Art of War (A Stern Family Saga Book 3) Read online

I leave Kyle in the bathroom and head to the living room.

  Kyle follows. “Murph, what are you doing?”

  “I’m picking myself up. Like you said, I’m hungry. I’m going to order an early breakfast and then make arrangements.”

  “Arrangements for what?”

  “Arrangements for staying. I am Murphy Larussa’s daughter. I won’t be denied anymore! This city and these people will know who I am. I will get what I deserve, and I’d like to see that bitch of a wife stand in my way. She’ll find out how wrong she is for thinking I’m like Cherry. She’ll be lucky if I leave her anything!”

  With a big smile Kyle says, “That’s my girl! Let’s eat.”

  Around eight in the morning, I call my mom. She answers quickly. “Mom, I have to tell you something. Dad…he.”

  “You don’t have to tell me, Murphy. Mark already called. I know he passed. How are you holding up?”

  “Oh, I didn’t think he would call you.”

  “Of course he would call me. Your father and I still loved each other.”

  “I’m sorry, Mom. How are you?”

  “I’m fine. I knew this day would come. I’m just glad he’s not suffering anymore. I’ll see him again.”

  “Mom, I hate when you talk like that, please stop. I can’t handle the idea of ever losing you.”

  “No, Murphy, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it that way, but you do know one day I won’t be here. I just pray it won’t be anytime soon.”

  “Me neither. Are you coming here for the funeral?”

  “No, Chéri, I wasn’t planning to go unless you need me to. I’ve made my peace with your dad. But I will go for you if you want me to.”

  “No, I’m fine. Look, Mom, Dad said he left me the casino. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I think I need to stay and figure it out. Will you be okay with the club?”

  “Yes, Murphy, I’m fine. Don’t worry, you do what you have to, take as much time as you need.”

  “Thanks, Mom, I love you.”

  “I love you, Mon Chéri. Goodbye.”

  I get off the phone, and Kyle asks, “Why didn’t you tell her about Judith and your plans?”

  “Because I haven’t formulated any plans yet. As far as Judith goes, my mom has had her own dealings with that woman. She doesn’t need to know what happened. All she needs to know is how I take care of her when it’s all said and done.”

  “Wow, Murph. If I didn’t know you, I would be scared.”

  “Well, then be scared because I’m done living in the shadows!”

  8

  Murphy

  I decide it’s time to call Mark back and find out about the funeral and the reading of the will.

  “Mark, hey, it’s Murphy. I was wondering if we could possibly meet for lunch?”

  “Definitely. Are you going to be okay, because we can postpone?”

  “No, I’m fine. Can you meet me here at the hotel’s restaurant around twelve?”

  “Yes, I’ll see you then.”

  Now that that’s done, I need to rest; exhaustion is taking its toll. And I’m going to need all my strength.

  Hours later, I dress and go to meet Mark in the hotel’s restaurant. I see he’s already here and he’s been seated. I tell the hostess that I found my company and stroll over to him.

  “Hello, Mark.”

  He stands, kissing my cheek, and he puts his arm around my waist. It’s an intimate move that is presumptuous, but I figure I won’t bring it up.

  “You look beautiful, Murphy.”

  “Have you been waiting long?”

  “No, not long at all, but I did have time to order us each a drink, if that’s all right with you?”

  “That depends on what you ordered?”

  “Well, I figure it’s been a hell of a day, so I ordered you a tequila sunrise and me a scotch.”

  “Either one of those would have been my choice, thank you.”

  “So how are you, Murphy?”

  “I’ve been better, but I’m glad I got to see him before he passed away.”

  “It’s funny how he seemed to be waiting for you. Like he refused to go until he saw you again.”

  Now I’m really starting to get pissed at how forward he’s becoming. Acting like he knows me.

  “Yes, well, like I said, I wanted to see you about the will and the funeral.”

  “Murphy, the funeral is planned for tomorrow. Judith already had all the arrangements made. She wants to be done with it quickly. I don’t think it would be very wise for you to show up. Judith has planned for security to have you removed if you attempt to go.”

  “She can’t do that!”

  “I’m sorry, but she can. She is his legal wife, and she doesn’t want you there. Please, for your sake, don’t come. I will find a way for you to visit the funeral home tonight for a private visitation.”

