Chapter 19
19
I stared into the mass of faces that once again crowded my father’s study. The meeting was all but over, and everyone was about to receive their tasks for the foreseeable future. I’d spent the last few days carefully planning what needed to be done and where I could spread out my men. Once it made sense, I was able to call the meeting. My confidence soared as I threw myself into the business. Making plans was somewhere I excelled, executing them, not so much, but I digress. I'd made a document that I projected from my computer screen to the plain white wall between the windows for everyone to see. Perhaps it was weird to do so, but I felt more organized with it. It's time to modernize, just a bit.
I flipped to a new tab and typed a few names into the blank document before standing and facing the people around me. They didn't understand me or the way I chose to do things and that was okay, they didn't need to. Roe kept guard against the bookshelf, where he’d stood since the beginning of the meeting like a sentry on duty. I smiled at him before speaking.
“If you see your name on the screen, I want you to meet with Arthur to receive instructions for an assignment. Stand up so you can see who you’re working with. The only ones that know who you are, will be in this room.” I demanded.
I stared into the faces of my men, only a few of them grandfathered in from my father’s reign. Most of them I’d had to draft to fill positions that were emptied when Jason ordered Walker's men to kill them. My heart palpitated in my chest and a melancholy feeling washed over me.
Lifelong friends and acquaintances had been murdered in cold blood as I was forced to turn my back on them and walk away. I swallowed nervously, yet remained steady, though my knees were shaking.
Nobody stood; instead, I was met with a conglomeration of bewildered, confused, and disloyal expressions. Ugh… I was growing tired of being met with a room full of sexist men who didn’t believe a woman should be at the helm, if that was even the issue anymore. My leadership was already in question, and while I needed to get away with Rowan, so I could clear my head; it probably painted me as a coward. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, a rage-filled scream filled the room.
Startled, I turned to face the direction from which the scream was coming. It was Roe, angrily walking toward the group and coming to a stop by my side.
“Get the fuck up!” he screamed, different shades of red overtook his features, and the vein on his neck was prominent. I heard the room gasp collectively, and then the whispers of clothing on furniture and shoes on carpet began as one by one, the men listed on the document clambered to their feet.
Shock clung to most of them. It was the first time many of them had heard Rowan speak at all. All of the new recruits had been briefed on what had happened, but I assumed most of them thought that Roe was just naturally quiet and dangerous. I’d noted most, moving out of the way respectfully as he moved through the halls, or quieted when he entered a room. Fear wasn’t how I wanted to run things, but now I saw, to an extent, I needed to.
I smirked as he asserted just enough dominance over the room. His angry booming voice penetrated even my hardened exterior. Rowan’s eyes were sweeping the room, flitting from face to face to make sure he caught everyone’s attention.
“You were given a direct order, respect Charlotte as your leader and follow them!” he demanded.
One brave man stuck his finger up in the air and spoke. “Sir, it’s not a lack of respect or disloyalty. Rather, it’s the secrecy of the missions that has us on edge. We don’t know what we’re walking into. I may just be speaking for myself of course, but I’m afraid that I’ll be led to my death,” he said nervously. “This is war, and I deserve more information on what I’m walking into. A choice to accept or decline.”
I could tell that he was a kind-hearted man, and I felt for him. But Rowan had other ideas.
“If you have a problem with Charlotte or the orders she dishes out, then that means you have a problem with me, and that’s something you don’t want,” he barrelled onward. “I’m tired of you people not jumping at her command. She didn’t give you a choice in this matter, that’s why you don’t have one. The fact is, if you want to keep this job, you’re going to do as she says without hesitation. There’s only one way out, that’s where your choice lies.”
My eyes were drawn to his face as he spoke. I always admired the way he conducted himself, and it never ceased to amaze me. The amount of love and devotion that poured from him every time he stood up for me.
A realization swept over me and I suppressed a gasp. Most women want a man who would burn the world for them, but right now, standing in front of me was a man who was more than willing to hand me the match and walk through the flames behind me as the world burned. He’d completely upended his entire life for me, and I hadn’t realized that before. Guilt rose within me.
“If she asks you to kiss her feet… Well, for your sake, you better pucker up. Am.I. Clear?” he continued.
All I’d done since we escaped Richard’s torture was scold him for the things he should have been doing but wasn’t. I’d failed to see the things he was doing for me, to keep me happy, to make me feel loved. I wasn’t giving him the love he deserved because I was so short-sighted and focused on my own damage and healing.
I knew then that I could fully depend on Rowan and that we needed to work as a team; both in our private life and in the way we conducted business. And the first act as a team would have to be standing in front of all my men, telling them how it was. I matched Rowan’s emotion and turned back to the room.
“From now on, if you think you have an opinion, you’re wrong. You’ll take your cues from me, and if you don’t comply, or you question my decisions; you will deal directly with Rowan. And if you think you’re powerful enough to cross either of us, you will be punished to the fullest extent,” I stepped in.
Arthur spoke up. “Just relax, guys. They don’t know how this stuff works yet,” he reminded me.
