel.

  “Judge Montagnet’s.” Sin took my arm as Ellis walked up to Sophia. The two of them slipped into a side room.

  Sin led me toward a bar set up in a stuffy sitting area. The room wasn’t large enough to hold the number of people, and we had to wade past several well-wishers and gawkers before making it to the bar.

  “How was your car ride?” Sin pointed to a bottle and held two fingers up. It should have come off as rude, but seemed more authoritative than anything else.

  “Blissfully quiet.”

  He snorted. “What did you do?”

  “Nothing.” I snagged a strawberry from the nearest serving platter and bit into it, the cold, sweet juice running down my throat.

  The barman poured two reds and handed them over.

  “What’s this?” I sniffed, the odor strong and almost bitter.

  “Port.” He tipped his glass, and I took a sip, the flavor overpowering.

  “That’s kind of intense.” I shook my head and set my glass down.

  He smiled and drained his.

  Was it always like this? Us talking like two normal people in a normal house surrounded by normal guests? We couldn’t be further from reality.

  Sin set his glass on the bar and leaned close. “Have you found him?”

  “No.” I scanned the crowd, looking for a particular server.

  “Let’s mingle. Maybe you’ll see him.”

  I pulled the card with Sin’s cell number and instructions from my pocket and lodged
it in my palm. Following him through the throng of people, I kept an eye out for the server who’d spoken to me at Fort LaRoux. My hope faded each time a server passed and it wasn’t him.

  Sin stopped and talked with different groups of people, laughing and joking about the trials. It gave me the opportunity to continue my search. I tried not to meet anyone’s eyes, but the occasional guest leered at me or tried to touch me. Sin moved us along to prevent any scenes and to keep the too-eager at bay.

  We’d made the circuit through the room with no luck.

  “He’s not here.”

  “He has to be. Let’s keep looking.” Sin pulled me along behind him through the crush of bodies.

  My name whipped through the surrounding crowd as the guests voiced their ugly thoughts. I ignored them and focused on finding the one friendly face.

  We wound around through another sitting area, a library, and past the door to the kitchen.

  “Stop. Let me look in there.”

  Sin glanced around at the almost-empty back hall. “Make it quick.”

  I pushed through the door and darted to the side as a server with a tray full of crawfish barreled past. The kitchen was all sound and smells—too many people cooking, chopping, and layering food onto trays. Everything was stainless steel, and the room was almost unbearably hot. I peered at the workers, hoping to see him.

  There. He was busy adding garnish to a platter full of bacon-wrapped scallops. I bypassed someone flaming up a pan on a wide range and several servers carrying trays. A man in a high chef’s hat stood toward the rear of the kitchen barking orders. Something told me I didn’t want to be noticed by him.

  I stood at the server’s elbow. “Hi.”

  His brown eyes met mine and his fingers stilled. “I remember you. You okay?”

  “Yes. I think the guests said they wanted more of the bruschetta.” I pressed the card into his hand and turned.

  “O-okay. I’ll get right on that.” I didn’t look back as I slipped out the door.

  “Success,” I whispered as Sin took my hand and led me back to the foyer. He glanced to the sweeping stairs to the second floor, wider at the bottom than the top, as people climbed.

  I took the lead and joined the steady stream, approaching my destiny step-by-step and surrounded on all sides.

  The second floor gave way to a series of rooms down the hall on the left and a walkway overlooking the foyer to the right. I followed the crowd to the right until the tight corridor opened into a ballroom almost as big as the one at the Oakman Estate. Wide, sunny windows looked out on the swath of green lawn, and chandeliers glowed warmly overhead.

  Plush couches and chairs were situated around a raised platform only a few feet off the ground. A single metal chair sat atop it, open shackles attached the arms and legs. My knees tried to give way and my heart faltered, but Sin pushed me farther along until we stood in front of one of the windows. Other guests walked past and chose their seats.

  “Keep it together.” He lifted my shirt and pressed his palm to my lower back.

  The contact helped, and just knowing we were a team made it more bearable somehow. I lowered my head to focus on breathing, and also to keep the chair from my view. Would I go first? Would my skin feel the initial bite of the metal as the crowd roared and salivated for my blood?

  He rubbed my back slowly enough that no one would notice. He even shook hands with a few people, all the while soothing me. I focused on thoughts of Teddy. The pain would keep him alive. His fate was in my hands, and I couldn’t break now.

  “Ms. Rousseau?” Judge Montagnet’s bony fingers wrapped around my elbow. “Welcome to my home. I hope you enjoy your stay.” He smiled, his face striated with each year of his horrible existence. “Sin. Doing well, I heard. Just one more task. Cal told me his plans for the day. Exciting.” He scratched his ear. “It should make for one hell of a show. Best of luck. I’ve got my money on you, young lady.”

  I forced my mouth to stay shut, but every vile curse I’d ever learned swirled on the tip of my tongue. Control was imperative if I were to succeed, and I couldn’t let this ghoul shake mine.

  Sin gripped his shoulder. “Thanks, Judge. I’m glad for your support.”

  He smiled, and then moved into the rows to sit next to a young man in servant’s attire. He couldn’t have been more than twenty. The judge’s hand darted between his legs, and the man stared at the ceiling, as if he switched himself off. I turned away and caught Gavin staring at me from across the room.