  “I see. I’ll think about not going, but I would like that private visitation if you can manage it.”

  Our drinks come, and I take a sip as Mark says, “I’m glad we’re having lunch, but I hope you know this is not the way I would have liked to spend time with you.”

  I ignore what he said and ask, “When will the will be read?”

  He chuckles. “The day after the funeral.”

  “Dad said he left me his casino. Is that true?”

  “Yes, he left it to you, but I think you need to know it’s in trouble. I don’t know what good it could be to you. Your father borrowed a lot of money to help keep it afloat.”

  “How bad is it?”

  “I’m not going to lie to you, it’s bad. What I hear is that the Sterns bought all of your father’s debts. They could possibly have the power to take it from you.”

  “My father mentioned the Sterns. Who are they?”

  “They are a very prominent and dangerous family here in Louisiana. The monarch of the family is Catherine Stern. Listen, I don’t know how much I should be telling you, but I think maybe you should let it go. It’s not worth the trouble if it means that you’ll have to be involved with the Sterns.”

  I ignore him. “May I have a set of keys to the casino? I would maybe like to visit it and look around my father’s office.”

  “I can arrange that. The casino is usually open twenty-four hours, but tomorrow it will be closed all day and night for the funeral and mourning period. I’m not supposed to give you the keys ahead of time, but it would give you an opportunity to see it alone while it’s closed.”

  “Thank you, Mark.”

  “You’re welcome. Shall we order?”

  I agree and sit through lunch with my mind elsewhere. Mark’s nice, but I don’t think I like him the way he would like me to. Maybe it’s just because I’m mourning, but I have a feeling he wants more of my attention, and I don’t have the energy to give him more.

  After lunch, we stand, saying our goodbyes. Mark again leans in and kisses my cheek. And again it bothers me; it’s not the kiss that bothers me, but the arm around my waist. He says he will be calling me tomorrow with a time that a messenger would be bringing the keys. I tell him to have his messenger leave it in Cherry’s name, not to leave it in my name.

  I decide before I go back up to Kyle that I want some alone time, so I leave the hotel and venture out in New Orleans. Canal Street is nice. They have streetcars that I would like to take one day, but for today I want to walk for a while.

  Could I live here and attempt to save the casino, or should I just pack up and go back home? I really don’t know what to do or how bad could it be. I mean, Dad worked all the time, or at least he claimed to. Why would his business be failing if he worked it his whole life? Plus, I have to worry about the club. If I choose to stay here, how will Mom take it? She wants me to take over; she pretty much already gave the club to me.

  I need to take this one step at a time and forget about planning too far in advance. The only thing I really need to decide right now is what do I do about tomorrow? Should I attempt to go to the funeral,
or should I stay away? Shit, life was so much simpler seventy-two hours ago. I look up and don’t quite know where I am. As I’m looking for street signs and trying to figure out which way to go, a man shoves me hard into the wall of a building. He puts his arms on both sides of me, trapping me in-between him and the building.

  “You need to go home, bitch. Stay out of this city, or else you’ll be one dead bitch, you got it? No one wants you here. Leave.”

  Then he turns away and is picked up by a black car. It all happened so fast, I didn’t even get a good look at his face. My heart is pounding, beating through my chest as I’m frozen in terror. A woman comes to my side, asking, “Are you okay? I saw what happened. What did he tell you?”

  I shake off my fear and ask her where I am. She shows me the way to get back to the hotel; thank goodness I haven’t ventured too far.

  On shaky legs, I make my way back to the hotel. Kyle is in the lobby, and when he looks up, he sees my shaken state.

  “Murph, what’s wrong?”

  “I just need to get to our room. Help me.”

  He nods and holds on to me, helping me walk back to our room.

  Once inside, he begins, “What the hell happened? You look like you saw a ghost.”

  “Some man shoved me into a building and threatened that if I didn’t leave, I was one dead bitch.”

  “What the fuck, Murphy?”

  I shout, “I don’t know.”

  “Should we call the police? Can you tell them what he looked like?”

  “No, Kyle, we’re not calling the police. I didn’t get a good look at him. They wouldn’t be able to do anything without more than what I have to tell them.”

