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I’d shut down after Rey died, letting myself fall headfirst into the grief. As a survival tactic, it made sense, but only when I didn’t have someone determined to take my territory. I couldn’t help but wonder, if I’d been a little more aware in those first few weeks after the shooting, would I have found Cash before things got out of hand? Could I have stopped this before we got to the point of offering marriage alliances to keep us alive? I didn’t know, but now that my feelings had turned back on, I was determined to keep them that way and make up for lost time.
Sad Mari was gone. The queen was back.
Ash’s hands shook as she laced them together on top of the table, but she didn’t look away. “What do you need?”
I swallowed a sip of the milkshake as soon as the server put it down with the rest of the drinks and a slew of appetizers. Bless his heart; Sal probably started cooking before I stepped out of the car. Popping a stuffed pepper into my mouth, I nearly groaned. I’d missed this place.
“A favor, actually.” Both Cameron’s and Ash’s heads snapped up. Loading my plate, I continued. “Your father’s been making moves to marry you off again, Ash. This time, to Greyson.”
Her face paled, and just the sight of it soothed the roiling jealousy that soured my stomach. “Don’t get me wrong. I adore Grey, but he’s my friend. Besides, he’s very much in love with you.”
“He is, which is why I’ll be keeping him.”
Ash’s mouth popped open, and I pushed a piece of mozzarella from the caprese salad into it. She bit down, closing her eyes happily before focusing back on me. “This is incredible. Also, I have so many questions, but I’ll save them for later when we aren’t in mixed company.”
“I appreciate it.” I turned to Cameron and watched the gears turn until he figured it out.
“You want to replace him with me.”
“My cousin, the genius,” I teased. “I want to give Sean what he wants, while getting what I want.”
“Greyson,” Ash guessed.
“And help for the cause, yes. Your father is my biggest ally, and I need his men to weed out the Aces before they become too big of a problem, but I’m not willing to sacrifice Greyson to do it.”
“But you’ll sacrifice us instead.” Cameron scoffed, laughing a little at the end. “Thanks, cuz.”
“It’s not a sacrifice for me.” Ash’s voice was barely noticeable over the din of the restaurant, but it was strong. “At least this way, I get the protection of being a Marcosa. If you knew the laundry list of men my father has tried to sell me to, you’d know how important that is.”
They stared at each other for a long time, a silent conversation passing before my eyes. Finally, Cameron looked away.
Digging into his sweet-and-sour pork nachos, he frowned. “I always thought I’d marry for love.”
“Who says that isn’t the case here?” They looked dubiously at each other, and I bit back a smile. “No matter what, you’ll be able to make your own arrangements. If love isn’t in the cards, feel free to live separately from each other. Have babies or don’t, I truly don’t care. I just need to give O’Bannon the chance to get in with the family before he decides he’d rather get even.”
Neither said anything until our plates were delivered and the server was gone again.
“I’m in.” Ash looked terrified, and I reached across the table to grab her hand.
“I know this is scary and the exact opposite of what you want, but I promise it’s the best option for everyone. I don’t want you at your father’s side while we deal with Cash.”
She nodded over and over, her fingers squeezing mine until she got control of herself again. Only when she let go of my hand did I turn to Cameron.
“You can take your time to think about it.”
“What’s there to think about? You’ve never asked me for anything, and it’s not like marrying Aislynn is a hardship. She’s a good person.” He looked over at my friend then, his eyes a little soft. “I’m not a good man, but I’ll try to be a decent husband.”
For some reason, that made Ash smile. “I can’t promise I’ll be a good wife. In fact, I’m sure I’ll be terrible at it, but maybe I can at least be a good friend.”
Cameron held out his hand, and they shook above the plates of uneaten food. “Friends.”
I raised my glass. “To new beginnings and new family. Cheers.”
“Cheers.” We clinked our glasses together and got to work on lunch.
There was barely any talking after that as we devoured the food like it was going to run away if we didn’t. Mac and cheese balls, green goddess noodles, stir-fry with vegetables every color of the rainbow. A mix of healthier options and comfort food that we passed and shared until it was nearly all gone. Except the poutine. That was mine.
By the time Sal Jr. stopped by the table, we all looked like we were seconds away from a food coma.
