Valiant Reign

by Brooke Sivendra

  For the first time tonight, Asher felt hopeful.

  “Who took Colonel Stevens from his house?” James asked, surprising Asher.

  “I didn’t do it alone,” he said quickly.

  “That’s not what I asked,” James said, leaning forward. He had something in his hands, but Asher couldn’t see it from where he stood.

  The captain’s eyes dropped to James’s, and then he quickly said, “We did. Me, my brother, Troy, and a few others.”

  “Why did you keep him alive?”

  “Because we didn’t think he was giving us the truth. We thought he’d reported us to Asher,” the captain said.

  “You were wrong,” James said.

  Asher looked at James carefully—another surprise.

  The captain’s eyebrows lifted. “Huh.”

  “Last night you said Troy left and you could only contact him by phone. What happened?” James asked.

  “Why are you so interested in Troy?” the captain asked.

  James slammed an instrument—what Asher thought looked like a scalpel—into the man’s leg. The captain howled, rocking against the chair, but Reed didn’t let it fall. He held his knife to the captain’s neck, unflinching—nothing about James’s tactics surprised him nor made him uncomfortable.

  Asher, on the other hand, felt a little ill as he watched blood drip from the man’s leg, pooling on the floor.

  “I ask the questions!” James said sharply, his voice like a blade slicing the air.

  “I don’t know, he just said he had to go and to only contact him via phone! Martin’s losing control and Troy’s his right-hand man,” the captain blurted.

  Asher narrowed his eyes. Did Asher have it wrong, or did the captain not know who Martin Snider was?

  “Everyone hailed Martin, but after Lamberi died, whispers of doubt formed,” the captain whispered. “Martin has been planning this revolution for years. He’d convinced his men—his followers—that King Martin wasn’t strong enough to lead. When the succession changed, he turned them against Asher.” He glanced at Asher for a second before returning to James. “But Asher’s proving him wrong, and Martin’s hold is weakening. Hell, even I would back Asher after last night. Asher’s different than his father: stronger, and more willing to take a stand against our rivals. That’s what we all want—what Santina wants.”

  “To take a stand against your rivals?” James asked casually. Asher wondered if he didn’t buy the captain’s praise of Asher, and Asher wondered if he should believe a word that the captain was saying himself. He did have a knife to his neck, and another in his leg; he would surely say anything that he thought might save him.

  “Adani,” the captain said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

  “Your little revolution is being aided by Adani,” James said, crossing his arms.

  The captain nodded carefully, highly aware of the knife at his throat. “The plan was to turn around and blame them. Then we would take Adani too.”

  James was quiet a moment and Asher wanted—for a split second—to get inside his mind.

  “And how would you have personally benefitted from this?” James asked.

  “Martin said I’d be made Commander in Chief,” he said with a touch of pride that made Asher’s teeth clench.

  “He would never have given you that role,” James said, sounding amused.

  The captain jutted his jaw as his eyes narrowed. “What makes you so sure of that?”

  “Because he’ll use you just like he’s using everyone else. A man like Martin Snider is only looking out for one person: Martin Snider. Don’t be fooled, Lewis . . . you’re a pawn in his game just as much as anyone,” James said, like he knew Martin Snider himself. On some level, Asher supposed he did; he’d likely dealt with men like him most of his life.

  The captain was quiet, thoughtful, and it was only then that he realized James’s game plan. The corner of Asher’s lips turned up. Let’s see how this plays out.

  “Have you ever met Martin?” James asked.

  “No one has,” he responded.

  James shook his head. “Not true. Lamberi did. Do you know why he was able to meet him? Because Lamberi demanded more respect from Martin—and if he was going to do a deal with Martin, he wanted to see his face.”

  The captain didn’t respond, but Asher could sense he was rattled. He had obviously considered himself at the top of Martin’s food chain, and that Martin had made a different deal with Lamberi challenged that idea.

