Art of War

by Monique Orgeron

  “What happened?” she asks.

  I shake my head to tell her not now. Cherry hears us and comes from down the hall. Oblivious to what is going on.

  “Hey, so how was the appointment? Were y’all able to find out the sex of the babies?”

  Mom starts walking back to the living room and Vin follows. Murphy answers Cherry, “No, they weren’t in the right position, but look, Mom, I’m not worried about that right now.”

  She turns to me and asks, “So are you going to tell me what the hell is going on now?”

  Suddenly I have both Murphy and Cherry staring me down, waiting for an explanation. “Look, let’s all go sit down. I’ll tell everyone in there.”

  Murphy storms off to the living room, leaving me with Cherry asking fifty questions. I grab her by the shoulders and tell her, “I will answer everything in the living room. I know you’re worried. But I want you to know I love Murphy and those babies. Do you believe me?”

  “I do.”

  “Then you’ll know that I am telling the truth. I will never let anything happen to them.”

  She looks at me and nods her head, then walks into the living room. I follow her and notice that Vin has a drink waiting for me at the bar.

  I swallow it whole, needing to feel the burn. I put the glass down and see everyone staring at me.

  “Vin, call Gabriel and Liam.”

  “Already done, they’re on their way.”

  I start addressing everyone in the room, telling them all about how Murphy has been hiding the fact that someone has been delivering roses to her. Then I start telling them what Dr. Martin said about the break-in. I even tell them about Judith.

  Mom stands up and walks to the bar. She pours a drink for her and Cherry. She walks to Cherry, handing her the drink. Then she stands by the fireplace.

  “Mom, what are you thinking?”

  She’s quiet for enough time. Then Murphy jumps up and says, “This changes nothing. I can still live my life like I want. I need to work before the babies come. He’s just toying with us.”

  Mom, still facing the fireplace, tells her, “Sit down.”

  Murphy goes to argue, but Cherry stands and yells, “Sit down and shut up, for fuck’s sake.”

  Murphy sits. “Wow!” Shit, I mistakenly said that out loud. Red’s head swings my direction and she gives me a look that immediately lets me know to shut the hell up and not to push my luck.

  Cherry, still standing, turns to Mom and calls her name. “Catherine.”

  Mom answers my question after hearing Cherry’s plea. “I think whoever this is knows what he’s doing. He’s been trained. He knows how to cover his tracks. He knows who we are and who Murphy is to this family and yet he’s still not scared of us. This is not some random hitman. I also think that if he killed Judith, the one who hired him, that means he wants something for himself. But what? What could he possibly have to gain from Murphy?”

  We all start looking at Murphy, her head swings back and forth between us all. “Why are you all looking at me? I have no idea. Seriously! It has to be something to do with the casino.”

  Cherry says, “Well, there is another possibility.” We all look at her, waiting for her to finish. “There is a man from home that has always been smitten with Murphy. They even dated for a little while.”

  I look over to Red as she looks toward the floor. I know she has a past, but I hate having it thrown in my face. “Who is he?”

  Murphy looks at me. “His name is Luca Rossi.”

  Cherry starts to elaborate. “His father is a boss, not just any boss, the boss. He is an only son. When Murphy was a teenager he spotted her. He and his father asked permission to start courting Murphy. I refused because she was so young. His father agreed and understood. Luca didn’t, he went behind my back and started a relationship with my under-aged daughter.” She looks at Murphy with disappointment, then goes on to tell the story. “When I found out I contacted his father and together we separated them. Luca went crazy, claiming he loved her and wanted marriage. Well, that’s all it took for Murphy to lose interest; as you know, she never wanted to be married. Luca has always watched over Murphy whether she liked it or not. Let's just say he didn’t take it well when she tried to move on. It could possibly be him.”

  “It’s not!” Murphy stands and starts walking around. “I know it’s not Luca. He said he would let me go. He watched over me, but then he eventually backed off. He wouldn’t do this, not to me.”

