King of Masters by Brynn Ford
CHAPTER 11
Murphy
IT WAS NEARLY two months ago that I decided Stella would be mine—nearly two months of patience and worry over how the board would react to my decision to petition for a wife five years before I’m meant to have one.
I sit at the table in the Americans’ boardroom at the Leblancs’ estate in Louisiana. I’m focused on the business at hand, but I’m getting antsy waiting for my agenda item to come up. It would already have been discussed by now except for the unexpected suicide attempt by a talent slave tonight.
I scribble a note about last quarter’s earnings in my folio as I listen to the latest drama over Nikolai Mikhailov’s talent slaves.
“Anya’s been quite the little rebel in recent months, hasn’t she?” Renata Vittori states. “First, letting Nikolai’s boy into her bed and now this. Perhaps she should be sold outside of the families to a client.”
“Selling her would only be offloading the problem to a customer,” Cordelia says. “I would never sell a rebellious commodity to one of our loyals—unless they requested it, of course, which in my experience, is rare. It might be best to decommission her and be done with it. Or let her do it herself if she’s so desperate for death.”
Nikolai’s head snaps rather aggressively in Cordelia’s direction and I look up to watch the exchange. “No. Her transgression doesn’t warrant decommissioning.”
Anya—Nikolai’s former talent slave, whom he recently sold to Vigo Vittori—is the one who tried to commit suicide earlier this evening.
“Agreed,” Vigo adds. “Why should we give her exactly what she wants? Regardless, I’m not done with her yet.”
Sick wanker.
“Then what do you propose?” Vigo’s sister, Renata asks.
Vigo straightens in his seat, a sick smile spreading across his face. It’s telling that he’s got some twisted notion about abusing Anya more than he already has—she already looked rather unhealthy when I saw her earlier with Vigo in the Leblancs’ ballroom. He opens his mouth to say something, but Nikolai jumps in to cut him off before he can get a word out.
“Give her to me tonight,” Nikolai says.
My eyebrows raise in surprise. He’d sold her to Vigo in the first place, so it’s curious why he’d want to have her again.
“Are you serious?” Renata chuckles.
“Yes,” Nikolai replies. “She needs to be put in her place. Clearly, Vigo has pushed her too far. I can put her right again.”
Vigo leans forward, presses his elbows to the table, and rests his chin on his hands. “And what makes you think that?”
Nikolai leans back, letting out a sigh. “Because I know her better than you do, Vigo. And let’s not fool ourselves. She never once tried to end her life in my care. You’ve broken her to pieces, and someone needs to put them back together if you intend to keep her.”
“What makes you think—”
“You signed a contract with me,” Nikolai snaps, “and I expect you to honor the agreement. You’ve already breached several clauses you agreed to for her welfare, so I suggest you stop pretending that I’m asking for a night with her. Your lack of decorum necessitates it.”
I regard Nikolai with narrowed eyes. There’s some hint of desperation there—something inside him that begs—and it makes me think he still has some longing for Anya. Pity he didn’t see what he had and treated her with care while he could.
Renata’s head tilts to the side as she looks at her brother. “Is that true? Have you neglected to abide by your contract?”
Vigo tilts away from the table with a smile. “It depends on how you look at it.”
“Bullshit,” I chime in, crossing my arms over my chest as I lean back in my chair.
“Aye,” Cordelia surprises me with her agreement, given her strange fondness for the monster who is Vigo Vittori. “I’d be happy to review the contract with you if you’re having trouble interpreting it, Vigo. I’m sure Nikolai has laid out clear terms for you in his sale.” Vigo’s smile begins to fade as he listens to the only woman I think he’s ever had an ounce of affection for as she calls him out. “What are the consequences set forth for breach of contract, or has that not been laid out? I assure you that the board would lay out an appropriate consequence if Nikolai neglected to write one into the contract.”
Delia tosses her hair over her shoulder and Vigo watches her intently. The skill of seduction is one the women of the four families possess in equal measure—it’s the only power they have in our world. Cordelia once helped the O’Shea family negotiate a trade deal through Lisbon—a territory previously owned by the Vittoris—and she did it all by seducing Vigo. That’s when their twisted little back and forth truly began.
“Fine,” Vigo finally says to Nikolai. “Have her for the night. Straighten her out and set her right.”
“And?” Cordelia’s voice rises in a feminine timbre.
“And I’ll sit with you to review the contract,” Vigo replies. “Let you straighten me out and set me right.”
Cordelia grins. “My pleasure.”
“Very well,” Renata says. “Nikolai will have Anya tonight and return her to Vigo in the morning. Leo, why don’t you move us along to the next agenda item?”
I shift in my seat.
