Viggo looked up from his papers, stared at the crate in puzzlement. "It's not my birthday." "I know that. It's a thank you." "A thank you?" Viggo gave him a wary look as he leaned back in his chair. "For what?" "For Orlando." Viggo studied the case of cognac, then lifted his eyes, studying Harry's grin. "Odd for you to be thanking me for Karl's pet, isn't it? Is there some reason the child couldn't thank me himself for whatever it is?" "He's not thanking you. I'm thanking you for him." Viggo blinked, brows drawing together over the bridge of his nose. "I don't think I follow you." Narrowed blue eyes watched Harry thoughtfully. "What have you done this time?" "Actually, it's what you did." And Harry couldn't stop the laugh this time at Viggo's bemused look. "You said just the right things to get him to the house. So, thank you." "Ah, now I understand." He reached out, slid the case nearer, fingers running across the top of it. "So he actually did come and talk to you? I didn't waste my time keeping Karl busy?" "No, but...you might have done a better job of warning him about what you were doing." Harry refused to think beyond that. He was still so pissed that he wasn't sure he was going to be able to even talk to Karl. " "I see. You...did talk to Orlando, I hope, before you took him to bed? That's why I was keeping Karl here." "Yes, Gramps, don't get your knickers in a twist. We talked. Cleared the air. We're fine." Harry caught the flicker in Viggo's eyes, hastened to reassure him. "I promise. Ask him yourself." "So things are fine with the three of you now? Orlando knows about everything?" And this was the part Harry had been dreading. "No. And no. Not quite. It's...I'd rather not talk about it." "I see." Another assessing look through slightly narrowed eyes. "Tell me he at least knows that the two of you are going to share him." "Yes, he does know about that." Of course, Harry was pretty sure Viggo didn't know everything about their pact...and he wasn't going to. There were certain things he'd prefer Viggo never know. "I assume he's okay with it." "I don't imagine he'd have stayed otherwise," Harry replied, sliding off the table. "I'm sure Karl enjoyed that," Viggo said, missing Harry's reaction as Sean and Dave walked over. "Harry," Sean nodded, studied him closely. "Harry, love, you seem to be missing your ever present shadow," Dave commented as he made a big show of looking around the room. "Dave, as always, your scintillating way with words leaves me breathless." The last thing Harry wanted was to go another round with the whelp. Why Dave always had to start in on him was a fucking mystery. "You're already breathless?" Dave flashed Harry a cheeky grin. "I haven't even gotten warmed up yet." "Where is Karl?" Viggo asked, glancing around the room. His eyes returned to Harry, but not before catching the way Sean winced at the question. "I don't know," Harry answered, tucking his hands in his pockets. "Not my day to watch him." "Thought it was always your day to watch him," Dave said. "Isn't that what guard dogs do?" Harry was this fucking close to killing the brat. "Dave..." Dave opened his mouth, and closed it with a snap. He shrugged, dropped into his chair beside Viggo. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," he muttered just loud enough to be heard, but Harry'd stopped paying attention. Karl was here. "Sorry I'm late," Karl said as he walked into the room, stopping beside Sean. Harry balled his hands up into fists inside his pockets, tried to compose his thoughts, tried not to react at the velvet smoothness of Karl's voice. Needed to keep calm. "Karl." The one word was hard enough to chip diamonds. "Harry." Karl inclined his head. "I..." He trailed off, shook his head. "Orlando said to tell you hello." Harry's eyes softened fractionally. "I'll talk to him later." "He'll be pleased." Karl's smile was faint, strained. "I'd like to...talk to you. If there's time before the meeting starts." He glanced at Viggo and received a nod. Harry didn't move. He was never jumping to Karl's tune again. "I don't have anything to say to you. We said everything yesterday." "We didn't say everything yesterday. And what was said was all wrong." Karl took a step towards Harry, one hand lifting in a silent gesture. "Puppy, please..." Harry took a step back, nails digging so hard in his palms they were bleeding. He wouldn't give into the plea in those beautiful eyes. Not this time. "Don't do this. Just...don't." Sean rubbed the back of his neck, sighed, as Viggo slid forward to perch on the edge of his chair. Karl and Harry ignored both of them. "Fuck that." Karl took another step forward, eyes intent on Harry's face. "Talk to me. Please." "No." Harry's every word was soft, deadly. "You didn't trust me. I don't owe you dick." "I trusted you enough to leave him at your goddamn house all fucking night and day," Karl snapped, and Harry could tell he was struggling to keep calm. "I trust you." "You've got a piss-poor fucking way of showing it," Harry bit out, wanting badly to hit something, someone, destroy, maim. "It was Orlando's choice to stay. Not yours. Now, if you'll fucking excuse me, I've got important matters to see to. I'll be back when the meeting starts." Harry walked out of the room without looking back. He needed to go work out his rage. Sean leaned against the table, looked at Karl with concern. "That went worse than I expected. I've got a feeling there were things you didn't tell me last night." Karl slumped down against the table, buried his face in his hands. "That's because I didn't tell you everything," he said, voice muffled. "I don't think I can take this." "Well, far be it from me to tell you I told you so, but I told you so." Karl lifted blood-shot eyes to stare incredulously at Dave. There was no way the child was serious. "You don't want to do this." "I don't?" Dave lifted an eyebrow, his smile mocking. "He's finally realized he's tired of being your bitch, and I don't blame him." Sean stepped forward, frowning. "Dave..." "You don't have the first fucking clue what you're talking about," Karl hissed. "So I suggest you stop while you're still ahead." "No, I'm not going to stop." Dave stood, planted his feet. "I have watched you fuck things up for decades, and it's about goddamn time he put you in your place." Karl's hand shot out, twisted in Dave's shirt, yanked Dave towards him. "Again, I