Rowan pointed at Arthur angrily. “What better way to teach them than to let them learn by mistake,” he growled.
They were chest to chest, sizing each other up, faces unwavering.
“You going to punch me? Come on big man,” Arthur challenged.
“I’ll rip your heart out and eat it with my morning coffee, don’t test me Davies.”
“Alright, meeting dismissed. Everyone out…now.” I said quickly.
The last thing I needed was a fight between two of my best, most loyal men. I’d hate to have to make a lesson out of two of the closest people to me.
Everyone filed out of the room silently, not daring to make a statement as Arthur had. I caught his eye as he ripped his gaze from Rowan’s and shuffled toward the door with a smile. Good, he’s not mad… I felt relieved, he’s one of the only people who had the balls to stand up to him like that, even Thomas held a certain respect, having his own experience with Roe’s anger.
I pulled Rowan into an embrace, surprisingly content with how the meeting had gone. I loved the feeling I got when he stood up for me in front of everyone. It made me feel safe and secure, like I could take on the world.
I whispered into his ear. “You need to play nice. Save your anger for them, Rowan. But don’t forget to clean up after yourself.”
He laughed a deep laugh that rumbled through his whole body and into mine. It was the kind of laugh I hadn’t heard from him in weeks.
“I love you, Princess,” he said, and he took my lips on his own. “Like I said before, they have no idea what's coming.”
Shortly after Rowan left, Arthur and the new kid came into my office noisily. The pair were clearly having a good time, and it made me smile to know that my men were able to return to their normal selves after the ordeal we overcame. At the same time, envy filled me; I yearned for that kind of happiness to come to me, yet, it lingered still.
They took the empty chairs across my desk, and I shoved my papers aside to begin the meeting.
“How’s it going, Arthur?” I asked warmly.
“It’s going alright, Lottie. I want to introduce you to Brain. He’s taken over for Benny,” he said with a hint of sadness, motioning toward the kid.
He was young and stick thin, as if he’d been starved for too long and now it was just a part of him. “Nice to meet you. Why do they call you Brain?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” Arthur responded for the kid, punching him playfully in the arm.
“Alright, well. Show me what you’ve got,” I responded, all too happy to get down to business.
After some digging, we were able to find the site Walker frequented for his auctions, my own torture crossing my mind as video after video showed men and women, in the same predicaments and I swallowed nervously.
Brain opened his laptop and turned it so Arthur and I could watch as he worked. We’d decided that we needed to try and save who we could, with my pen in hand I scribbled down any information I could to help our cause.
“There are too many people here,” Brain said, his tone melancholy. “How do we choose which ones to save?”
“We don’t think about how many,” I said dryly as Brain continued scrolling through the videos.
“But we have to try and start with the ones who are being auctioned first…. Just go in and save who you can.”
My words stuck in my throat when I recognized the girl in the video— and the room, and the sickening cries that left her lips. It was one of my videos. Was it really that bad? My eyes were glued to the screen as they took turns with me. I was moaning for more, and I felt increasingly dirty at that moment. I became complacent, doing what I needed to do to survive. This was what my life would have been like if Roe didn't make it in time. I felt shame rise?as these two men looked upon me as I begged for more. Brain gasped as he realized who he was looking at and he closed the laptop.
Arthur had his jaw clenched, and looked sick, and Brain looked mortified. I swallowed past the lump in my throat as my heart hammered against my chest.
“Do what you need to do,” I said. “Make sure those videos get taken down and save as many as you can. We’re done here.”
The last part was mostly to Arthur but was also an internal reminder to myself that I had a job to do. I couldn’t let my own feelings get in the way of saving innocents from torture, abuse, rape, and trafficking.
Brain nodded and left the room hastily with his technology in hand, and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
“About earlier Charlotte, I’m sorry.” Arthur apologized quickly.
“You should be,” I snapped. “He’s extremely angry right now and trying to figure things out. And the last thing I need is to clean your guts off the floor because you challenged him.”
“He wouldn’t do–”
“I assure you, he would. Why do you think I let him go? He does his thing and comes home. No questions asked,” I interrupted.
“He is acting like an animal.”
“He was treated like one!” I fumed.
We heard the door handle jiggle signaling another was entering.
Arthur turned in his seat to see who it was—his brother, Thomas. And behind him came a large cart filled with framed artwork. I beamed, excited for what he had, and the distraction from the heated conversation..
“Holy shit, Thomas, that’s a lot,” I said excitedly, as he held up each one for me to see.
“This is about three million dollars’ worth of art,” he said, and he sounded as though he were just as unbelieving of it as I was.
“How did you get all of this?” I asked, admiring one of the paintings that I already decided would hang in the hall outside my room.
“My wife and my bank account, a rather dangerous combination” he laughed, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Does she still hate you?” I asked.
“Only when she’s under me.”
We all laughed. Thomas’ wife was a beautiful woman, and her son was the spitting image. But she always made Thomas regret his decision every chance she got. Some days I had confided in her and have been seeing her once a week at her office in the city; but no one knew; aside from Rowan.
“Tell her that I hope she spends every last penny for her troubles.” I teased.