09| Spider Monkey.

Quenten Yilmaz:

As I step into my study, Stu trails closely behind, gently shutting the door with a soft click. I settle into my chair behind the expansive desk, intertwining my fingers and letting them rest on the rich mahogany surface.

Stu settles into the chair before my desk, carefully opens his briefcase, and reveals a brown folder, which he gently pushes across the table towards me.

“The license you requested.” He says in a nonchalant tone, closing his briefcase. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Quen.”

I open the folder and scan the contents before placing the folder in the large cabinet behind me. “This is the only way, Stu. If I don’t marry her, innocent lives will be lost, and I’m not a true cold-blooded killer. I had the opportunity to take my revenge. I was face to face with my baba and anne’s murderer, with my gun to his oğlu’s (son’s) head.”

I watch as Stu’s Adam's apple bobs up and down when he swallows. “You never told me you held them at gunpoint.”

“That’s because I didn’t shoot anyone. I came close to doing it, but I couldn’t bring myself to pull the trigger. When I looked into Nate’s eyes, I saw myself in them. We were born into this blood feud, Stuart, with our hands covered in our elder's blood. If I don’t put a stop to it now, then it will never end, and I refuse to live a life where my children will have to look over their shoulders, wondering when a Kincaid heir will attempt to take their life.” I reply honestly.

Stuart has been my best friend since pre-school. Our anne’s were best friends from high school, and we were very fortunate that their friendship lasted until my anne took her final breath as she lay on the footpath bleeding out in front of my baba’s favourite Italian restaurant.

My friendship with Stu quickly morphed into a brotherhood during my parents’ wake. He knew when I needed to leave the mansion to get some fresh air or when I needed a moment to grieve alone or a shoulder to lean on. He never judged me or gave me the impression that my feelings weren’t valid. He stepped in when I needed Cenk the most.

“Well, the Kincaid family has presented you with a respectable daughter. Mia’s always kept her heart close, never letting anyone in, which means she’s never tasted true affection, and she remains untouched. Her grades at Uni are impressive for someone her age." Stu exclaims in disbelief. “She’s been presented with an opportunity to study in Sicily for three years. There was a project she submitted for an assignment, and the higher-ups are eagerly anticipating her arrival to lay down the groundwork for turning that assignment into reality.” He stares and speaks to me as if I’ve won the bloody lottery.

“This marriage will be on paper only, Stuart.” I pick up the pen on my desk and twirl it between my fingers, requiring something to keep my hands occupied. “I’ve already told her that she will not be returning to Uni, and all her hopes and dreams will be memories of her past life.” Watching the pen spin between my fingertips, I inform Stu of the plans I have for the Kincaid offspring. “Her life will revolve around this mansion, and if I require her to accompany me for a business meeting, then she will comply. She may bear my surname, but that doesn’t mean she will have free rein of her life.”

“Do you plan to consummate the marriage?”

Sighing, I toss the pen across the desk and lean back in my seat. “Hayir.” I simply answer with no desire to have my wicked way with her.

“You know the laws of a blood feud, brother. The marriage must be consummated, and an heir must be produced within the first year.”

Rising from behind the desk, I brush a frustrated hand over my face as I begin to pace the floor. “I know that, and I’ve been looking into IVF.”

He snorts as he shakes his head. “Your grandmother will want to check the sheets for any evidence that your wife was indeed pure.”

“I will tell her that I forbid it. I am the head of this family, and she will have to do as I wish.”

“You honestly cannot expect your wife to give birth while she is still a virgin. You will make her experience childbirth before intercourse?” The tone of his voice has me stopping dead in my tracks, and I slowly turn my head to look at him.

“Would you like to take her for a test drive, abi?” My voice turns into a homicidal tone, and I cautiously begin to approach him.

Stuart stands up and faces me head-on, buttoning his suit jacket. “If she will have me, then I won’t object. In fact, I’d be honored to deflower your wife for you, brother.” He hums with a cocky smirk spreading across his face.

Before my mind could catch up with my body. I already have him in a chokehold, and when my mind does catch up with images of him bedding my future wife, a jealous fire ignites in the pit of my stomach, evoking the animal within me to surface.

Stuart strides backward towards the door, leveraging my body as his support. His feet ascend the door, compelling me to relax my grip around his neck. In a swift motion, he executes a backflip, using his hands to sweep my feet off the ground.

“Fucking spider monkey!” I growl, feeling a little winded after having my ass handed to me, and I’m left lying on the floor looking up at the ceiling.

Stuart is a real powerhouse when it comes to brawling. He delved into every style of hand-to-hand combat, honing his skills to perfection in each discipline. Some say he initially took up martial arts because of the dangerous situations he encountered while resolving each case that came his way. The reality is, he thrives on conflict. He transitioned from the disciplined world of martial arts to the gritty arenas of street fighting and wrestling.

I knew better than to put my hands on him, but I just couldn’t help myself.

“You forget that I can read you like an open book, Quen. You are possessive of your belongings, and once Mia becomes a Yilmaz, she will belong to you, and she will slowly chip away at the wall you have built around your heart. She’s smart, innocent, and easy on the eye. If you seriously think that this marriage won’t become something more than a contract deal, then I hope you are ready for the rollercoaster that is set to leave tomorrow, brother.” Stuart scoffs with an underlay of sarcasm as he leans over me and offers me his hand.

I study him for a beat before I slap his hand away and jump up to my feet. Straightening the creases out of my suit, I imagine I’m wiping away the bout of shame I’ve just poured over myself like a bucket of ice water.  

“Touch her, Stuart, and we’ll have to put the theory to the test about seeing if you can dodge a spray of bullets flying in your direction. You might want to brush up on your Matrix moves, you ungodly fucker.” I titter, narrowing my eyes at him.

“Pfft,” He retrieves his briefcase sitting on the floor by the chair he occupied mere moments ago and pats me on the shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I watch as he sees himself out, closing the door behind him and just when I thought I’d have a second to myself, my babaanne enters the study.

“So, you truly are going ahead with the wedding?”  She asks with disbelief as she stands before me.

Peering down at her, my brows furrow together. “I don’t know what gave you the impression that I wasn’t babaanne?” My voice is void of any true emotion as I try to tread lightly on the topic.

I curl my hands at my sides with my gaze boring into hers. She is so adamant about me killing Nate, and I have a feeling she is going to undermine my decision and try to take care of things her way. She will paint the town red if she has her way, leaving no stone unturned in her path of destruction.

Her face twists into a frown, with her lips drawing into a thin line as she nods her head after getting my answer. One she clearly despises. “She will give us nothing but trouble. I hope you know what you are doing and the repercussions you will be facing, Quenten, for I cannot control your amca (uncle) and kuzen (cousin).”

I lower my head so we are eye to eye. “If any harm comes to the Kincaid family, there will be hell to pay, babaanne. Whatever disaster you're planning, it ends now. I am the head of this family, and I will say this one final time. You are all to stand down and fall in line, or there will be hell to pay.” I sneer as I straighten my spine, allowing my gaze to linger on her face for a beat longer before I slam my open palm against the door as I walk out of the study.

I walk past the living room where Emre Amca and Ozan huddle by the double glass doors leading to the terrace. They meet my gaze for a second before they walk outside, confirming my suspicions.

They are cooking something up, and I’m going to have to place some of my men outside the Kincaid family home to do something I seriously don’t want to do, and that is to protect them.