Finding His Strength: The Dirty Heroes Collection

by Stone, Measha

  “Why are you here, Haden?” Henrik asked again, having lost all patience for riddles.

  “Your father owns seventy percent of the Network. He collects the fees, sets the rules, the boundaries.” Haden turned back to Henrik.

  “Yes, it’s been that way for years. Since Cronus left it that way.” Henrik leaned against his desk.

  “But it wasn’t enough,” Haden pointed out. “He wanted more.”

  Henrik folded his arms over his chest. Squabbles between the brothers didn’t need to involve him. He had much bigger issues at the moment.

  “Get to the point, Haden. Where’s my father anyway? And Castor? I’m sure he knows you’re here.”

  “I know you think your brother has been selling you and your father out all these years, living in the south with me. When he had to come up here to get those girls—thank you, by the way, for not turning them back over to your father. One of them, Autumn, is the niece of a good friend of mine.”

  Tension drummed in Henrik’s ears. He frowned. “Get to the point. You’re here to force Jackson’s hand to give you more of the Network, right? You want to go fifty-fifty? What’s your plan?”

  “Fifty-fifty?” Haden laughed. “No, the time for that was years ago. Your father has been skimming even more off the top, stealing from me, stealing from you and your brother. It’s going to end tonight.” His eyes flashed.

  The door to the office opened again, and Jackson was shoved inside the room. Castor followed, a gun in his left hand.

  “Castor, what the fuck?” Henrik stood up straight.

  “This isn’t how I wanted this to go down, but Jackson wouldn’t listen. He wouldn’t come face Haden on his own.” Castor tucked his gun back into the holster beneath his jacket.

  “They’ve lost their fucking minds!” Jackson stepped forward. “You!” Jackson turned toward Haden. “You fucking bastard.”

  Haden raised his brow. “Hello to you too, brother.” Haden’s lips curled upward. He had too much confidence to not already know the outcome of this impromptu meeting.

  “How many?” Henrik asked Castor.

  “Families?” Castor clarified.

  “Yes.”

  “On the border, all of them. Three more in this territory, and by the end of the week, we’ll have two more in the midlands.” Castor laid it all out while Jackson seethed behind him.

  “You sold out your family!” he yelled at Castor.

  Henrik rubbed his temples.

  “A silent rebellion among the families,” Henrik said, more to himself.

  “Those your father hasn’t been taking bribes from were easy. They’ve been tired of not getting the good boundaries, having to deal with bullshit because they weren’t greasing the wheels. Or, rather, couldn’t,” Haden explained from his seat at the chess board. He moved a piece and sat back. “The others have been harder to work with, but we’ve come to an agreement. When I have controlling power over the Network, the only corruption allowed is with the government. Having to bribe the politicians to stay the fuck out of our business is one thing, but bribing each other? It’s bad business.” He slid another piece across the board.

  Henrik turned to Jackson. “You’ve been running deals outside the Network?”

  Jackson straightened himself up and rolled his shoulders back. “How I run the business is up to me. None of you would have anything if it wasn’t for me.”

  “That might be true,” Haden said, slamming a chess piece down on the board, “but the Network is tired of your corruption and greed. They want their own money; they want their own routes and deals, and they don’t want to have to line your fucking pockets to do it.”

  “What are you going to do? Just take over?”

  Haden picked up the rook and placed it on the board, knocking over the king of the opposite side and placing the piece in its square.

  “That’s exactly what I’m going to do. And if you’d like to have the very generous twenty percent of the ownership, I’m going to give you. You’ll make it a peaceful transition of power.”

  “Twenty…are you completely insane? You want me to let you have eighty percent?”

  Haden leaned back in his chair. “No. See, I’m not the greedy little bastard you are. I will keep controlling power, though. I’ll have fifty-one percent. You’re going to have twenty percent. Castor and Henrik will split the rest.”

  “Payment for his betrayal,” Jackson spat. His face reddened. “You are a bastard.”

  Castor laughed. “I never claimed to be anything less. Just the son of a woman you banged and hanged.” His eyes narrowed and went dark. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out what really happened to my mother? That your whore of a wife had her hung?”

  Jackson’s face paled. “I had nothing to do with that!”

  “You may not have given the order, but you did nothing to stop her.”

  “She raised you like her own,” Jackson sputtered.

  Henrik pushed off the desk and went to Haden, standing over him. “You have the backing of enough families to create a sea of blood if war breaks out,” Henrik stated.

  Haden looked up at him, his smile fading from his lips. “I do.”

  “The Creon family?”

  “Marco and Tristan want your head, I won’t lie. But I told them the dispute was over the moment you took Megara as your wife. They are on my side, but there will be no fight against you from here on out.”

  “And her father?” Henrik asked.

  “You can’t think to join them!” Jackson yelled. “Henrik, if you do this, you’ll never—”

  “See the day I’m a legitimate heir to the great Jackson Olympus!” Henrik bellowed. “I know the lecture, Father. You can save it.”

  “Christian is with me. He wants his daughter safe. There’s a lot at stake here for you.”