  Mom turns, yelling, “How are you so sure? Is he the one you threatened this family with? He’s the one you said would help you fight us, isn’t he?”

  “Yes! All right, yes, he would help me if I ever needed. But he would never hurt me.”

  I take another swallow of my drink and tell her, “Call him.”

  “What?”

  “I said call him. I need to know. I want you to call him and put him on speaker. I want to hear him tell you it’s not him.”

  “I am not doing that, Zander, you can forget it. I got away from Luca for a reason, he is a very dangerous man.”

  I swallow my drink and chuckle when I slam it on the bar. “You forget, Red, I am a very dangerous man too.”

  I walk toward her and grab her arm. I excuse us to walk into Mom’s office. I close the door behind us and grab her phone out of her purse she’s still holding. “Call him!”

  She tries to resist but then grabs the phone and calls. It rings a few times before he answers. I hear his deep voice call out to my wife. “My love. I’m glad you called. I hear you got married. Don’t you think you should have talked to me first?”

  Murphy eyes me as she sees my patience wearing thin. The fucking gall of this guy to say she should have talked to him first. Murphy looks back down at the phone. “Luca, I need to ask you if you have decided to come after me?”

  “Why? You know I told you I would free you, even though I love you. Why would you ask if I would want to come after you? Are you in trouble?”

  Murphy looks back at me, then we hear him again. “Murphy, do you have me on speaker? Is your husband there, is he listening to me tell you that I love you? Ah, he is, isn’t he? If you need me, Murphy, you know I will be there for you. If your husband, the great Zander Stern, can’t protect you then say the word, I will be there as soon as I can.”

  That’s it, fuck him! “I can and will protect my wife, asshole! I don’t care who you are or the fact that you already know who I am, but don’t you ever come around my wife again, do you hear me?!”

  “Mr. Stern, how nice to hear your voice. I am going to tell you something, Mr. Stern. She might be your wife, but if or when she needs me I will be there and you or your family will never stand a chance.” He then addresses Murphy. “Do you need me, Murphy?”

  She looks up at me, then says, “No, Luca, I’m sorry to bother you. I just needed to know it wasn’t you.”

  “You mean your husband needed to know it wasn’t me. Mr. Stern, if anything ever happens to Murphy under your watch, I will come for you!”

  He hangs up, cutting the conversation off. I take the phone and throw it against the wall to crash into a hundred pieces. I feel Murphy’s hand on my shoulder, she says, “I told you it wasn’t him, Luca would nev…”

  I quickly cut her off, slamming my mouth down on hers. When I release her, I grunt out, “Don’t you ever mention him again to me. I don’t want to know anymore. If he ever comes around you or my children, I will kill him!”

  I have never felt this type of rage or jealousy. I don’t wait for her to say anything. I storm out of the room and race upstairs. Away from everyone.

  It doesn’t take long before she follows me upstairs. “I need to be alone right now!”

  “Zander, Luca was…”

  I throw her a pair of eyes that shuts her up. “I told you I don’t want to hear his name again!”

  “I’m sorry, I told you it wasn’t him.”

  “Murphy, I’m warning you!”

  “Warning
me, what are you going to do? Huh, Zander, you want to what? All because you’re jealous.”

  “I’m not a jealous man. I told you…”

  Now it’s her turn to shut me up. “You’re full of shit, Zander, you have jealousy written all over you. Not only was I scared of marriage, I was scared of him. His jealousy. I will not be scared of yours. So, get over it and act like a secure man.”

  I practically run to her, grabbing her harder than I should have. I stare at her blue eyes and see some fear there. Which kills me I never want my family to be scared of me. I lighten my hold. “I’m sorry, Red. You’re right, I guess I am jealous. I’ve never felt this way, it scares me too.”

  She gets on her tiptoes and pulls me down to kiss me. The kiss turns passionate. So much so that I’m getting hard. I start to pull away, but she fights me to keep kissing. She starts moaning and I know I’m about a second away from not caring what the doctor said and taking my wife like I want.

  Again, I try to pry myself away. “Murphy, baby, you have to stop, we can’t.”