  “So you know who Martin is?” the captain finally asked.

  “Of course we do,” James responded without hesitation, his voice void of arrogance. It was simply a statement.

  “What do you want from me?” the captain asked.

  Asher nodded his head, knowing James must be equally pleased.

  “Lead us to him,” James said.

  “And you’ll protect me?” the captain asked.

  “That will depend on your loyalty to King Asher,” James said coolly. “And that will be Asher’s choice to make.”

  He paused, then leaned in slowly toward the captain, his eyes full of danger. “But if you so much as breathe in the wrong direction, I will slit your throat faster than you can plead for mercy.”

  The captain visibly swallowed.

  Asher refrained from grinning like a maniac.

  “Don’t move,” James said with a hint of humor before he left the room. James closed the door and strode toward Asher.

  “Thoughts?” James asked, yet again surprising Asher. He wondered how many times in one day this man could surprise him.

  “He broke easily,” Asher said.

  James nodded. “That’s what happens when you don’t put a face to a name. The ties are weak, and when someone has a knife to your throat, you’ll give them up in a second.”

  “Is it a good idea to use him?” Asher asked.

  “Yes, if we play it carefully. I need a few hours to think about the strategy, but essentially I think the captain should demand a face-to-face meeting with Martin Snider. He can say that things are too hot right now and he refuses to talk on the phone. Martin—Troy—might not agree, but he might say something we can use. I think we should do it.”

  “Okay.” Asher nodded, and then his eyes went hard. “Please tell me this plan doesn’t involve Abi.”

  “No, she’s done her part and Lamberi is dead. I won’t put her in harm’s way again, you have my word,” James said.

  Asher searched his eyes, but he needn’t have—the conviction in James’s voice was promise enough, and Asher already knew James’s word was as good as ink. As Asher’s father had always said to him, “Do business with honest people—people you can do a handshake deal with. If you can’t do a handshake deal, don’t work with them.”

  For people like James and Asher, integrity was everything. If you couldn’t stand by your word, what could you stand by?

  Abi

  Abi paused when she heard a familiar voice. She began to turn around, but Emilia stopped her. “Abi!”

  Abi’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were out here. I’m sorry for interrupting,” she said quickly.

  “Not at all,” Emilia said as she walked toward Abi, her long gown trailing on the soft grass. Her assistant went in the other direction. “These gardens have always been my favorite place to clear my mind.”

  “They’re beautiful,” Abi said quietly, looking over them.

  “They are. My children used to play hide and seek in these gardens for hours,” she said with a sad smile. “All of them together—Alistair, Asher. and Noah.”

  Abi hid her surprise. She knew that the brothers had grown apart, but she couldn’t imagine them as friends—even as children.

  “It seems Asher was quite fond of hide and seek. He told me he would play that in the tunnels too,” Abi said.

  Emilia smiled properly, her eyes lighting up. “I could never find my children,” she said with a laugh. “Things were much
simpler then. How is he today?” she asked, then quickly added, “I spoke to him earlier, but Asher has a good poker face. Sometimes it’s hard for me to really know what’s going on inside his head.”

  “He said you can read him better than anyone.” Abi smiled, remembering how Asher had told her his mother was the first to know of their relationship. “But, honestly, I think he’s doing well, all things considered. At moments I feel like it’s not fair—the role he needs to play—but I also think he’s doing an amazing job.”

  Emilia nodded, understanding. “I would often think that when I looked at Martin. And I used to fear that—and still do—for my children.” She looked at Abi, her eyes far away. “I don’t know how much Asher or your father told you, but before the affair happened, I lost a child.”