  Henrik nodded. Megara deserved to be safe from the dealings of these men. Safe from him too.

  “Think carefully, Henrik.” Menace dripped from Jackson’s warning.

  “I’m thinking clearer than I have in years.” Henrik looked to Castor, then to Haden. “You have my full support.”

  “Henrik.” Jackson stomped over to him, grabbing him by the arm and tugging. Henrik easily shoved him off. “You can’t do this. I will never name you as legitimate heir and you’ll have nothing.”

  “He’ll have nearly fifteen percent. It’s a hell of a lot more than you’re giving him now. And he’ll still have his own business dealings. I’m not taking away any of his territory,” Haden spoke up.

  Henrik stared at his father. The man he’d grown up thinking was as large as a god. Now, standing before him, beaten by his own greed, his own selfish deeds, he saw him in his true form. Pathetic and needy.

  All the mistresses he took, all the illegitimate children littering the country—they were all to boost his frail ego. Make himself appear to be more of a man than he was.

  Henrik saw him now, clear as day.

  And he saw himself.

  He’d been feared as the strongest man alive. He could crush a skull with his hands. Had done so, in fact—twice. But all that strength, it was a physical trait that meant nothing.

  He was as weak as his father. Always looking toward what crumb Jackson would throw his way. An approving glance, a word of praise, the carrot that perhaps one day he’d legitimize him completely.

  Henrik shook his head at his own failings.

  The moments he’d been at his most strong, most powerful, were when Megara placed herself in his hands. When she leaned into him for his warmth or looked to him for a smile. Those moments, when he held her tight against his heart, he’d found his true strength.

  “I want nothing from you, Jackson. I need nothing from you. Give your riches and what’s left of your power to your legitimate heirs. None of them bothered to show up tonight, so you’ll have to relay my goodbyes for me.” Henrik pushed past Jackson.

  “Where are you going? You can’t really mean to just let this happen.” Jackson
bellowed, his voice cracking from the stress.

  Henrik yanked open the office door.

  “I don’t really give a fuck what you do.” He ran into the hallway, barreling into Hera.

  He looked at the appalled expression on her face and laughed. “I don’t give a flying fuck what you do either.”

  “I won’t let this happen!” Hera called after him, but he was already turning the corner.

  She had no power. Jackson had no power. And until Henrik got down below and opened the door to get to his wife, he had no power either.

  30

  Megara pulled the last pin from her hair and dropped it into the pile on the floor beside her. All of her curls fell around her shoulders, and she sighed from the relief. At least her scalp could enjoy less pain.

  If only there was a way of easing the clench in her chest.

  She sat on the floor, avoiding the breeding table sitting central in the room. There was a chair in the corner, but it was directly behind the table, and it would bring her too close to the damn thing.

  A question struck her.

  There was no bathroom in this cell.

  What happened when she needed to use the washroom?

  As the panic began to rise in her over a problem that hadn’t become an issue yet, the bolt of the door slid, and the door burst open.

  She scrambled to her feet, ready to face an irate Henrik wanting to do the worst to her.

  “Megara.” He froze, a frown marring his features. His hands dangled at his sides, as though he wasn’t sure what to do now that he was inside. The muscles in his neck worked as he swallowed. “Megara,” he said again, but still continued to keep his distance.

  She pressed against the wall and slid to the far corner.

  “I’m not here to hurt you,” he promised, looking almost sick that she’d think so. But what other options had he given her imagination?

  “I’m sorry.” He cleared his throat, then said it again, louder. “I’m sorry. I was such a fucking asshole.” He stepped toward her; his hands outstretched. “I was so fucking blind, so single-minded.”

  “What’s happened?” she asked, looking toward the door.

  Henrik dropped his hands. “Nothing. Everything.”

  “You’re not making any sense,” she said flatly.

  “I was a fool and an idiot and an asshole. I’ve been surrounded by liars and cheats for so long, I forgot there were any actually good people in the world. And then there you are with all your innocence and kindness. Even when faced with shit chances of being happy, you still went forward and made the best of it.”

  “Henrik,” she said hesitantly, not sure what she wanted to say, but wanting to say something.

  “Bringing you down here…” he dragged one hand through his dark hair, “only a monster would do this. And you’re the only one, the first one, who ever looked at me and made me think maybe I wasn’t one.”

  “You’re not a monster,” she assured him.

  “I am, but not to you, never to you.” He closed the gap between them and grabbed her arms. “You will never see these rooms again. I’m having them all dismantled. We’ll redo this entire floor.”

  “Redo? Henrik, what happened?” she urged again. As thrilled as she was for his change of heart, she could see a lightness in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. A freedom in his voice that was new.

  “My father holds nothing over my head any longer. I won’t be jumping through any more of Hera’s hoops. I’m my own man, and I have you.”

  “You have me?”

  His smile fell. “Only if you’ll have me. This is your choice now. If you want to go, I won’t stop you.”

  Go? Away from him? The entire evening, she’d been trying to find a way to make him understand how much she wanted to be with him, not run away from him.

  “You’ll let me leave? I can go?” She searched his eyes. The dark arrogance that had been there when they’d first met was nowhere to be seen.