  “Yes, we can. Come on, Zander, we’ll be careful.”

  I let out a string of curse words when I feel her hand rubbing my cock through my pants, “Fuck, shit, baby, come on, we can’t. You heard the Doc No sex, and no stimulation.”

  “Damn it, Zander, what do you want?” She looks up at me, daring me to take her. “Do you want me to beg?”

  She continues to rub my cock, then she whispers, “I want to show you that I’m yours.”

  “Fuck, Murphy!” I start pulling her to the bed. I turn around when I feel the bed hit the back of my legs then I sit her down. When I go back to standing straight, I touch her face, then open my pants and start pushing them down.

  “Then show me.”

  She doesn’t even hesitate, she grabs my cock and starts licking it from crown to fucking balls. “Fuck!”

  She’s applying just the right amount of pressure on her grip to keep me wanting more. I watch as she takes me in and out. God, this woman. I grab her at the back of her head and start moving, fucking her mouth like I want. She never gets me all the way in, but damn, the grip and movements she makes with her hand make up for her mouth. My head rolls back as she starts tugging on my balls. I go back to giving her complete control.

  “Fuck, Red, I’m not going to last much longer. Stop, baby, finish me off with your hand.”

  She doesn’t listen, she keeps going. She even does a twist of her wrist at my base that combined with her hot, wet mouth sends me over the edge. I explode in her mouth, but when I look down at her, her eyes show that’s exactly what she wanted me to do. She swallows and releases me with a pop. She raises her brows and starts to undress.

  If I don’t get out of here I’m going to break the doctor's order, so I start pulling my pants up. “Zander, what are you doing?”

  I start backing up towards the door. “Zander, don’t you dare leave me like this!” She even throws a pillow at me.

  “I love you, baby, but you heard what the doc said.”

  I make it to the door before she could throw something else at me. I have to laugh, damn, I love this woman.

  Murphy

  Damn him, he leaves me aching for him. Now what am I supposed to do?

  Once I calm down, I think about going back to work, but I know he won’t let me go back today so I decide to go downstairs to see if I can use Catherine’s office to get some work done by phone.

  She agrees to let me use her office. So for the next few hours, I complete as much work as I can from the phone. But I need to go to work tomorrow. There is just simply too much to do.

  Someone knocks on the door, it opens and in walks Gabriel.

  “I think we should talk.”

  “About?”

  He continues to walk in and sits down. “We should come up with a plan on how to handle the casinos in your absence.”

  “My absence? Dr. Martin said I could still work as long as I stay off my feet as much as possible. I figured I have a sofa in my office, there is a lot I can get done from there. But I agree we should discuss it for after the babies are born.”

  Gabriel starts shaking his head. “Murphy, you’re not going back to the casino for a while. I thought Zander told you that already.”

  “What are you talking about? I have work tomorrow, I am going in.”

  “No, you’re not, Murph.”

  “He can’t do this. He’s not doing this!”

  “Murphy, we are all doing this. You will stay home because that is what is safer for you and the babies, it’s the best way to protect you. Zander filled me in on what happened, I agree if it were Fallon pregnant or not she wouldn’t go anywhere either.”

  I can’t listen to any more of this shit. I stand and rush out the door, finding everyone getting ready for supper. I yell out towards Zander, “Is Gabriel right? Are you trying to keep me locked up in this house forever?”

  He scowls. “Do not raise your voice with me, Red!”

  “Answer me!”

  “Calm the hell down, woman. You will be staying home for the remainder of your pregnancy, and yes, until I find the guy after you. You will stay home until I tell you otherwise.”

  “The hell I am!”

  Zander looks around the room at everyone staring at us like we are there for their entertainment. Then he looks back at me, rushing to get in front of my face. He whispers, “Watch your tone with me, woman. That shit might work behind closed doors, but you won’t embarrass me in front of the family. Got it? I say when you leave this house, don’t try me, Murphy.”

  He stands straight and walks away from me. When I look over, everyone pretends they didn’t hear any of that.

