Chapter Twenty-One #2
Henri rubbed his palms on his knees. “Had a late lunch. You feed us too well in here. I have to be careful not to indulge.” He chuckled and patted his flat, carved belly. “If I keep eating the way I have, I’ll end up as round as Roland.”
Victor kept staring for a moment, but Henri didn’t flinch.
If Victor looked at the camera footage, he’d see Henri eating a club sandwich in our chambers this afternoon while I’d enjoyed a sweet potato and mushroom wrap.
What he wouldn’t see was Henri vomiting it all back up again, thanks to Victor admitting the only place he didn’t put cameras was on the toilet.
For Henri’s sake, I hoped Victor had no idea how often his stomach punished him because even I knew the more his system broke, the more his thoughts unravelled.
Stabbing a piece of succulent fish, Victor accepted Henri’s answer. “Tomorrow, I’ll show you what I mean. These sites are riddled with sales like this. The only difference that makes them stand out is the price.”
“The price?” Henri asked coldly.
“Well, you can’t very well sell a blonde eight-year-old girl for the same price as an ugly dress, now can you? The auction usually starts around thirty thousand, but one of my friend’s listings ended the night I was there, and the final price was fifty-four thousand.”
“Fifty-four thousand?” Henri shook his head, his energy once again coiling and clotting. “Surely these sites would flag those transactions. No one in their right mind would spend that much on a dress.”
“I’m not sure how he gets away with it. But he does.” He winked. “Makes bank too. All he needs is a warehouse to keep merchandise and a way to ship them to their new homes.” He winked. “And here I was thinking I earned a good living mining my jewels once they’d passed their use-by date.”
Rachel stiffened.
My heart stopped.
What?
Henri leaned forward, repeating my horrified silent question. “What? You don’t mean...”
“Organ trade?” Victor stuffed another forkful into his mouth. “Of course! Lucrative. Very lucrative.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Henri sucked in a breath before dropping his hand and asking, “You’re saying you carve out the organs of your jewels and sell them?”
“Oops. Cover your ears, Rachel. Ily.” Snickering, Victor tore through a piece of steak with perfect white teeth.
“Waste not, want not.” He chuckled at Henri’s slack face.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were ready to hear all aspects of my operation, my friend.
My overseer told me that you’ve been diligent in learning how my estate works while I’ve been away. ”
“Your overseer?” Henri forced himself to relax again but his energy tangled and snarled. “I mean, I inspected a few of your processes.” He flicked me a look. “And I spoke to a few staff. I also visited your orchards and maintenance areas of your castle. I’m impressed with how well it’s all run.”
“Merci.” Victor grinned. “I appreciate your acknowledgement of the time and effort that goes into running a place such as this. But my apologies.” Chewing another strip of steak, he chuckled.
“I thought you might be ready to hear the rest of my business endeavours, but perhaps it’s a tad too soon.
Don’t worry, Henri, I won’t expect you to cut out the organs of those I request you to exterminate.
I have a man who carefully does that for me.
For now...let’s just enjoy our meal and return to other subjects, yes? ”
Henri tossed back his entire glass of alcohol before raking a hand through his hair and nodding. “Sure.”
Finishing his meal in contented silence, Victor passed a few morsels to Rachel before reaching for his glass and sighing.
Watching her closely as she ate the food he’d given her, Victor leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
“It pleases me to see you eating so well, my pet. I’ll ensure you receive three meals a day while carrying my child so my son is born as healthy as can be. ”
Licking her lips and lowering her eyelashes, Rachel played a far better slave than I ever could. “Thank you so much, Sir V. Your kindness is much appreciated.”
“Good girl.” Scratching his bare belly, Victor yawned. “Tell me, Henri. Have you ever had the urge to propagate?”
Henri flicked me a horrified look before his face shut down. He shrugged. “Never really crossed my mind.”
“You could knock up your precious jewel. Between the two of you, you’d create a stunning child. It could sell for far more than a measly fifty grand, I’m sure.”
I swayed.
Dark spots danced in my vision.
He couldn’t be serious.
He was a monster, but this? No one could be this extreme. My mind literally couldn’t accept it. Couldn’t fathom that men like him existed. Men who clapped their hands at the thought of selling children.
Our children.
Men who saw nothing wrong with cutting out organs or making a profit from things that ought to be untouchable.
