Page 96 of The Artist
I was putting on the large gloves when he leaned in and whispered in my ear. “And now? Do you get the hype about sex now?”
My heart was pumping fast, but before I could answer, Mason was distracted by a wristband call from Thor. Putting in an earpiece, it took mere seconds before the expression on Mason’s face said it all. The negotiations weren’t going well.
Whistling loud to get the others’ attention, Mason shouted, “We need to go. Jonah and Thor want us to come back,now!”
CHAPTER 26
Negotiations
Mason
The two security guards that stood outside the office of the Prime Minister were as useless as tits on fish.
Indiana, Aubri, and I stormed forward in front of Freya and Belle, ignoring the demands of the security guards to stop. When they reached for their weapons, we disarmed them without trouble, and banged the large doors open.
Inside the room, Thor, Jonah, Victor, and the European Prime Minister, Rafael Moreau, stood facing us. Between them was a table with glasses tipped over and water spilled. One chair lay broken against the wall, and two others were turned over. With the way Thor’s hair was tousled like he’d run his hands through it excessively, I knew he’d thrown the chairs.
“What took you so long?” he scoffed at the same time Rafael commanded:
“You can’t be in here.”
Thor swung his head to Rafael. “I invited them and they’re staying. You brought in Victor even though I told you not to.”
“Everyone needs to calm down,” Jonah said but it was easy to see that he was shocked by whatever had happened in here.
“What’s going on?” Freya moved to stand next to Thor.
“We’re leaving. The Europeans are impossible to negotiate with. He’s rejected every offer I’ve made.” Thor pushed his hands through his hair again.
“I would argue that you’re the one who is impossible. Not that I expected anything more from the son of Khan Aurelius.” The strong accent of the Prime Minister didn’t hide the disdain in his tone as he spoke my uncle’s name.
Thor reacted strongly. Raising his arm and pointing it across the table at Rafael, he narrowed his eyes and threatened, “This is your last warning. If you insult my father one more time, I’ll slit your fucking throat.”
Victor picked up one of the tilted chairs. “Thor, this isn’t helping. You can’t throw things around and make threats.”
Rafael didn’t sit when Victor offered him the chair. Instead the bald man, who had to be in his sixties, watched Thor with his head tilted and his fingertips pressed together. “Our children have better self-control than you. You’re embarrassing yourself with your empty threats.”
Freya stepped in front of Thor, whose facial color was already crimson. “I assure you, sir, that my brother is fully capable of killing you with his bare hands in a matter of seconds. Let’s not tempt him, shall we?”
“Your brother? Ah, soyouare the fair Freya. Your father has bragged about your beauty and clever mind a number of times. He’s very proud of you.”
“It’s good to hear that my father holds me in as high regard as I do him. Now, help us understand why you’ve rejected the Northlands’ offer of valuable resources when they would benefit your country tremendously.”
“If you’re as bright as your father claims, it shouldn’t be difficult for you to understand that trading our sparsest resource in return for something you have in abundance isn’t a fair deal.”
“You mean Belle?”
“Yes. Our forefathers suffered and died underground so that we could multiply many times over and one day rebuild Europe as the glorious continent it once was. Our growth of population depends on our women. Every woman must have an average of two children to keep our numbers even. Many have three or four out of a sense of civic responsibility. Belle has yet to fulfill her duty, which is why we can’t let her leave. She’s an important and treasured part of our nation, as is every other citizen.”
Placing a hand on the small of Belle’s back, I nudged her to the side and away from the door. Aubri and Indiana had moved to the other side. We were trained not to have our back to a door.
“I’m happy you have a high opinion of Belle and I assure you that we do as well, but we’re here to find a solution,” Freya continued. “We are highly motivated so let me ask you, sir, what would it take for you to allow Belle to move to the Northlands?”
Rafael brushed off his bright blue sleeve and furrowed his wrinkled forehead. “I’ve already told your useless brother.”
Thor growled low, but Freya kept her focus on the older man, who added:
“We’ll take the trees and iron you’ve offered as payment for keeping our citizens a week longer than we allowed. In regard to granting you permission to take Belle and her unborn children, we want something that’s rare and precious in your country.”