  “Yes.” He released her and stepped back. “If that’s what you want.”

  She swallowed around the lump forming in her throat.

  “If I stay?”

  His brows raised. “If you stay, we’ll swear loyalty to each other again. This time, with no force, no coercion. Just us speaking our truths.”

  “And what’s your truth?” she asked quietly.

  He smiled. “That I fucking love you. And if you go, I’ll let you, but I will be in your shadow making sure you’re happy and protecting you against everything evil in this world.”

  She laughed. “You’d be my stalker?”

  “I’d stalk you so fucking hard,” he said with a chuckle.

  “I can’t say no to that.” She rush forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  He grabbed her by the waist, lifted her up, and kissed her, taking away her fear, her hurt, replacing it with his love.

  “I love you,” she whispered against his lips.

  “And I love you,” he growled.

  31

  One year later….

  “Another bottle?” Megara laughed as Henrik opened the last bottle of Corruption, her favorite, they had stocked in the cellar. He’d already ordered another two cases. He’d never run out of anything that kept a smile dancing on his wife’s lips. No matter the cost.

  “We have the night to ourselves,” he said, pouring her glass. “Devon is sound asleep in the nursery, and Celeste has promised not to bother us if he wakes up.”

  The birth of their son three months ago had turned their world upside down, but Henrik wouldn’t have had it any other way. Other than wanting time alone with his wife, he couldn’t complain about a thing.

  “Celeste is a good friend, but she’s not here for Devon.” Megara laughed. “She’s here so she can be with Oliver.”

  “I don’t really care.” Henrik climbed onto the bed and sat beside his wife. “As long as they deal with the crying baby so I can deal with my wife in here.” He touched the bottom of her wine glass. “Drink up.”

  “Why do I feel like you’re trying to get me drunk?”

  “Because I am.” He shrugged. “Not drunk, maybe, but happy.”

  She sighed. “I have never been happier, Henrik.”

  “You think so?” He reached over to his nightstand. Pulling out the contract from his hiding place in the drawer, he grinned at her.

  “What are you up to?”

  “When you married me, you thought you were giving up everything.”

  “More or less, yes.” She took another big swallow of her wine.

  “Well…you didn’t.” He handed her the contract.

  She took it from him, her brow wrinkled. He watched her eyes flick over the words as comprehension began to dawn.

  “Henrik…” she put her glass down on the nightstand, “are you being serious?” She waved the paper at him.

  “Do I joke?” he asked, forcing a severity to his expression.

  “You didn’t have to do this,” she said, reading the contract again. “My own restaurant?”

  “I didn’t do it. You did. All your hard work with Chef Ramone paid off. He’s retiring, and he wanted to sell the restaurant to someone he could trust.”

  While pregnant, Megara worked with Chef Ramone as much as Henrik could stand. She found too much enjoyment working in his kitchens for Henrik to put his foot down about it. Besides, it gave Gunter less to worry about.

  “But what about Devon?”

  “What about him? He’ll work with his mother, or he’ll work with his father…or we can hire Celeste, then she could be around Oliver all she wanted.” He grinned, brushing hair away from Megara’s face.

  “Celeste can do much better than a nanny job.” Megara scoffed, then read the contract again.

  “So, we’ll hire someone else if we need.” He kissed her cheek. “Just don’t ever let this smile fade.” He traced her lips with his fingertip.

  “Maybe your uncle can babysit?” Megara joked. Haden made it hi
s business to visit almost monthly. Mostly to be sure Jackson remained in his northern estates licking his wounds.

  “I don’t want to talk about the baby right now. Or my uncle. Or my brother. Or any other members of either of our families.” He’d had enough family involvement during the first few months of their marriage.

  “Oh?” She sank down on the bed, lying beneath him with a come get me grin—the one that promised him she’d fight him just enough to make his conquest worth it.

  “Yeah. Now, be a good girl and hand me my belt.” He pointed to the coiled up leather on her nightstand beside her wine. “My wife hasn’t had a good whipping in a while.”

  She tucked her lower lip between her teeth. “I’d been hoping you’d get around to it.”

  “Hand it to me, get out of that damn nightgown, and flip over on your stomach. I want your ass up high for me.” He smacked her hip and hopped off the bed, already rolling up his sleeves.

  “Anything you say, Henrik.” She turned over to her stomach and reached for the belt. “Would it be bad of me to ask you to give it all your strength?”

  His heart swelled. “My strength is already with you, Megara. You are my strength.”

  She handed him the coiled belt and smiled warmly.

  “Now, on your belly. Take your whipping like a good girl.”

  She pulled her nightgown over her head and tossed it onto the floor.

  “I love you too, Henrik.”

  THE END

  While She Sleeps - Sneak Peek

  Dangerous. Unstable. Obsessive.

  She believes in fairy tales and awaits her Prince Charming. But I arrive at her doorstep, and I’m far from royalty.

  The shiver down my back tells me he’s there. As if he were touching me. Cold, angry, aloof—he’s everything I don’t need. But I can’t turn off my attraction when he’s near.