  “Why would someone do that?”

  “I have a feeling it’s either Judith or the Sterns.”

  “The Sterns? Who the fuck are they?”

  “My father and Mark warned me that they are a dangerous family down here. Supposedly, my father had borrowed against the casino I just inherited, and they bought all his markers. They own enough to throw me out.”

  “Hold up a minute, you inherited a casino?”

  “Looks like I inherited more than just a casino. I inherited a lot of debt and trouble.”

  “What the hell, Murphy? What are you going to do? Wait a minute, fuck this shit, I’m going to tell you what you’re going to do. We’re leaving and not looking back. You were right, you would have been better off not coming.”

  “Stop, Kyle. I’m not leaving. Not just yet. I need to figure out if the casino is worth saving.”

  “It’s not, Murph, not if your life could be at risk.”

  My anger takes over as I start yelling, “My whole childhood with my father was based off that fucking casino. He sacrificed me for it. I want what’s mine! If I have a way of saving it, I will. It belongs to me, and that’s it!”

  “You’re crazy, Murphy.”

  “Look, I understand if you want to go back now. I didn’t really expect you to stay with me.”

  Kyle starts pacing the floor while rubbing the back of his neck.

  “Listen, Murph, if you think I’m going to leave you here by yourself, you really are crazy. If you need to prove something to yourself, I’ll help you, but if it gets any worse, then we need to leave. You hear me? I don’t want you risking your life for this shit.”

  As I calm down, I tell him, “I hear you. I just need some time to see how bad it is. And time to make a plan.”

  “Maybe we should call your mom?”

  “No, not yet. I don’t want her involved, she has enough to worry about with the club. Do not call her, Kyle, promise me!”

  “Yeah, yeah, it’ll be our secret, like when we were little.”

  “Exactly – oh, and by the way, I’m kicked out of the funeral.”

  “What? Who the fuck would do that to someone?”

  We both say at the same time, “Judith.”

  “Yep, I’m not allowed to go, and she has legal rights to keep me out. In fact, she hired security to make sure I stay out.”

  “That bitch!”

  “I know, but Mark said he’s going to make arrangements for me to have a private visitation with him tonight. Will you come with me?”

  “Oh, hun, of course I will. Are you sure you don’t want to try and go to the funeral? I’ll kick and scream until we get arrested.”

  I laugh because I believe him. He would do exactly that. I’ve seen it happen before. He’s not much of a fighter, but he’s scrappy.

  “No, I asked Mark if he could give me a set of keys for the casino. It will be closed all day and night tomorrow. I think I will use that time to check it out and see what I’m trying to save. I need to see if it’s worth it.”

  “I’m going with you, too. I don’t want you being alone anymore.”

  About an hour later, there’s a knock on the door. Kyle opens the door; it’s the concierge. He holds up a large envelope and tells us that it was a delivery for Cherry’s. After he leaves us, Kyle hands me the envelope. I open it to find a set of keys from Mark and a letter stating a time and place for my visit at the funeral home. He also writes that he will have a car available to pick me up for the will to be read, the day after the funeral at his office at one o’clock in the afternoon. Then I notice a P.S; he writes that he enjoyed our luncheon and would love to take me out again at my convenience.

  We’ll see about that. I’m not quite sure about him yet, but he seems nice enough. I was just in a bad mood earlier. He’s been really helpful with all of this, and I feel like I owe him another shot. Maybe in a few days, I’ll allow him to take me out; we’ll see.

  I have a couple of hours before the appointment at the funeral home, so I ask Kyle if he’s ready for a spa day, and he jumps up yelling, “Hell yeah! Let’s go.”

  We spend the next few hours in the hotel spa, enjoying the relaxation. We have a manicure, pedicure, and a couple’s massage. Kyle is so funny, he moans and makes weird noises that I know have to freak out the ladies doing the massages. That’s another reason I love him; he just goes with it.

  Once we’ve gotten pampered and dressed, we have a car called so we can leave for the funeral home.

