Bullshit.
And I don’t even have to smell it.
I send him a bored look because that’s exactly how I feel at the moment. Sweet words only make me want to turn around and leave, saluting with my middle finger. Are they really worth my time and effort?
But then Macsen speaks, “Let’s get down to business, shall we?”
At least one of them knows not to waste my fucking night. I nod and take a seat on the other side of the table. My father moves to sit on my right side, as though he should be considered the second most important person right after me. Fuck no!
I look at him in a warning which he understands at once and changes his mind. The only person who is to be on my right is William and sometimes even he is too much for my taste. All three of my guards stand by the big glass windows; still not directly behind me but to the sides. They know well enough not to ever be so close to me.
Macsen is directly across from me. The choice of furniture makes me want to laugh. Not only is it made of glass so you can easily see any foul behaviour, but also it’s round. Fucking King Arthur shit and all that. Is he trying to make it seem as if he believes we are all equal? Because I can point at each of the men here, questioning their position with ease.
Perhaps Macsen and I are the only ones worthy of taking the seats. Yet, I can argue his importance, too. Taking over after his father is not the most glorious thing. He inherited the position while I had to fight my way to my throne. The stains of those fallen are still visible on it.
I feel William’s eyes on me, asking for permission to speak. I nod.
“We agreed to this meeting to see if it’s even remotely possible to go through with this arrangement.”
There is silence for a minute before Macsen bursts out laughing. It is a bitter sound that makes my skin crawl and my fingers twitch towards my gun. But I wait for him to finish without a word. His father’s disapproval visible in his expression.
Business meeting, my arse.
“Are you going to just sit here and let the men do the talking?” Macsen asks, looking straight into my eyes. “Somehow, I expected more from the almighty Davina Nyx Kinsley.”
I know he is testing me because he most definitely believes I’m just a pawn in this game but my blood boils in my veins and I can’t resist the temptation. “Like what? Taking an axe to your head the way your people massacred mine barely a few days ago?” I mock him. No matter how much anger is in me, I try to stay neutral while talking. Nothing good can come out of more.
“As I said,” William wants to continue but then I put my hand up and he goes quiet. I cross my legs, leaning on the table. My hands move on the glass surface.
“Why do you want to get married?” I ask, getting down to the business just like Macsen wanted to. “I mean other than for you to attack my territory with more ambitious plans set in motion. Blood running through the streets and all that.”
I’m still mocking him because I know this is exactly what he is now going to expect from me. Even though I have nothing of that kind in mind.
“I could also make use of your businesses. Your fighting ring in particular sounds like a good investment,” he snarks back. I should be furious with how arrogant he is but it makes me hopeful that perhaps this marriage is not going to end in total disaster because we both know what we want. No matter what we say to goad each other into taking the bait.
We are two strong characters. That is certain.
I gesture to William and he gives me the file with regulations pertaining to the territory – our ventures and everything that might become shared after the marriage.
“This is what I want,” I state, pushing the documents across the table where Macsen skillfully grabs and opens them.
“You want to take over my Italian restaurant chain,” he says. “Why would I give it to you? It’s extremely profitable and one-tenth of my overall profits.”
I smirk. “Because I know you lose over half of your drugs taking the route through the port that is in my part of the city and I can make it stop. That’s over 12.4 million pounds more for you. While the Italian chain is much less. As I see it, you have it better.”
He shakes his head. “As I see it, I’d get something that would have been mine simply through the marriage itself. What you’d get goes above the norm. So take a pick. Whether you give me something that wouldn’t be mine to take later on, or you’re not getting the restaurants.”
I regard him carefully, thinking about his proposition. I don’t really need that chain, nor do I want to be bothered with another venture to cover up my real interests in illegal things. I am used to running my underground fighting ring, overlooking prostitution and sex work in general, as well as casinos and dealing with drugs that come from Colombia’s cartels. Anything above that goes to my captains. I’m just taking a percentage. With an Italian restaurant chain, one I wouldn’t be able to push onto someone else because Macsen would find out, it creates a problem for me.
However, giving him the satisfaction of winning this battle isn’t an option.
I look at him, my nails tapping slightly against the glass.
“So what, Macsen Addison, would you want in return?”
Satisfaction flashes in his eyes. “Why do you think I mentioned the fighting ring? I want to have a percentage from it.”
Over my dead body!
This is my venture and mine alone. I wouldn’t let anyone have any say in it, let alone profit from doing completely nothing. And he knows that. Everyone in this Godforsaken city is aware of that. Well, perhaps not the police as it’s a fully illegal business.
I snort but when I turn my chair to get up and leave, I meet William’s eyes. I know him well enough to realise that he thinks I should take the deal. This marriage, however undesirable, is important and the man sitting across the table is not going to settle for anything less than the best.
I start to calm down. “Five percent,” I say. I glance at Theo as he is their family’s financier. He needs to make a calculation of whether it’s worth it. But before he can say anything, Macsen raises the stake.
“Thirty,”
Has he been dropped too many times as a child? I don't have to be a maths genius to know that it isn’t even worth me putting a toe through the church’s doors.
“Have you even done your homework before coming here, or are you just that certain I don’t know my business? Thirty percent of my fighting ring is worth more than all of your restaurant chains put together. You must be living in La-la land to believe I’ll agree to this.”
“Twenty percent,” Victor offers. He must be losing faith in his son to talk. Macsen clearly disapproves when he counter offers.
“Twenty-five.”
“I was prepared to agree on twenty percent. Now I won’t go higher than fifteen. That’s my last offer.”
Theo likes that percentage, too. Fifteen is still a lot and with the ring getting more and more popular, it’d be going up for them either way.
“Alright, but I have one more thing I need from you then.”
I extend my hand. “By all means. Tell me what is so important to you.”
He knows how to fight for his benefit. I might be annoyed because he went after my favourite venture and Victor doesn’t like Macsen’s approach, but I must admit that he isn’t going down easily. I respect that.