  Avery walks over to me and says, “Come on, Murph, he’s just worried. Let it go.”

  “Fuck him!” I storm off and return to my room. I didn’t mean to sound rude to Avery, but I can’t believe Zander’s attitude. How dare he demand that I stay home.

  Almost two hours later I hear a knock on my door. I expect for it to be my mom, but instead it’s Fallon and Avery. They come in carrying a tray of food.

  Fallon starts, “We brought you some food, you have to be hungry by now.”

  They sit, and I thank them. “I can’t believe all of this, I mean, can you? He thinks he can keep me in the house forever.”

  Fallon says, “Not forever, just until he’s sure you’re safe. Gabriel and Liam would do the same thing. And I for one love them for it.”

  Avery nods her head and says, “It’s his right to protect you the way he sees fit. Besides, it’s not just him, Liam, Gabriel and Vin will not let you out either. The whole family will make sure nothing happens to you.”

  I snicker. “Except for Catherine, I’m sure she would let me out if she thought she could get me past Zander.”

  Fallon stands. “Murphy, there is a lot you don’t understand about Catherine. I don’t understand why you don’t give her a chance. She’s trying, I can tell.”

  “She’s trying to control me. To turn me into someone that will be at her beck and call. Plus, she thinks if she can control me then she will have control over Zander again.”

  Fallon and Avery laugh out loud like I just told a funny joke. Then Fallon says, “That’s not the way it is, Murphy. You have her all wrong. She doesn’t want to control you. She wants to put you in control. Catherine comes off like a bitch and she can be, trust me. But when you understand her you will realize all she really wants is for her sons to be happy. She would do anything to make sure that they pick the very best women for them. She wants to make sure that we are all as strong as her.”

  Avery jumps in and says, “Catherine made me realize I could stand on my own two feet and not care or worry what everyone else thinks or says. I don’t take shit from anyone anymore, not even Liam. Unless I want to.” She wiggles her brows and I crack into a small laugh.

  I look at Fallon and say, “I see how she is with Gavin. I don’t think she’ll be like that with my babies.” />
  “Why?”

  “Because of our relationship. I doubt she’ll try to be close to them like she is with yours.”

  “You’re wrong, Murphy. Catherine loves my son. But she also already loves those babies you’re carrying. They are her family and she will always dote on them like she does with Gavin. She will love them as her own because to her they are. No matter what you think of Catherine she is the best grandmother she can be. That’s why it’s important to her that you are as strong as she is. Because of who they will become.”

  “Because of who they will become? Who will they become?”

  “They will become the future of this family, they will be Sterns. And to Catherine that is everything. You will never have to worry about Catherine loving them. She already does.”

  We continue to talk for what seems like hours. They fill me in on more of the past. I learn what happened to Avery and how exactly Fallon came into the family. They even tell me how much they like having me around. They say that they couldn’t wait to see who Zander was going to fall for and how happy they are to have someone that has the power to put him in his place.

  But then Fallon says, “It’s funny to know that you have Zander wrapped around your little finger, but you shouldn’t do that in front of people. Zander is a proud man, they all are. But they cannot be seen as weak in front of people. Like Zander told you, that shit is fine behind closed doors, but not around other people. He needs to always look like he is in charge or as Gabriel puts it, like he’s the man.” On that last part, Fallon tried to give us her best impersonation of Gabriel and fails miserably. We start laughing, but then we hear our three men at the door.

  “What are we missing? I want in,” Liam asks as he comes strolling in. He walks straight to Avery and hugs her shoulders as he kisses her cheek.

  I watch Gabriel and Zander as they stay at the door. Gabriel’s leaning on the door frame, looking like he always does, strong and confident. But Zander looks lost. I start to see what Fallon was talking about. I maybe shouldn’t have yelled at him in front of people. And maybe he’s right, I should let him protect me the way he sees fit. He is definitely right about protecting the children. Now I feel like shit, I’m still mad, but I need to think of him and the babies now. It’s not all about me anymore.