  Abi put her hand on her chest. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

  Emilia shook her head. “I felt like a failure, but in all honestly, there was one tiny, tiny part of me that was relieved. Relieved that I wouldn’t burden my child with the responsibility I knew weighed so heavily on my husband’s shoulders. And then I felt guilty for feeling like that too, which spiraled things out of control.” She sighed heavily. “But here’s what I’ve learned, Abi. Challenges only make us stronger. We are never given more than we can handle—even if we don’t think we can handle it, we can. And I tell myself that every morning now. Asher will rise up. I know he will. His role is one of great responsibility, and it is also one of great privilege.” She looked to her right, her gaze sweeping over the blushing rose gardens. “Walk with me,” she said with a nod.

  “Of course,” Abi said, falling into step beside Emilia, her future mother-in-law. She thought over Asher’s clearly unplanned proposal and smiled. Nothing he did was conventional, and she was beginning to learn that was one of the things she loved most about him.

  “Did you read the papers this morning?” Emilia asked, looking ahead.

  “I did.”

  Emilia looked to her, smiling.

  “You’re being heralded as a hero, and quite rightly. Leaking our own intelligence to the media was a good move,” she said with a knowing grin. “Asher told me all about what happened last night and how you gave him no choice. I liked you even more when I heard.”

  Abi blushed.

  “Asher has waited his whole life to meet someone like you. I was always trying to introduce him to someone, but no one held his interest for more than a few seconds. That’s how I knew, actually,” she said with a big smile. “Asher looked your way more than once at that charity dinner, and I’d never seen him do that.” She laughed softly. “I’m glad he found you, Abi. I mean that.”

  “Thank you,” Abi said as a white butterfly flew past her.

  Her gaze followed it, almost jumping when her eyes landed on Alistair. He stood in the shadows of the palace, appearing to watch them. He didn’t look away.

  What was he doing?

  Her heart raced a little faster. She couldn’t see security, but she knew they were around—both she and Emilia had teams following them everywhere.

  Alistair smiled, but there was something in his eyes she didn’t like, and she suppressed a shiver as he strode toward them.

  “Abigail,” he said as he approached them.

  “Hello, Alistair,” she said, keeping her voice neutral.

  She looked to Emilia, who seemed happy to see her eldest son.

  “Thank you for the chat, Emilia. I’ll leave you two to catch up,” Abi said before turning away. As she took a step forward, security emerged to escort her away but she couldn’t help feeling like eyes were boring into her back.

  It was unsettling and she questioned if she was imagining things. Alistair’s involvement had been explained, hadn’t it?

  Admittedly, he’d also made it very clear he didn’t like Abi. Was he jealous?

  How stable was Alistair?

  “Where is Asher?” she asked the guard beside her.

  “In his office. He’s in the middle of a strategic meeting,” he responded.

  Abi nodded. “Okay. I’ll go to my office,” she said, glad she’d spent the morning setting up the office Asher had given her.

  The palace was quiet as they walked the hallways. She entered her office and closed the door behind her, knowing security would stand at her door.

  She glanced around, turned on her computer, and began research work of a different type.

  Asher

  Asher’s foot tapped mercilessly as he watched the security cameras.

  James Thomas walked into the cell and sat opposite Captain Lewis Spencer, who lifted his eyes to meet James’s. Asher noted the dark shadows beneath his eyes and the lines that seemed permanently creased into his forehead. The man looked like he’d aged ten years in ten hours.

  “You’re going to call Troy and tell him you were captured by us. The house you had was under surveillance, so there’s no point lying about it. Tell him you were captured and you made a deal with us to be released.” James slid a piece of paper across the table then continued, “Tell him you’ve spoken to Martin Snider and you’re going to meet him. Tell him you’re sorry about last night and that you’ll sort this mess out.”

  The captain’s eyebrows threaded together. “But he knows I don’t know who Martin Snider is.”

  “Does he know that for sure?” James asked simply.

  Silence hung in the air.

  James folded his hands on the table. “If he asks where you’re meeting him, give him the address on this piece of paper.”

  “And then what?” the captain asked.

  “Then you’re going to attend the meeting and you’re going to do everything I tell you to do. One wrong move and I will put a bullet between your eyes before you can take another breath.”

