Page 5 of Iblis' Affliction
Talha switched off the TV and smiled at his business partner.
“I did my part of our agreement,” he said, looking into the warm gray eyes of the silver-headed man. In his sixties, Steven Hale was fit and lean. The straight line of his spine and the broad shoulders screamed of his military background, but his expression was confused, lost; he scouted his surroundings. “Your turn.”
“Yes, of course, my turn…” the man said, and glanced at his hands, then at the door, but the confusion remained in his eyes. “I’m sorry, what are we playing again?”
“I’ll take it from here, Daddy.” The ringing voice made Talha face the door. A woman entered the room, and Talha searched his memory.Camilla Hale, the only daughter.
With her platinum hair slicked back in a ponytail and the hard stare of her blue eyes on a doll-like face in her thirties, she looked both young and old. Closing a massive mahogany door behind her slender frame, she came up to Steven and placed her palm on his shoulder. “It’s okay; you can go, Daddy. Mr. Demir and I have a lot to talk about.”
Carefully guiding her father toward the exit, she let him out, then closed the door behind him.
She faced Talha. Never offering him a seat, she remained standing. He wondered if it was some kind of psychological warfare or urgency. “The conditions have changed, Mr. Demir.”
Curiosity curled his lips up as he watched the delicate woman move.
“You see,” she smiled back, but her eyes remained cold, attentive. “Daddy isn’t getting better. Alzheimer’s is a bitch, and right now, I’m taking a risk telling you this. But I believe we can find common ground.”
She drew closer; the faint smell of camellias washed over Talha. Her white blouse, unbuttoned at the top, revealed a pearl necklace and a simple gold cross. “The Hale family is only this old because we trust in blood. So, now the alliance comes with me.”
“That wasn’t a part of the deal,” Talha rapped out the measured words.
“No. But it’s on the table now.” Her confidence suggested that Steven Hale had transferred his empire to his daughter long ago, and Talha now spoke to the true leader of the Hale family. “You see, the older father gets, the more unstable my position in the organization becomes. Being a woman is hard in our world. I work harder than anyone, yet it’s never enough. I constantly have to prove that I’m better than everyone else, or people won’t follow me. To be honest, I’m tired of it. I made a decision: I need a man to represent my power, to support me. Now, I extend the offer, Talha. It’s no longer just a channel; it’s control over the heart of Europe, but it comes with a ring, and you adopt my surname. The Hale family will not stop with me.”
Talha laughed, listening to the small arrogant woman. He could break her neck with one hand, yet she dared to talk to him like this, to propose such a thing. “You, western girls, are born with balls, aren’t you? Maybe because your men don’t have them?”
“Maybe.” Smiling, she squared her shoulders and raised her chin. “So instead of a year of privileges, I offer you a lifetime of power.” Reading his face, she added, “Don’t worry, it’s just business. I’m not going to be a jealous wife. You’ll have to remain faithful to me until I’m pregnant. You have to indulge me—I don’t share a cock. After this, you are free to do whatever you want, so do I. Of course, it will all be written in a contract.”
Curious, Talha flicked a hand in the air, asking her to elaborate. If a man had dared to talk to him like this, he would have already broken his neck, but this little lady provided entertainment.
“The one, who owns London, owns the heart of Europe. As the new leader of the Hale family, you will have limitless power, but I want something back. I want to retain my position. I decide what is good for the family here, but you can have the title like my father does now. Of course, I won’t interfere with your business in Anatolia. You can use our resources as you please, as long as you don’t cross my plans. And as a wedding gift, I want Iblis[1].”
“Your head is in the clouds, Minik kus[2].” Talha chuckled.
“This is a good deal, Talha. You are the first man I’m offering it to.” Her smile grew bigger. “If you refuse, I’ll keep my father’s word and grant you one year, as we agreed. But soon enough, I will find someone else, and then London will be closed to you forever. I chose you because people respect and follow you, even the Devil himself. And you are handsome, so I don’t have to retch every time we fuck. On the contrary, I look forward to it.”
Unable to hold back, Talha laughed. The more he listened to the small woman talk, the more his mood improved.
“You are cute, Minik kus. I like you,” he said; his hand caressed her shoulder. “So here is what you’re gonna get. I’ll marry you, and I’ll support you, but my surname stays with me. You can keep yours if you wish, but if you bear a son, he will be Demir, not Hale. My surname comes first. If you need a pushover, you can find a western man with no balls. And you can’t have Iblis. No offense, Minik kus, but he will not follow you.”
Her face didn’t change, as if she expected this answer, and his respect for her increased.
“He will if you order him to. Everybody knows he follows your every word.” She pressed her lips together, her eyes steely, cold. “I want him to be loyal to me too. I want him to treat my enemies as his own. I want him to protect me, if not as his Mistress then as your wife. Order him to do this or it’s no deal.”
“You don’t know what you are asking for.” Talha’s smile fell as he examined her serious face. “If you play with the Devil you always have to pay. You will come to regret it, but it will be too late. No one controls Iblis.”
“I’ll take my chances,” she said, tensing under his touch.
“If you’re scared, I’ll provide you with loyal people; people who will die for you. You’ll be safe.” Noticing the hard line of her mouth, Talha decided that this deal wasn’t about her needing his support. She didn’t care about the Hale name either. All she wanted was Iblis. “Who are you scared of, Minik kus?”
“I’m scared of no one. I want him to ensure my power. Iblis, or no deal,” she pushed the words through gritted teeth, never looking away.
“Fine… I’ll take what you are offering, but you will regret it, Minik kus.” Raising his open palm in the air, Talha gave up.
“We will see. Invite me to dinner to close the deal.”
THE BURN PULSED AND STUNGunder his finger pads. The bandage his master had applied was gone, and the crimson blemish glistened with lymph, indicating his body’s attempt to repair the damage. He shouldn’t be rubbing it, but he couldn’t help brushing his thumb over the red, damaged area, reanimating Talha’s incandescent touch in his memory.
Standing in the middle of the airport, he stared at the departure board. Boarding to his flight had been announced, but his legs refused to move. Something itched in his chest as if an important piece of his body was missing. The empty space gnawed at his other organs, looking for a substitute.
