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Maxim
There is a tense atmosphere in the room that doesn’t surprise me at all. My friends surround me as we regard the four strangers who have been shown into the library and are currently being served a pre-dinner drink.
Finally, we are all together. The Five Kings.
It will make for an interesting evening because we have much to discuss. But not now. Now we socialize with my friends, family and those of my bride. The night before the wedding and the penultimate day before Andromeda gains a new queen.
I flick my gaze to Victor, who is watching from the shadows. He has positioned his chair with his back to the wall and swirls his whiskey around the crystal glass, while staring broodingly at a scene I’ve been interested in seeing for quite some time.
My friends are also watching with interest because they understand what this organization involves because I need them to sound off to from time to time. But Victor only knows what I want him to, which isn’t much as it happens. All he knows is these men are distinguished guests, friends of our fathers and important to Andromeda by way of contacts not duty.
Thinking of the meeting we will have after dinner makes me wonder what they’ll say. They will have many questions, I’m in no doubt about that, but will I have the answers? I hope so because this needs to be resolved tonight, before the wedding, because nothing will come between me and my queen and once again, I look at Victor because if anything does, its likely to be him.
I head across the room toward a man who needs no introduction to me because Ryder King has been here many times before. Always to visit my father though and I know they were friends as well as business associates.
Tonight, he dresses almost respectfully in a black dinner suit and white shirt, foregoing his usual combats and leather jacket that he wears so well.
Looking at him now, you would never believe he was a cold-blooded killer and yet as those dark eyes swing in my direction, I see the emotionless void staring back at me with suspicion and know I have some explaining to do.
He nods respectfully as I approach and as I shake his hand, I say warmly, “It’s good to see you, Ryder.”
“Your majesty.” He half bows and it doesn’t suit him, so I say quickly, “There is no need to stand on ceremony with me. Call me Maxim, most of my friends do.”
“Understood.” He smiles but looks curious and I say quietly, “We have much to talk about.”
“Yes—we do.”
He sips his drink and looks at me through a hooded gaze and something stirs deep inside me. Is it fear, a premonition of a future that could end at this man’s hands? My father always told me never to underestimate the other kings and particularly not him. He has seen too much, guards too many secrets and knows more shit than the rest of us put together. Go against him at your peril, which is why I was unnerved to hear about the attempt on his life.
“We will have that chance after dinner. A private meeting where we will discuss the future and put the past to rest.”
“I’ll look forward to it.” He says few words but his eyes speak volumes because he wants answers—they all do and my eyes shift toward the man in the shadows who is responsible for the questions. Victor has always been a problem that I don’t need and I wonder how things will end with us. Only one of us will win the war and it’s up to me to second guess every move he makes.
Ryder speaks in a deep voice laced with authority, “Would you like me to introduce the others?”
“Thank you.”
He guides me across to a group of men who look at me with curiosity as I approach. Like Ryder, they are dressed for dinner and have an authority behind them that was placed there by my father. I know they served him well and are suffering their own personal hell right now and so the edge of uncertainty doesn’t surprise me as they look at me with a mixture of fear, curiosity and distrust. I don’t blame them for that and it’s up to me to put them at ease, so I smile.
“Gentlemen.”
Ryder says in a deep voice, “May I introduce Lucas, Emiliano, the king responsible for the gambling world.”
I smile and shake his hand. “Of course, thank you for coming, I appreciate it.”
“I am honored...”
“Call me Maxim, all of you. We have no room for ceremony among ourselves.”
“Maxim.” He shakes my hand and I’m pleased to see a little of the wall crumbling as I turn my attention to the next man.
“Hunter Blake.” He holds out his hand. “I’m the king responsible for the markets; keeping the stock exchange thriving and the economy afloat.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hunter.”
The final king offers me his hand. “Dexter Prince, king of media. Congratulations on your marriage.”
“Thank you. I am honored you all made it.”
Now the introductions are over, Ryder says for them all, “We were very sad to learn of your father’s death, you have our condolences.”
“Thank you, that means a lot.”
They stand watching me as if waiting for me to speak and I know it will take a long time to penetrate the wall they are standing behind because just about every one of them suspects me for the shit they are facing right now. The gambling world is on shaky ground as investors are pulling out by their thousands. Loans and business deals in jeopardy because word is, the king in charge is standing on shaky ground. The markets are crashing as uncertainty lingers there, and the press has lost control as unauthorized stories make it into the public domain, pointing the finger of blame on these three men.
Ryder is running around like a maniac, trying to make sense of it all and keeping our friends safe because there have been at least two attempts on their lives, with the threat of more. Our whole organization is balancing on top of a wall that is missing the bottom bricks because when my father died, it took out the foundation stone. Now it’s my duty to plug the gaps and reinforce the structure before the whole thing comes crashing down and has to be rebuilt with a different set of characters playing the leading roles.
As the butler appears and announces that dinner is served, our conversation will have to wait for a few hours, but it will be heard. Tonight, after the women retreat and the rest of the men leave us will be a meeting that may change our lives forever