  His lips creased, a fraction of a smile for me. I did the same, letting him know I was here and that we would get through this. Guilt pounded in my veins as I scanned the crowd for Brianne. I spotted her sitting in Red’s lap as he chatted with some people. Her face was blank. No words passed her lips, and her skin hung from her bones.

  “Don’t look at her. It wasn’t your fault.” Sin kept easing his hand back and forth.

  “She blames me.”

  “She’s foolish. She should blame everyone in this room except you and Gavin.”

  “Even you?”

  He nodded. “Even me.”

  I wanted to pull him close and tell him he wasn’t bad, that he didn’t suffer from the same evil that infected these people. He wouldn’t believe me. The scars on the back of his hand and the ones in his heart were too old, too thick for me to break through completely. But I would keep working until he saw his own light, his own goodness.

  A too-loud laugh crackled through the room, and Cal bounded up to the platform.

  “Ladies and gents—this thing on?” He tapped the microphone until feedback kicked in. “Ladies—ah that’s better—and gents, welcome to the final Acquisition trial!”

  Whoops and yells went up from the crowd as Cal smiled and turned in an appraising circle.

  “We’ve had some stiff competition this year—looking at you, Judge.” He pointed to Montagnet, and the room erupted in laughter as my blood turned to acid.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a stronger slate of competitors. The highlights—Stella’s whipping, Gavin’s time in the woods, and Brianne’s mother. Could we have wished for a better year?”

  “No!” The crowd roared.

  “That’s right. So right. On to the delights of the day. The theme for this trial, as we all know, is love. This is my favorite one, because I love all of you.” He kissed his palm and spun around to blow it to the entire audience as they laughed. “I do. Same faces I grew up with, here supporting me as my reign slowly comes to a glorious end. I appreciate you all and look forward to many, many more fabulous years.”

  More applause and yells erupted before Cal put his hand out to quiet them down.

  “But you know, love is a two-sided coin.” He pulled a quarter from his pocket and flipped it into the air, catching it with ease. “And on the other side—” He held the coin up. “—is hate. Now, without further ado, let’s get started! Sin, Red, Bob—come on up with your Acquisitions.”

  Sin dropped his hand and straightened my shirt. I lurched forward, the floor seeming to give way under my feet. Dizziness swirled through me as he took my elbow and led me through the seating area and to the platform. To the chair.

  “That’s it. Come on, come on.” Cal waved us up to stand beside him.

  I edged closer to Sin who stood rigid and still. Brianne was already crying, her sunken eyes clenched shut and her nose running. Gavin stared at me, his eyes warm but tired. His clothes fit loosely now, the Acquisition taking a toll on him just like Brianne and me.

  “You three—Sin, Red, Bob—have pleased me beyond my wildest dreams. You made excellent choices of whom to acquire. You’ve put them through their paces. I couldn’t be prouder. Show them some love.” Cal held his hand out as if he were displaying a prize on a game show as the audience responded with thunderous clapping and crowing.

  “Perfect. Now, perhaps I’m getting a bit old fashioned, but I believe that if you truly love something, you will suffer for it. You will do what yo
u must to keep it safe. Nurture it. Never harm it—well, unless she asks for it. Am I right?” Chuckles rose from the crowd as he went on. “So I’ve created a special task for this final trial. It’s going to be a surprise for our competitors.”

  He snapped his fingers. Three attendants rushed to the stage. “Go with them. All three of you have separate rooms. Wait there until I send for you. And no peeking. I don’t want anything ruining the surprise.”

  Sin and I dropped off the platform and followed an attendant out of the ballroom. The doors to the ballroom closed once Brianne, Gavin, Red, and Bob stood in the hallway with us. The attendants herded us back across the walkway over the foyer and down to the end of the far hall. We were divided among three rooms, and an attendant took position outside our door as it swung shut.

  “That chair.” I rushed into Sin’s arms. “Oh, god.” My voice caught, and I fought away tears. Not here. I wouldn’t cry here. Not until the pain was too great and I couldn’t take it anymore.

  “Stella.” He put his palm to my face, and I realized it was trembling. “The chair. They’ll make me hurt you.”

  “I know.” I looked into his wild eyes as he scanned the room, like an animal seeking escape through the bars of a cage. But we were in a bedroom, high on the second floor. “Hey.” I got on my tiptoes. “We can do this.”

  “I don’t think I can bear it.” He scooped me into his arms and sat on the bed.

  “We can.”

  He rocked me and rested his lips in my hair. It was as if I could feel him coming apart beneath me, the layers of armor he usually wore stripping away until a broken boy stood there, begging me to save him.

  “You don’t understand. I can’t hurt you again.”

  “Shh.” I scooted so I sat upright in his lap and pressed my lips to his. “When this is over, I will still love you. Nothing will ever keep me from loving you.”

  “Don’t say that.” He glanced to the window again. “You don’t know what’s going to happen.”

  “I know they won’t make you kill me or maim me. It’s against the rules to do it to an Acquisition, right? And anything else, I’ll heal from it. Sin, please just look at me.”