Leo leans forward on his elbows, reaching for the paper agenda laid in front of him. “Yes. Next item is the matter of Murphy’s…his bride?”
Leo Leblanc is new to this world. He was brought in to replace the former American family—the Campbells—after it was discovered that they had plotted and successfully murdered Nikolai’s family by tampering with their aircraft.
There has always been, and always will be, unspoken rituals of competition between the four families. For one, our talent slaves perform at the beginning of each quarterly meeting—there isn’t a Head of House among us who doesn’t want their talent slave to be perceived as the best among us. There’s competition in our acquisition of assets and their assessed value. There’s competition in our sales and unspoken rivalries between certain families. But sometimes said rivalries get out of hand—as was the case with the Campbells. It led to their unprecedented dethroning, leaving way for their cousins, the Leblancs, to take control of the American sector.
And poor Leo was thrust into his role at the young age of twenty-seven, making him the youngest Head of House of our generation. I’d always been the youngest before him—it was why I was exposed to the cruel details of our trade at such a young age.
“Murphy has petitioned for an early bride,” Renata explains.
Nikolai’s eyebrows lift in surprise. “Really?”
“I’m impatient.” I shrug, not wanting to divulge too many details of my plan too soon. “What’s the point in waiting until I’m forty to find a suitable wife?”
Cordelia sighs. “I’ve tried to talk him into waiting until it’s his time,” she casts me a judgmental gaze, “but he insists he wants a bride now.”
“All of the Heads of House must agree for us to move forward with an early petition. What are your votes?” Renata asks the group.
“Agreed,” Nikolai replies readily, and I give him a nod of gratitude.
Vigo follows in quick agreement. “Agreed.”
The room looks to Leo, who shifts uncomfortably in his seat. “You’re petitioning to get married?”
“Aye.”
Leo clears his throat, then smartly follows suit. “Agreed.”
“Petition granted. Congratulations.” Renata’s voice is congenial in offering her cheers. That’s good for me because I’ll need to rub elbows with her to get approval for Stella to be my bride. “I’ll prepare you a portfolio of suitable women to join the four families.”
“Actually…” I place my elbows on the table and lean forward. “I already have someone in mind. A fiery little thing I had the pleasure of meeting by chance last time I visited the States.”
“Murphy.” Renata folds her hands. “You know your bride must be approved.”
“And she will be.” I flash her a grin. “I’ll send her details to you for approval, and you can pass it along to the Heads of House for the final vote.”
She stares at me, her eyes narrowing as she searches for something in my gaze. “Fine, then,” she finally says. “Send me the details and we’ll make a decision at the next quarterly meeting. Fair?”
“Fair.” My grin broadens and I lean back in my chair.
Petition—done.
Now I just need to get Renata on my side to approve an unusual choice of bride—an innocent bride who knows nothing about the four families.
“Renata,” I call after her before she escapes down the hallway.
She halts, turns, and slowly walks in my direction. I move toward her, meeting her in the middle, just in front of the Leblancs’ ballroom.
I only speak when we’re close enough that I can lower my voice to a whisper. “I wonder what I might do to convince you to push for my selection of bride.”
Her head falls slowly to the side as a small smile creeps across her cheeks. “Murphy. You know that’s not how it works.”
I lift an eyebrow at her. “I have it on good authority that you have the most influential voice when it comes to the women on the board. I need to ensure buy-in before the official decision is made at the next board meeting.”
“Ensure buy-in,” she repeats slowly. “And how do you expect that will happen?”
I start to speak, but a sudden commotion down the hall forces us both to turn our heads and look. Nikolai has Anya by the wrist and is dragging her along, moving toward us from the end of the hall.
“Why are you taking me?” I hear her say as they approach. “You sold me to Vigo. Why am I going with you?”
“Don’t speak.” He gives her wrist a tug and she stumbles, but he catches her frail body before she falls, bending, wedging his shoulder into her stomach, and lifting her.
My eyes narrow at her condition—her chest and wrist caked in dried blood. I can’t blame the lass for trying to off herself—I’d likely do the same if I belonged to Vigo. The reminder of his sickness punches a sense of urgency through my veins. Monsters like Vigo are the reason why I do what I do—to protect the women in my family by selling strangers to the monsters instead. But until I make Stella mine, she’s vulnerable. Anyone could snatch her up, ruin her, hurt her, take control of her. She’s not safe until she’s mine.
I need to make her mine as soon as possible.
Nikolai and Anya pass and the commotion softens into quiet chatter among the others passing by.
Renata pulls my attention back to her with her fingers trailing down my arm. “You know how things get done with me, Murphy. What are you willing to do to have your bride?”
My shoulders tense as my eyes zero in on her hand. I have to fight the urge to toss off her arm, whip it around behind her back, and slam her against the wall. Instead, I let a smile touch the corners of my lips.