  We arrive right on time. The funeral director introduces himself and shows us to the room they have my dad’s body in. Once inside, the funeral director asks if we need anything. We both shake our heads, so he leaves us alone in the room. I walk up to the casket with Kyle holding my hand. My father looks so strange lying there. He still looks frail and thin, but his makeup is strong to cover the bruising around his hands and neck. In some kind of way they filled his face out. Again, I’m surprised how he looks nothing like the virile man I once knew.

  “So, this is him?”

  “Yes, but it’s not the way I remember him. He used to be this bigger than life type of man. You know, the ones who walk around like they own everything. He was handsome and brave. He was my little girl’s image of the perfect man. I hate to see him like this. Cancer just left him nothing more than the shell of the man I remember.”

  Kyle pats my hand and says, “I can imagine him like that, and so can you. Just keep those memories with you, not these.”

  I squeeze Kyle’s hand. “Thank you, Kyle.”

  I shed a few tears, then reach for my purse. I have a picture of my mother from her old stripping days. It’s a wallet-sized publicity shot of her in a long, tight dress, blowing a kiss. I also have a wallet-sized picture of me as a toddler.

  “What are those?”

  “I wanted him to have us with him.”

  I show Kyle the pictures, then I reach into the casket and lay them in the inside pocket of his jacket, where no one will see. We stay for about another half an hour before I am ready to leave.

  “I’m ready to go.”

  “You sure? We could stay longer if you want.”

  “No, it’s time to put him to rest. I’m glad I came. I’m glad you and Mom made me come. I needed to, but it’s time.”

  I stand from my cha
ir, with Kyle following my lead. Tomorrow, I have to see what I will be fighting for.

  9

  Murphy

  The next day, I wake knowing today is my father’s funeral and I won’t be able to be there. It hurts, and it should bother me more, but for some reason I’m at peace with not going.

  I look over and try to wake a sleeping Kyle. He slept with me last night because we were both scared from my earlier attack.

  “Kyle, wake up, come on. You’re snoring.”

  He jumps up, shocked at what I said. “I do not snore, how dare you.”

  “You do, too. You’ve always snored.”

  “You’ve hurt my feelings, and after I’ve been so good to you.”

  “Come on, Princess, we have to get up, the funeral starts in a few hours. I don’t want to miss a minute of being in the casino alone.”

  I finally get him up, then we eat breakfast and get dressed. I wear something simple because I don’t know what kind of investigating I’ll be doing. About two hours later, we were calling a cab to take us to the casino. I didn’t want to call a driver in case someone’s watching me or following my movements; a driver could be paid to answer questions. A cab driver would be too hard to find, and they usually don’t give a shit who’s in their cab.

  “This is so gross,” Kyle whispers to me. “I haven’t ridden in a cab in forever. I don’t understand why we couldn’t just take a car service.”

  “Chill out, Kyle, I already told you. There’s nothing wrong with this cab.”

  “He didn’t even open our doors or ask us how our day was.”

  “I know, Kyle, that’s the idea. In here, we are anonymous. You’re too spoiled, Princess.”

  “Am not!”

  I laugh at the shocked expression Kyle has on his face. He looks offended, and that was my plan. He is spoiled. He didn’t come from much money, but he sure acts like he did.

  I met Kyle when I was little. His mother was a stripper working for my mother. He and I became very close, very early. When we got a little older, I had a crush on him. I thought he was my soul mate until I found out he was gay. He crushed my little heart, but then our friendship became stronger. My mom even took him under her wing and taught him how to sew. He took to it like a savant. He was mastering his skill at an early age. It’s like he came alive with a sewing machine. Which I was grateful for, sewing became his outlet, and he needed it. He was picked on so bad at his school, many times he would come to the club with black eyes and bruises all over. His mom became so worried about him that she was ready to move away to protect him. I, however, wouldn’t allow that. I begged my mother to help them, and she did. She gave his mother more hours at the club while Kyle would stay with us. She also offered to help put him in my school, which was private and expensive. Mom said whatever Kyle’s mom couldn’t afford, she would help pay. But it had to be our little secret. He still got bullied at my school, but this time he had me. Like I said, Kyle is scrappy, but he’s no fighter. I, on the other hand, punch like my father showed me how to. I defended my friend against all the other kids and went home with a black eye or two myself, but my mom never got mad or fussed at me. She was proud, she said you always need to protect the people you care about. She also taught me to never back down to anyone.