suggest you shut your fucking mouth." His grin was dark, destructive. "You don't want to go where you're trying to go." "Um, Vig..." Sean looked at Viggo. Viggo winced, looked around the room. "I suppose it's too much to ask for the two of you to stop." Neither Karl nor Dave paid attention. "You want to hit me, fine," Dave stated softly. "You want to go a few rounds with me, I can do that." Dave twisted his hand on top of Karl's, squeezed down. "But it's not going to erase your fuck up, is it? It's not going to bring Harry back." Karl's free hand came up to catch Dave's jaw in a bruising grip. "Do you honestly think you can take me on?" He brought their faces close together,. "If you think you can, I'm asking...no, I'm begging you to try. Otherwise, shut your goddamn mouth, and keep your nose out of my fucking business." "Well, you asked." Karl never saw him move. One second Dave was standing, pinned against him, and the next, Karl was down on his knees, wheezing for air from the double shot of Dave's hard punch to his stomach and the harder knee to his groin. "I don't fight fair," Dave commented, dropping to his haunches to smile at Karl. It held all the warmth of a glacier. "Never underestimate your opponent, old man. You've coasted on your age and arrogance for far too long." He bounced back up, gave Viggo a sheepish shrug. "Sorry. I'll get back to the office now." Karl steadied himself with one hand on the table, his eyes following Dave as he left the room. "Vig, you better find a new assistant fast," he said, voice ragged as he struggled for air. "Because your old one is dead as soon as I get my hands on him again." "Does anyone want to tell me what the fuck is going on here?" Viggo asked, steely gaze moving back and forth between Sean and Karl. "Anyone?" "Don't look at me, I'm not involved," Sean said, stepping back. Karl straightened with a small wince, adjusted his clothes. "Just a disagreement, that's all. Isn't it time to start the meeting?" "A disagreement." Viggo nodded, brushed a piece of dirt from Karl's jacket. "One that has you and Harry almost at blows, you and my aide actually fighting, and me wondering how the fuck I'm going to conduct a meeting when my two most senior advisors are at each other's throats. Somehow, I think you need a dictionary to look up the meaning of the word." He turned on his heel and walked to the head of the table. "Well, that went well," Sean announced, dropping into Harry's normal seat. "Guess I'll be sitting here tonight." "Guess so," Karl muttered as he sat, then slouched in his chair, eyes locked on the door. "Doubt Harry's going to want to sit there. Shame he left. I'm sure he'd have loved to watch that little scene." "Yeah, the kid was wicked fast, wasn't he?" "Fuck you." Sean laughed, clapped Karl on the back. "Come on, you don't want to piss me off. I'm the only person still talking to you right now." "Orlando's still talking to me." "Yes, but I bet you're treading a thin line with him, aren't you?" "We're fine." Karl's gaze moved back to the door. "Fine. I won't worry about him. But I'm still worried about you." Karl turned, looked into understanding green eyes. "Look, you fucked up, and I know you want to rectify it. But now is not such a good time. Give him time, let him cool off." "And give him more time to brood on it?" Karl laughed, the sound short and harsh. "And all the while I'm going out of my mind because I can't hear him, can't feel him in my head? No thanks." "If you press him now, you know he's just going to dig in his heels. You can't force him to talk to you. You, of all people, should know that." "If I don't press him, he'll never talk to me," Karl snapped, tearing his gaze from the door. "You know how damn stubborn he can be when he thinks he's right." Sean placed his hand over Karl's. "He is right. Give him time. You broke his trust, and that's going to take a bit to fix." Karl sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I can't fix it if he won't listen to me." "I still don't get this," Sean remarked. "You two have fought over far worse, and he's never blocked you." "This is different. It's not just about what I did." "Come again?" Somehow, Karl wasn't surprised. He barely got it himself. "It's about what I didn't do," he stated in a low tone. "I've fucked up with him and Orlando from the very first." "Good of you to finally admit it," Sean grinned. "Blow me." "Not if you begged. Keep talking." Karl sighed. "I didn't tell Harry before I claimed Orlando, I overrode his desire to meet Orlando before the ceremony. And I didn't tell him anything about Orlando or why I trust him, love him." "And then you turn around and accuse him when he takes matters into his own hands," Sean finished, thoughtful look on his handsome face. "Exactly." "You know what your problem is?" "You're going to enlighten me, I'm sure," Karl sighed. "Dave was right. You've been taking Harry for granted," Sean stated, keeping his voice gentle. "And now he's angry, hurt, betrayed. No matter what you say to him, he won't listen right now. Just a couple of days. Give him the weekend. Then I'll help you tie him to his bed, if you want." "And then leave me there to deal with him when he gets loose?" Karl snorted in something close to amusement. "I'd have better luck getting Orli to seduce him into listening." Sean grinned, tapped the back of Karl's hand. "Whatever works." "Right. Have you really paid attention to Orlando? Harry would see right through that ploy before he ever got started. The child has no guile at all." "Yeah, I did notice that. Perhaps Dom could give him lessons," Sean mused, his smile crinkling the corners of his eyes. "I swear he'd make a great politician." "Thanks, but I prefer him just as he is. He's delightful when he's trying to be sneaky and thinks he's getting away with it. As for Dom..." He nodded. "He could give lawyers lessons." "Wouldn't have him any other way," Sean stated proudly, then grew serious. "You'll wait, yes?" he asked, as they both watched Harry enter the room and sit on the opposite end of the table. Karl stared at Harry, aware of all the eyes focusing on him, aware of the thoughts no doubt going through the heads of the other Council members. Harry refused to look at him, and Karl finally dropped his gaze, sighed, and nodded. "Not like I have much choice." Onto Part Ten
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