Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“Absolutely not,” I snarl at him, stepping forward. Rage rolls down my spine. My hands turn to fists. Everyone stares at me in total surprise.
They’ve seen me angry. They know what I am.
But I’ve never threatened a member of our family before. I’ve never wanted to, at least until right now.
“Have you lost your mind?” Dad asks, looking completely stunned.
“I am Bianca’s husband. She is my wife. That isn’t going to change.”
He steps back. “You wanted this?”
“I made a deal with Finn. I marry the girl, and he gets the Marino job.”
“You’ve lost your mind,” Dad says, eyes bulging. “You think I’ll let Finn anywhere near—”
“You will because if you refuse, I’ll walk.” My voice is calm. I’m totally steady. This is the surest of anything I’ve ever been in my life. “I’ll take all the family’s secrets with me. Good luck replacing me.”
“Are you threatening your father?” Declan barks, looking scandalized. I bet he’s never considered wiping his ass without getting family approval first. “This is going too far.”
“That’s the deal.” I stare at my father, not flinching and not backing down. “Finn gets the Marino job. I stay married to Bianca. That’s how we salvage this. Spin it however you like, I don’t care. But she’s my wife.”
The room is dead silent. Dad looks like he’s about to draw a gun on me. Declan’s right there behind him. Seamus is drinking, shoulders slumped. And I’m ready to fight for what’s mine.
I knew this would be hard.
But I had no clue how simple things would become after pressing my lips to my feather’s pouty mouth for the very first time.
“Let him stay married,” Mom says, breaking the tense silence.
Dad stares at her in outrage. “You’re kidding me, Siobhan. You think I can reward this?”
“What do you care?” Mom’s looking at me curiously. She doesn’t seem angry, which is maybe not such a good thing. My mother is notoriously vicious. “He wants to be the girl’s husband, so let him.”
“And this insanity with Finn?”
“Finn’s been ready for more responsibility for a long time. Let him have the Marino job.”
Dad throws up his hands. “This is fucking insanity.”
“But—” Mom says, raising a hand for attention. She points at me. “Cormac has to convince Don Marino. Otherwise, it’s back to the original plan.”
I let that sink in. Bianca’s brother looked like he wanted to tear my fucking head off that entire ceremony. I can’t imagine it’ll be easy getting his approval.
“I can do that,” I say, nodding to my mother. I’m grateful to her, even if I suspect she’s hanging me out to dry. I’m sure she doesn’t think I can pull it off and that’s how they’ll get out of this situation.
“Just fucking great.” Dad stomps over to the drink cart and pours himself a whiskey. “What a mess. My children are insane and my wife enables it.”
“It’s called creative problem solving, darling.”
“I’d rather creatively murder these good-for-nothing pains in my fucking—”
The door bangs open before my father can finish that sentence. Adriano Marino storms in, his face red and twisted in rage, a gun very visibly shoved into the front of his suit pants. “What the fuck is going on here?” he snarls. Three men lurk behind him, all of them large and likely well-armed.
“Shut that door,” Dad barks, using his best commanding voice. The Marino soldiers hesitate, but they obey.
Adriano doesn’t seem even slightly nervous about being surrounded by Whelans. I have to grudgingly respect that. Maybe my new brother-in-law won’t be so bad.
“This is fucked, Padraig.” Adriano steps toward our dad. Declan tenses and Seamus looks up, squinting like he’s a second from reaching for a weapon. I’m the only one who doesn’t react. Since the man’s right.
“I assure you, Don Marino, I had no—”
“What my husband’s saying,” Mom speaks over him quickly, “is that he had no idea you’d react this strongly. We made a decision, as a family, that Cormac would actually be the best fit for your sister.”
Adriano glances at me. He stares, lips pressed flat, considering. He shakes his head. “Unacceptable.”
“Don Marino, I can assure you—” Mom starts, but this time Dad cuts her off.
“Finn’s not happening,” he says, barking the words through gritted teeth. “Cormac’s the only option now.”
“Then the alliance is over and the marriage is done.” Adriano turns to the door. “You fucking people have no idea what you’ve done. It’s bad enough, betrays months of negotiation, but now every other family on the East Coast will know you can’t be trusted.”
“Don Marino, you’re being too hasty,” Dad says, stepping forward. He reaches out a hand like he’s going to grab Adriano’s shoulder, but thinks better of it. “I understand this was a surprise. It was a last-minute decision, and I swear to you—”
“Your promises mean nothing.” Adriano’s anger has faded, replaced by a vicious determination.