Jackie Ashenden - King's Price

Hamilton was sitting in the uncomfortable chair I’d positioned in front of my desk. He was an older man, silver-haired and blue-eyed, with that well-preserved look that only the very rich had.

Except he looked every bit of his sixty-plus years right now.

I tended to have that effect on people.

‘What do you think I mean?’ I gave him my very widest smile, the one that I was infamous for giving right before I was about to do some serious damage; nothing put someone off-balance like a smile right before you punched them in the face. ‘I want to marry her.’

Hamilton paled. ‘You can’t be serious.’

‘Of course I’m bloody serious. I’d never joke about the sanctity of marriage.’

He stared at me, confused by my sarcasm and my smile.

Good. Let him stay confused. It would make it easier to close the deal.

‘But...why do you want to marry my daughter?’

‘I thought I explained.’ I adjusted the cuffs of my white cotton shirt, admiring the contrast with the dark blue of my suit and taking my time about it. Small movements right before the gut punch. Another way to play with an opponent, and I did love to play with my opponents. It was such a power trip. ‘My brother wants to expand the King portfolio into the luxury apartment market and we’re having difficulty getting investors.’

Hamilton nodded. ‘I understand that. But I still fail to see why marriage is necessary for that kind of expansion.’

‘It’s the name,’ I said. ‘No one wants to put money behind a King. Not with our past.’

A muscle twitched in the side of Hamilton’s jaw. ‘But you don’t need my daughter for that. Simply pay me the money you said you would, and I’ll mention to my friends that you’re a good bet and—’

‘If only it were that simple,’ I interrupted with a heavy sigh. ‘But sadly it isn’t. I need an...insurance policy, you see. In case you decide to renege on the deal or change it, or alter the terms.’

‘I would never do that!’ Hamilton looked incensed.

I didn’t give a shit. He wasn’t the do-gooding pillar of the community everyone thought he was, not when he was up to his eyeballs in debts from a gambling addiction he’d tried to keep secret.

Unfortunately for him, it was no longer a secret. At least not to me. I was good at finding dirt on people and I’d found plenty of it on him.

‘I don’t care what you would or wouldn’t do,’ I said coldly. ‘I need an insurance policy and your daughter is it. Plus, a few “introductions” to your friends is not enough. We need a total image overhaul.’ I paused to make sure he was with me. ‘Having Sydney’s biggest charity donor as my father-in-law will silence anyone who still has doubts about us. And hopefully set a few minds at ease about investing with King Enterprises.’

It had only been five years since our father had gone to jail but people’s memories could be long. Ajax, Xander and I had done very well to get where we were in that time, yet many viewed us and our intentions with suspicion.

We’d gone straight, but in some people’s minds we were still criminals.

A past like ours was difficult to escape—and I never would—but I’d do my bit to help my brothers escape.

Hamilton shook his head, but I continued. ‘You’ll put the word around that we can be trusted. Invite us to all the best charity parties, talk us up to your cronies, tell them the past is in the past, et cetera.’

‘You can’t possibly think that I’d—’

‘And in return,’ I interrupted, ‘I’ll pay your gambling debts.’

Hamilton’s mouth closed with a snap, his expression becoming sharper, more predatory. ‘Gambling debts?’

‘Come now, Tommy,’ I murmured, enjoying the spark of anger in his eyes at my patronising tone. ‘You’re neck-deep in the red at the moment. All those investments you thought would pay off that didn’t, all that tax evasion with those wonderful charities that isn’t as effective as it used to be. Or maybe you’re simply living beyond your means? Whatever it is, I can help.’ I gave him another smile. ‘All you have to do in return is give King Enterprises the big thumbs-up to your friends. Oh, yes, and your daughter as an insurance policy.’

This time Hamilton’s stare was much more assessing, as if he was weighing up a business decision. Which it was: my help in clearing his debts in return for assistance in the image department for the whole King family.

It was a win-win for everyone.

‘I have two daughters,’ Hamilton said at last, eyeing me.

Interesting. I only knew of the one who featured in all the society pages. Clara Hamilton. A pretty little socialite with a wealth of honey-blonde hair, big blue eyes and gorgeous tits. In other words, exactly my type, and I did like a society girl. It was funny how all their socialite ways would vanish once their clothes were off and I was inside them. How their dignity would crumble as they begged, as I made them scream my name.

On the outside they made a fuss about my past, about my links to my father’s crime empire, about all that nasty violence.

But on the inside, in the darkness of the bedroom, they loved it. That past thrilled them, got them off. Those girls loved a bad boy and I was as bad as it got.

Apart from Ajax. He was worse.

‘Give me the pretty one,’ I said.

Hamilton’s mouth twisted. ‘Clara isn’t—’

‘I can’t promise I won’t touch her, but I can promise I won’t hurt her.’ I didn’t mind a bit of pain with my sex, but I wasn’t a fan of forcing myself on anyone. Where was the fun in that?

But Hamilton didn’t like it. At all. ‘And if she says she doesn’t want to marry you?’

‘That’s your problem, not mine.’ I put my hands in my pockets, my posture relaxed. ‘Look, it’s not a life sentence. Tell her all I want from her is to pretend we’ve had a whirlwind romance and that she’s desperately in love with me. Then we’ll have a nice big society wedding and afterwards she can have my Darling Point mansion. I’ll be leaving the country so she’ll get it all to herself. In six months, once we’ve got some solid financial backing, she can send me the divorce papers and we’ll both go our separate ways, no harm, no foul.’

Hamilton’s eyes narrowed. ‘Why the pretence?’

‘Appearances matter, Tommy,’ I pointed out. ‘Which you, of all people, should know. Wouldn’t do for it to look like a marriage of convenience now, would it? It’s a bit too mercenary. Not at all the image we want for the King name.’

‘Divorce so soon afterwards wouldn’t exactly project the right image either.’

‘It’s long enough to convince enough people it’s legit and, like I said, bag some investment dollars.’ I gave him a conspiratorial look. ‘It’ll be our little secret, hmm?’

Hamilton leaned an elbow on the arm of his chair and stroked his chin, acting like he was thinking carefully about it. But that gleam in his eye told a different story. He wanted my money and he wanted it desperately.

Perfect.

I remained standing, staying casual. Strange how being relaxed could put people on edge, but it did.

It was putting Hamilton on edge right now. I could see it in the tension in his shoulders and the way he was tapping one foot against the carpet.

I said nothing, letting the silence sit there, because silence could be a useful weapon to someone who knew how to use it. And I did. I was very good with weapons in general.

The silence lengthened, became oppressive.

Eventually, Hamilton shifted then said, ‘I’ll put the idea to Clara and see what she says.’

I shook my head. ‘You do want the money, don’t you? I mean, without it, you’ll lose everything. And think of the scandal if word got out about your little gambling problem. I don’t think you want that, do you?’