Henri couldn’t hide his temper this time. “You’re saying you’ve gone from a strict no-children policy to suddenly wanting to—”
“Breed my gems like livestock to pad my retirement?” Victor laughed loudly.
“Yes, I’m contemplating it. Of course, my guests wouldn’t be open to fucking anything but perfection.
However, I’m sure they could be encouraged to impregnate a few.
When those chosen jewels get too weathered to be pleasurable, and their bodies have popped out one or two bank deposits, then they’ll be dispatched, and I’ll earn more income with their remains on the black market.
” He scratched his jaw. “It really is a smart business decision if you think about it. After all, I’m not getting any younger, and I would really like to buy another island or possibly one of those doomsday fancy bunkers.
All the billionaires are building them. Of course, you’d be welcome. We’re family now, you and I.”
A flash of Henri’s loathing appeared. “Family wouldn’t ask each other to sell their own flesh and blood, Vic.”
“Meh. Each family has their own dynamics. Humans are nasty creatures, especially to their loved ones.” He smiled slyly. “You should know. Look at what your brother did to you.”
Shifting to the edge of the couch, Henri bared his teeth. “I’m telling you now, if you think I’d happily hand over a son or daughter, then we’re going to have a big fucking problem. To even suggest such a thing hints you don’t know me as well as you think you do.”
He just smiled. “So you’re not open to knocking Ily up?”
Henri didn’t look in my direction. “She said she’d jump off the roof if I ever got her close to being pregnant, so no, I’m not.
I like her alive. I like her in my bed. And if it’s all the same to you, I just want to live a simple life of fucking, writing, reading, and eating—probably in that order.
I have no intention of passing on what I am to another or having a fucking kid running underfoot. ”
Victor laughed again. “You really are a hoot. You might change your mind one day.”
Balling his hands, Henri didn’t shut himself down as he snarled, “Do whatever you want, Vic. I can’t and won’t stop you.
But I remind you that I bought Il—I mean, I bought my little nightmare, fair and fucking square.
She’s mine. She isn’t some breeding mare for whatever sideline venture you start. Got it?”
Holding up his hands, Victor snickered. “Heard loud and clear.” Dropping his arms, he curled his fingers into Rachel’s hair. “But you know...if you don’t have a child, your bloodline will end with you. The Mercer line will die out, which would be such a pity.”
Rachel pursed her lips as we shared a look.
Tension crackled in the room.
Henri sat straight, his motions deliberately slow. “That’s wrong. You know my brother has a son. You heard on the phone, same as me.”
“Oh yes, I heard. Lino. It’s true, but...it won’t be for long.”
My heart skipped a beat.
No...
I didn’t even know these people, but the thought of Victor going after them. Going after Henri’s nephew.
God, I’m going to be sick.
When Henri didn’t reply, Victor grinned. “Your brother managed to keep that piece of information quiet. He knew it would paint the biggest target on his back.” His eyes glinted. “At least Q won’t be an issue for you soon.”
Henri stopped breathing. His voice came out like dry ice. “What do you mean?”
“I mean I used his ultimate weakness against him. I heard his wife was stolen early on in their relationship, and it almost destroyed him.” His smile was utterly inhuman. “So...I went after his child.”
The plate of untouched food slid off my lap and tumbled all over the white carpet.
Victor sniffed with annoyance. “God’s sake, clean that up. If that carpet stains, I’ll skin you to replace it.”
My pulse roared in my ears.
I couldn’t move.
“Now, Ilyana!” Victor roared, bypassing my shock and electrifying my limbs.
Darting to my feet, I charged into the marble-tiled bathroom, grabbed an armful of towels, dumped one into the sink to soak with water, then raced back to the mess on the floor.
Henri scooped up the food and placed the plate on the coffee table. Without a word, he wiped his hands on the wet towel and then sat back on the couch.
His entire system had shut down.
No energy bled through.
No hint of what he felt.
Scrubbing at the carpet, I kept my eyes on him. He shrugged as if he didn’t care. “You’ve killed his son?”
“Not yet.” Victor sighed. “My team has finally tracked down where he goes to school. They’re on their way to grab him now, actually.
Once Q goes after them, well...let’s just say his wife will be a childless widow, and in all fairness, you should inherit the Mercer estate.
I can see if my lawyers could arrange that if you’d like?
Last I heard, he was worth over a billion euros. ”
My hands stilled.
Victor cocked his eyebrow in warning.
I kept scrubbing.