The Palace (Chateau 4)

“She wants to see her sister.”

He couldn’t hide his surprise. “And you’ll allow it?”

I stared into my brother’s face but didn’t see it. It was all just a blur to me right now because I was picturing Melanie across the table at dinner, picturing the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, the woman who made me bend over backward more times than any man ever should. She made me weak—and not always in a good way. “Haven’t decided.”

We talked about operations of the camp for a while, and Magnus informed me he was in the process of increasing production by negotiating with the Colombians. There were hiccups along the way, but I wasn’t going to let any obstacle get in the way of my riches.

Magnus shared his negativity, as always. “Don’t let arrogance turn to complacency.”

“It’s not arrogance—greed.” I took another drink then set my glass on the table. “And you know how greedy I am.”

There was never enough money. I wanted more money, more power, even if I’d already reached the top of the hierarchy.

Magnus took a long drink. “Trying to figure out how to make it work. But if it’s too risky, we’ll have to accept what we have.”

I gave a slight nod, even though I still didn’t like that response. “When you leave in a few days, take care of it.”

My hand grabbed my glass once more to nurse my cold lips. Conversation had concluded, and there was a beautiful woman waiting for me. I waited for him to leave, but he lingered on the couch, the glass in his hand. My eyes shifted back and forth as I looked into his, seeing a hesitation that I couldn’t recognize. “What is it?”

He broke contact and stared at the bottom of his glass. There were only a few sips left. He spun the glass around to get the liquid to swirl in a vortex before he returned the glass to the coffee table. Whatever he had to say was significant because he took an eternity to say it and fidgeted along the way. “I’ve taken Raven as my own.”

My eyes immediately narrowed when I heard that god-awful name.

“I want to take her with me.”

Slowly, my features tightened and changed, because I couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth. Eyebrows furrowed in anger. Nostrils flared even though I hadn’t taken a breath. When my words came out, they were loud, maniacal. There was no chance that Melanie didn’t hear me scream. “What the fuck is it with this cunt?”

“I’m not asking for her freedom. I’m asking for her to be bound to me—the way Melanie is bound to you.”

Once he mentioned the woman who’d claimed my heart, my anger simmered down.

“When I leave, she comes with me. When I return, she’s back to work with the other prisoners. I want her to be mine. That’s all.”

I stared at my brother for a long time, unable to believe that his dick had such bad taste. This woman had haunted us both in different ways. She was like a fucking witch in the woods. “I don’t understand your fascination. What about Stasia? She’s far more beautiful. What about all the women in Paris? You can have any woman you want, and this is who you choose?” Melanie was the only woman who’d earned my fidelity because she deserved it. Her beauty was unparalleled, a work of art. A taste of her had made every other woman undesirable. But Raven…looked like a fucking car wreck.

“Yes.”

I shook my head slightly.

“But it’s not monogamous. It’s not affectionate. She betrayed me, so I want her at my beck and call whenever I wish. She’s mine to use. She will make up for what she did to me. That’s all.”

My anger slipped further away when I began to understand. This was a form of revenge because working at the camp just wasn’t enough. His affection died with her betrayal, and now he just wanted to fuck her like a whore. “She’s your plaything?”

He nodded.

I bowed my head slightly as I considered the request, eyes on the glass on the table.

Magnus was silent.

As always, I wanted to grant any request my brother made. I was like a parent who couldn’t resist giving their child the toy they really wanted in the store. But I could only grant it with a set of hard restrictions. “If she escapes…I’ll cut off the rest of you and watch you bleed out.”

His expression didn’t change as he stared at me, as if he’d expected those kinds of terms. “I understand.”

“It doesn’t matter if you let her go, or she betrays you. If she’s out, it’s your head.” If it happened, I would have no choice but to kill him. Surely he would see that she wasn’t worth that risk.

But he nodded. “I know.”