“We both know I’m not your type.”
“Oh? Do I have a type?” She feigns innocence, as if she doesn’t know that we all know she likes her men young and subservient.
“Let’s not play games. You have a price for your influence, and I understand that. I’m willing to pay that price for Stella.”
“Stella.” She smiles. “Now I know I’ve heard that name before.”
“From your brother, no doubt. He and Cordelia talk far more often than they should.”
“Now that’s something we both can agree on.”
“So. Your price?”
She takes a step forward, moving into my space and I allow it, only for the situation at hand. “Why don’t you find your way to my room in an hour, and we can work something out?”
I should’ve known she’d take it there. I’d slept with her once before—the bitch preyed on me when I was in my twenties. She was an older, experienced woman; I was going through a particularly rebellious stage in my life where I sought out deviancy to quell the anxiety of the overwhelming responsibility of my fate.
Renata did as she always does and effectively seduced me into her bed. She’s an attractive woman by standard means so it didn’t take much for me back then, but I’m not the same man I was before. I know her family’s particular brand of evil, and there’s nothing about her that appeals to me that way.
“Murphy,” she croons, “you know my influence will be important for your family. If I don’t find her worthy of assimilating to become the wife of a Head of House, your family will never accept her. Don’t you want their acceptance?”
I need their acceptance.
I can’t bring her home without their acceptance.
“Of course, I do. But certainly, you understand why I can’t just slip into bed with you like it means nothing.”
“The only one of us who has to enjoy it is me. In fact, I prefer it if you don’t enjoy it.”
A tight, frustrated grin tugs at my cheeks. “We all know how you get off on having all the power.”
She shrugs a shoulder. “If you don’t want to do it, fine. I’ll just have to find another bride more suitable for you.”
She starts to turn, and I grab her by the elbow, tugging her toward me, and she crashes against my chest. She blinks at me with her sinister smirk, molding her body to mine. I feel my upper lip snarl in contempt. “You’ll approve Stella.”
“We’ll see. Satisfy my terms and you’ll get your approval.”
I release her and step back with a huff.
“I’ll see you in an hour, Murphy.” She turns, giving me a final appraising glance over her shoulder before sauntering down the hallway.
My fists clench at my sides and I seethe because I know what I have to do. It’s not that I can’t just marry Stella on my own and force everyone to accept it, but doing that could get her killed.
If she doesn’t have the enthusiastic approval of the board—if Renata doesn’t use her influence to convince my family that’s she’s worthy—it will put her at risk. They could hurt her, kill her, and though they would be met with dire consequences, those consequences wouldn’t undo any harm that befell her.
The process has to play out properly.
The formalities must be tended to.
But I can’t do what Renata wants to win her favor.
I won’t sully my honor for Stella by jumping into bed with Renata just for her approval and influence.
I jog down the hall to catch up with her, wrap my fingers around her elbow and tug until she stops. She spins to face me, and I shove her back to the wall.
“In a hurry to get started?”
I dig the heel of my hand into her shoulder, keeping her firmly against the wall as I step in closer, aiming my index finger at her chin. “You listen here. I’ve had about enough of you and your family’s bullshit. You’ll approve Stella to be my bride, and you’ll do it as a goddamn favor to me. Or may I remind you that my dear cousin Cordelia is reviewing a contract with Vigo at this very moment…Do you recall how easily she convinced him to hand over that trade deal through Lisbon? Perhaps I’ll call her now and ask her to talk him into handing over Barcelona, too. You and I both know he’d give her anything she asked for. What would happen to your sales then?”
Her grin fades into a sneer, her eyes flickering across my face, reading my expression. When she takes too long to respond, I step back, pull out my cell phone, and dial Cordelia.
She answers and I put it on speakerphone.
“Are you with Vigo?”
“I’m on my way to his room. What do you need?”
I cock my head to the side. “Renata, what do I need?”
Renata shakes her head slowly, narrows her eyes, and then a slight smile curves the corners of her lips. “Fine, Murphy. You win.”
“Never mind, Delia. Enjoy your night.” I hang up and pocket my phone.
She sighs. “I appreciate your tactics. You’re growing into your role, Murphy. I’ll approve your bride as a favor to you so long as Cordelia doesn’t convince my brother to give up more of our territory. He’s a cunt-blind moron when it comes to her.”
“Another thing we can agree on. I’ll ensure your territory remains firmly in your family’s possession.”
She holds out her hand. “Then we have a deal.”
I feel relief wash over me as my palm touches hers.
The board has approved for me to marry early.
Renata will ensure Stella Scott is the woman selected.
Soon, that stunning wildcat will be safely in my possession.