  Asher bit his lip, watching the captain’s response closely. He visibly swallowed, took a breath, and then straightened his shoulders. “Okay,” he said, his voice strained.

  James slid a phone across the table and the captain picked it up with trembling hands. James nodded and the call was made.

  Asher heard the call connect and realized Samuel was broadcasting the call in his office. The phone continued to ring, and just when Asher thought it was going to ring out, he heard the familiar voice.

  “Hello,” Troy said.

  “Hey,” the captain said. “I’m in trouble. They found us last night—Asher’s guys,” he said quickly, on the verge of rambling. “I’m sorry, I had no choice, Troy. They let me go, but I had to give them something in return . . .”

  “What did you give them?” Troy asked, the tone of his voice shifting. Asher’s eyes narrowed instinctively.

  “I had no choice!” the captain said desperately, glancing nervously at James. “I had no choice. I’m giving them Martin Snider.”

  A long pause followed. Asher didn’t breathe, he didn’t move. He looked to James, but his face was impassive. A picture of calm.

  “How do you know who Martin Snider is?” he asked. Asher didn’t like the tone of his voice, and judging by the way he looked to James, Asher didn’t think the captain liked it either.

  “The things I’ve heard. The phone calls I’ve traced,” the captain said vaguely. “I’ve set a trap for him. We don’t need him. We can lead this revolt without him. He’s never bothered to meet us anyway! What do we need him for?”

  Asher studied the captain now—his voice surprisingly convincing. Maybe those words weren’t an act.

  “You have no idea what you’re talking about!” Troy said, his words biting. “What trap have you set?”

  “I’m going to meet him. I gave him an address and told him to meet me there.”

  “You fool,” Troy hissed. “Give me that address!”

  James nodded and the captain reeled off the address from the piece of paper. Asher feared it might sound like he was reading it, but it didn’t. There was a genuine tremble and fluster to the captain’s voice that made it believable.

  “If you do this, y
ou’ll end up dead. If Martin doesn’t kill you, Asher’s guys will. You betrayed the king—you’re good for nothing now, and Asher won’t pardon you.”

  “I had no choice,” the captain said simply.

  Silence. Then Troy said, “I’ll protect you. Don’t lead them to Snider. Meet me at Victoria Square, in the train station. They’ll kill you, regardless of what they told you. Asher can’t be trusted. Nor can James Thomas. Meet me there in two hours. Make sure no one follows you.”

  “Thank you,” the captain said quickly. “I’ll see you soon.”

  The call ended and James stood, nodded, and exited the room. The captain’s gaze followed him, looking unsure.

  Asher gave James a questioning look as he walked toward him.

  “Perfect,” James said without explanation.

  “Perfect?” Asher repeated, and then the pieces fell into place. “You wanted him to give an alternative address, didn’t you? You never intended to use that address.”

  “Correct. I don’t think Troy will reveal himself at the train station either—he’s not that stupid—but he’ll be there, watching from the shadows. And we’ll be in the shadows behind him,” James said with a haunting grin. “He chose the train station because it’s busy. That creates some concern regarding innocent casualties, but if we play our cards right, this could be a perfect storm.”

  Asher sighed, tilting his head back and looking at the ceiling. He had to authorize this, and if his security detail was linked to this and innocent Santinians were hurt, he would be responsible for it. Their deaths would be his fault.

  “This is our best opportunity because it’s a chance to draw Troy out. He’s hiding the child somewhere, and while he’s busy dealing with us, he won’t have time to instruct the babysitter to do anything to harm him. That keeps the boy safe and gives us a chance to take Troy down,” James said.

  “And if you’re seen to be involved in this, and innocent people are killed, what will I say to the media?” Asher asked, his tone sharper than intended. He was beginning to learn that when James said, “This is our best opportunity,” he wasn’t going to like whatever followed.