King of Slaves (Jenna's Story) (The Slave Series Book 5)
Read King of Slaves (Jenna's Story) (The Slave Series Book 5) Online
Authors: Elin Peer
Copyright © 2016
By Elin Peer
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author, excepting brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.
King of Slaves
First Edition
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons or organizations is coincidental and not intended by the author. Recommended for mature readers due to adult content.
Graphic Design: Jaclyn Hicken
Editing:
www.martinohearn.com
The Slave series consists of separate, but intertwined, stories. For the best reading experience, this is the recommended order to read them in.
The Accidental Slave (Aya’s story)
The Healing Slave (Sybina’s story)
Never a Slave (Sofia’s story)
The Feisty Slave (Uma’s story)
King of Slaves (Jenna’s story)
This book is intended for mature readers only as it contains graphic language and sexual scenes of a violent nature. All characters are fictional and any likeness to a living person or organization is coincidental.
Consider yourself warned!
Before you start searching Google Maps to locate Spirima, don’t! The country is fictional and used to represent religious fanaticism across our world and throughout human history.
The King of Slaves is for you, Ian.
Thank you for making it possible for me to live out my dream, for believing in me, respecting me, and loving me.
I couldn’t have done it without your support.
You are my King!
Elin
Chicago USA
“Is this a bad joke?” Jenna leaned back in her chair, putting more space between herself and her boss, Miranda Johnson, who sat on the other side of the large funky-design desk.
But Miranda wasn’t laughing. If anything, she looked stern and decisive when she spoke again. “You’re taking this the wrong way – it’s really a great opportunity for you, Jenna.”
“But the Spirima project belongs to Kevin,” Jenna objected.
“You’re right. Kevin worked hard for us to win that pitch, and it’s unfortunate that he won’t be able to run it himself.”
“Well, why can’t he?” Jen interrupted, barely holding herself back from jumping up and pacing the room.
Miranda’s voice became softer. “It’s not that Kevin doesn’t want to go… this is a big and prestigious project, after all.” Jenna was hit by the deep sadness that suddenly radiated from Miranda. “The thing is that Kevin’s wife, Karen, has been diagnosed with cancer, and it doesn’t look good.”
Jenna didn’t know Kevin very well and she had never met his wife Karen, but like so many others – Jenna knew cancer.
“I’m sorry to hear that… my mom died of breast cancer twenty years ago,” she said quietly.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know that. You must have been young then… ten, eleven?”
“Twelve,” Jenna clarified.
“Right, so you see that there is no way Kevin can leave Karen and their two kids right now. He needs to stay here in Chicago.”
Jenna agreed, but surely someone else could take over. “How long is this project estimated to take?” she asked.
“About six months.”
Jenna wrinkled her nose; she’d never been good at hiding her feelings. “You want me to go to a war zone for six months?”
Miranda sighed long and hard. “No, Jenna, of course I don’t want you go to a
war zone
.” The way Miranda put pressure on her last words made Jenna feel like a child being lectured. “The war ended four months ago and there’s peace in Spirima now, and I’ve been assured that our employees will be safe.”
Jenna stared at her boss in disbelief. She didn’t know what to say, and focused in on Miranda’s short manicured nails drumming the table impatiently. The woman was her mentor and role model, and she admired and respected her; how could she not? Miranda had built MJ Architecture from scratch, and now thirty-five years later, the company was among the five biggest architectural firms in the world. Fifteen hundred employees and half a billion in net income, not to mention all the awards placed along the wall of the boardroom.
“So I’m to go and help rebuild the country?”
“Exactly.”
“And Kevin estimated he could do that in only six months?” Her tone of voice and facial expression said that she didn’t believe that was realistic.
Miranda gave her a hard stare. “Obviously it will take longer, but Kevin only agreed to living in Spirima for six months… it should be enough time to get all the designs approved and hand over the drawings to the construction crews. Of course, you’ll have to supervise from here and travel there occasionally.”
As if a project has ever run smoothly and not needed my full attention. How the hell am I to do that from here?
Jenna thought and opened her mouth. “It won’t work. I can’t go.”
“Why not?”
“Ehhm.” Jenna blinked a few times, trying to get her normally sharp brain to work again. “Well… for one thing, I have the Cooper project that I need to finish and there’s also my private life… I can’t just move abroad for six months.”
Miranda’s left eyebrow shot up in a perfect arch, wordlessly saying, “Who are you trying to fool?” It was no secret that Jenna didn’t have much of a private life: no husband, no children, no big group of friends – because just like Miranda, Jenna was married to her work.
“You mean – you
could
, but you
don’t want
to
,” Miranda said in a firm voice and leaned forward. “Listen, Jenna, I can appreciate that Spirima isn’t exactly Hawaii, but I’m actually doing you a favor here. If you do this project well, it could make you a partner.”
Jenna’s head snapped up. “Partner?”
“Yes, why not? It will have to be approved by the board of course, but you’ve been with us for almost eight years and done excellent work. I was planning to nominate you in a few years anyway, but now, with the nomination for the AIA Gold, you’re becoming a world famous architect. If we don’t offer you partnership, I know you’ll either start your own firm or be snatched up by competitors.”
“But Spirima?” Jenna sighed.
Miranda got up from her chair and walked around the desk to take the seat next to Jenna. “I know you’re shocked right now, but really, Jenna, this is an architect’s dream. You get to make a real difference in the world. The chance to shape a country, not just a neighborhood or a small town, but a country! Hospitals, police stations, schools, shops, parks, and housing projects. You can help create a future for people who’ve been through terror and grief – doesn’t that sound exciting?”
Jenna cleared her throat and wanted to object, but in the back of her mind, she knew Miranda was right. This was a big chance for her, and other architects would fight to get it.
“But I don’t know anything about Spirima,” Jenna muttered.
