The Palace (Chateau 4)

She hadn’t asked me about the camp, the girls, anything. She just seemed to be content that I’d survived the ordeal. But now that it’d been a few days, she brought it up. “So…what happened?”

I gave her the G-rated version. “We underestimated Napoleon—again. But we got the best of him, so it doesn’t matter. We lost a few of our men. Not many. Their men were all massacred, so that’s over.”

“The girls?”

“We had them brought to Paris with money and clothes. Told them they were free.”

“I bet a lot of them went to the police…”

I took a few bites. “Doesn’t matter. It won’t amount to anything.”

“And the camp itself? Is it just…vacant?”

“Yes.”

“What will happen to it?”

“No idea.” We’d taken the remaining coke and sold it off. The valuables in the cabins were removed. The horses were taken to my pasture. The camp was gutted, and the bones remained behind.

“What will happen to you?” She looked down at her food and pushed a few pieces around with her fork.

I watched her, seeing the apprehension. “I’ll get married. Take my wife on a nice honeymoon. Greece is beautiful this time of year. Knock her up a couple times. Live happily ever after, or whatever that line is.”

She raised her chin, a slight smile on her lips. “You got it right. But…is that enough for you?”

My eyes narrowed on her face. “Yes. Because you’ve always been enough for me.”

Her eyes softened like the rose petals in the garden, like the fire that glowed red before it went out for good, like the wick of a candle as it slowly met its end.

A knock sounded on the door, and Magnus entered. “Still here? Fucking pussy.”

I grinned. “Shut the fuck up.”

He came around the bed on the opposite side of Melanie. “That doesn’t look like hospital food.”

“I’m not eating that shit.”

Melanie smiled at the two of us before she rose to her feet. “I’ll give you guys some privacy.” She took her meal outside.

I watched her go before I took another bite.

Magnus watched me, his look turning serious. “How are you?”

“Never better.” I took a few more bites before I set the container on the table beside me.

“How’s the pain?”

Pretty fucking painful. “Insignificant.”

Magnus knew I was lying but didn’t call me out on it. “Melanie really loves you.”

A half smile entered my lips. “Damn right she does.”

He didn’t mirror my look. “She was a mess the entire time you were in surgery.”

I could only imagine.

“I’ve never cared for her. You know my reasons. But she really loves you…which is all that really matters.”

“You’re coming to the wedding, then?”

He nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Will Raven be a problem?”

His eyes shifted away momentarily, as if I’d struck a chord. “I don’t think so. Not anymore.”

“I’ll do my best to make amends with her, but I don’t think I’ll ever be successful.”

“Probably not.”

I looked out the window next, the energy in the room changing. The conversation neither one of us wanted to have was on the horizon, like the sun at dawn, almost on the crest of the earth.

“Thank you…for saving my life.”

I didn’t look at him.

He gave me all the time I needed to respond.

Which was a very long time. “Always, brother.” I turned back to meet his gaze.

He was relaxed in the chair, one ankle resting on the opposite knee, hands in his lap. “I would do the same for you, brother.”

I already knew that without his having to say it. “Looks like we won’t have to worry about that again.”

“Guess not.” He rubbed his hands together. “I thought you were dead before I got you in the chopper. But the medic said there was still a pulse…”

I was alive when I shouldn’t be—and I knew exactly why.

“I just can’t believe you pulled through that. Looks like Melanie gave you the will to live…”

“It wasn’t her.”

He watched me, his eyes narrowed.

I looked out the window for a while, seeing the dust motes float in the air from the beam of golden light. “It was Mom.”

All the features of his face softened. His hands stopped moving. He stared in silence, desperate to understand my meaning.

“She was there.”

He didn’t say a word, his eyes still on me.

“And she forgives me.”

I sat on the couch across from Magnus, in a tuxedo with shiny shoes, ready to pledge my undying love to the only woman I’d ever love. I had to vacate the room so she could get ready, and I’d been down here for hours, just waiting.

Just wanted to fucking marry her already.

I took a drink and regarded my brother, who looked visibly different than he used to. A couple weeks had passed, and while the changes to his face were subtle, they were noticeable. We spent more time together, did things that brothers did, like drinks at the bar, watching sports, doing something besides discussing work. “You gave it all away. I’ll never understand that.” Raven had given him an ultimatum because she considered his wealth to be blood money. I didn’t agree with that. I didn’t agree with her extreme views. But it wasn’t my place to disagree with her anymore.