AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I lower myself onto the edge of the bed and offer the ailing man a drink of water. Cancer has stolen his strength so I lend mine.
His weathered hand comes over mine. “Silence cannot be your answer forever, boy. As head of the Alliance, your voice will need to be louder than everyone else’s.”
I replace the water as I hear Lev and Gregor stepping into the room. They are like sons to the man who fathered and raised me. They come closer and get the same treatment as I did.
“Well? Will I meet your soon-to-be-wife anytime soon? I don’t have forever, you know.”
I don’t think I am the only one shocked into silence. Around me, we all three exchange looks.
“It wasn’t me so don’t look at me.” Lev raises both hands.
“Don’t act so shocked. Walls have ears. I might be dying but I am not dead. I know what you three have been up to. A wife to share.” he nods and goes silent a moment before continuing. A habit I’ve picked up over the years. “Good. Keeping up with one each would be a terrible waste of time. Word to the wise, I know you will fail if you do not have the right reasons backing your action. But you seem to know what you want.”
Yes. But in the end, will she want us is the question.
I shrug ready to dance off the topic until I have firmer details.
Gregor has other ideas.
“Yes. She will be moving in with us in two weeks.”
Fuck. The words are out of Gregor’s mouth before I have time to think up an answer that won’t give him hope for something that might not come to be.
I shake my head at him. “Don’t be arrogant, brother. And don’t think our plan will work just because we snap our fingers”
“You have little faith in our ability to charm.”
We look at each other and he pushes on with more detail. Except giving over the woman’s name. Not once does Lev or Gregor offer up that juicy bit of information as they talk about the blue-eyed beauty.
“You’ll meet her soon, Father.” I cut in when Lev starts veering onto the topic of family bloodlines, heirs, and names.
“We’ll be back in a little while, Father. You should rest before dinner.”
“I was growing tired of your sour face anyway.” I lean over the man who taught me patience and a firm hand with family and a swift kill for anyone who means them or our empire harm.
He pats me on the cheek and we leave my father resting with the nurse watching over him.
“I need a fucking drink.” Lev leads the way to the office on the other side of my penthouse.
“We only have a short time to prepare for Sapphire. The men will not be happy she is with us. We will need to be prepared for retaliation.”
Gregor clamps a heavy hand on my shoulder and I pivot on him with a snarl. “Easy, brother. Fuck. Could you sound any more like a fucking robot?”
He passes me and moves to the bar. With practiced motions, he fills three tumblers with vodka. I take mine as does Lev when Gregor passes them around.
“I won’t tolerate anyone standing against Sapphire. If they can’t respect our decision then they don’t belong with us.”
“You can’t just cut the men who have been with us from the start out of their own fucking territory.”
Lev always takes the direct approach but his tactic will start a civil war among our men.
“Both of you are not wrong, but you are not right either. It’s never going to be so cut and dry.”
Lev and I both wave Gregor’s thoughts away. “Better to be prepared than hope everything will pan out. The Southern Alliance has fought for every single inch of ground we have. Men have sided with us. Some of them have lost family to the Constantines. If we bring one in, we will have bloodshed. It will be as cut and dry as we make it. Our way or no way. There are three heads of the Southern Alliance. Everyone else takes orders.”
Lev takes a seat and I move to the window. The city below is growing more congested with evening traffic.
“Elyah,” Gregor starts and I hold a hand up.