Miranda smiled. “I don’t blame you. It’s not exactly a tourist destination – and to be honest, I don’t know much about the place myself, except that they had some sort of twisted religion that allowed slavery and human sacrifices.”
“
Had?
”
“Yes,
had
. I believe the religion was banned and that it was the ban that started the civil war to begin with.” Miranda handed a file to Jenna. “Don’t worry, everything is peaceful now. These are Kevin’s notes. He’s been working on the project for months and can brief you much better than I can.”
“Won’t it be a problem that I’m female? I mean isn’t Spirima in that part of the world where women are seen upon as less than men?” Jenna asked.
A huff escaped Miranda. “Since when are you concerned about male chauvinism? With all the male egos in this business, you should be used to it by now. Besides, I’m assigning the best qualified person for the job and I refuse to look at gender.”
Jenna closed her eyes for a second. The last thing she needed was a confrontation with a foreign client about women’s rights.
“Relax, Jenna,” Miranda said softly. “I doubt the king will be stupid enough to decline a two-billion-dollar aid plan because we are sending a woman to lead it.”
“Okay, but still… I mean, do I have to cover my hair or can I wear my normal clothes, and what about driving? Am I even allowed to drive a car?”
“I don’t think any of that will be an issue, but then again, I’m no expert; you should talk to Kevin about it.” Miranda pointed to the file resting in Jenna’s lap. “There are pictures in there and notes – read up on it and go home and pack. You’re leaving in two days.”
Jenna jerked in her seat. “Two days?” she exclaimed forcefully. “But my apartment and my other project… my family… I need more time.”
Miranda glanced down at her wristwatch and Jenna recognized the signal; Miranda had somewhere else she needed to be. “I’m afraid you only have two days, Jenna. Kevin already selected a team of nine employees who are ready to go, and his assistant is working on making the last-minute changes. He’ll hand everything over to you. I know you don’t have much time, but you need to brief him on the Cooper project, as he is replacing you on that one.”
“I think I’m in shock.” Jenna’s normally busy and organized mind was stunned, and she couldn’t process how her life had just been turned upside down.
“I understand. This isn’t how we normally do things around here, but cancer… well, it never comes at a good time, and Kevin wouldn’t be able to focus on the job with a sick wife at home – you understand that, right?”
Jenna nodded.
“Good.” Miranda placed a hand on Jenna’s shoulder. “I know that you’re a tough gal, Jenna; you’ll do a good job, you always do,” she said reassuringly.
As if on autopilot, Jenna managed to push up from the chair and take Miranda’s outstretched hand. “So… you’ll make me a partner,” she said almost robotically while looking into Miranda’s intelligent gray eyes.
The woman gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand. “Yes, if you complete this project with success, we’ll make you a partner. Now go home and pack
.
”
Jenna tried to do three things at once: pack her bags, talk with her sister Alex on the phone, and read up on the file she had received yesterday morning in Miranda’s office.
“I don’t understand… are you saying that you’re moving out of the country?” her sister asked in her soft, silky voice.
Jenna was balancing the cell phone under her chin and using her hands to fold the clothes that were going into the suitcase. “It’s not like I have a choice, really.”
“What do you mean, you don’t have a choice?”
“It’s my ticket to becoming a partner in the firm.”
“No way!”
“Uh-huh, Miranda said it herself. If I do this job well, she’ll work on making me a partner.”
“Well, pack faster, then… this is like your ten-year plan coming true, isn’t it?
“Yes, it’s crazy, but then again – so is going to Spirima, of all places. I wish I could skip that part and just stay home.”
“Wait, did you say Spirima?”
“Yes.”
“It rings a bell… why is that?
“I don’t know… war, terror… that’s what I associate with Spirima.”
“Of course,” Alex said slowly. “Now I remember… that’s the country where that Scandinavian woman got kidnapped and then she was rescued by her kidnapper, who killed his own uncle to get her out… it was all over the news a few weeks back.”
Jenna paused for a minute. “Wait, didn’t you show me a picture of them getting married?”
“That’s right… remember I told you that I loved her dress and that their story would make a really good movie.”
“He was being accused of terrorism and she defended him on TV, right? What was her name?”
“I don’t remember but his name was Kalo or Kato… I thought he was very handsome in the photos.”
Jenna gave a small chuckle. “Of course you did.”
“Well, I for one find it incredibly romantic that they got married.”
Jenna snorted. “Only you would find something like that romantic. She must be out of her mind to marry him.”
“Don’t say that. You didn’t even read the article, and he saved her live, you know… she called him a hero.”
“Right, but anyway… according to Miranda the country should be safe now that the war is over, so I don’t have to worry about handsome guys kidnapping me,” Jenna teased sarcastically.
“Are you rolling your eyes, Jenna?”
“No.”
“Liar. You’re such a cynic.”
Jenna uttered a small laugh. “You know me too well.”
“I’m so bummed that you’re leaving just as the holiday season is starting; Thanksgiving won’t be the same without you.”
Jenna gave a sad moan. “I know.”
“And Christmas.”
“You’re not helping, sis.”
“And you won’t be here for my birthday either.”
“Yup, not to mention my own birthday.”
“Yeah… but mine is more important,” Alex pointed out.
“Why?”
“Because turning twenty-six is much more magical than thirty-three.”
Jenna shook her head and chuckled again. “Right, but don’t worry, I promise I’ll send you a package for your birthday.”
“Ohh good, I’ll make a list on Amazon. Wait – do they even have Internet in Spirima? I mean, isn’t it like in a far corner of the world or something?”
“Corner? Jeez, I would think that someone who is close to getting her PhD would know that the planet is round.”
“Of course I know,” Alex smacked her tongue. “But honestly, shouldn’t you at least make sure they have network before you go?”