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“They’re yours if we have a deal.”
Theo continued to stare at the ring, no smile on his face. “It would take you two years to earn what you could sell these for.” He lifted his gaze and looked at Dante.
“I thought I would return them to their rightful owner,” he said. “And I know, with your connections, you can bring a lot more than five million to the table. Together, I think we could easily double our weekly revenue.”
Theo’s finger curled into a fist to test the way the ring felt against his knuckle.
Theo was loyal to me, but nevertheless, it was a reasonable temptation. Those rings were a legend, and anyone who killed the Skull King claimed his rings as a trophy. They’d been sold to other buyers since, but Dante had stolen them back. He’d been plotting this for a long time, probably before we formed our partnership.
Theo stared at him. “This offer just got more enticing.”
I imagined Dante was smiling. “Ten percent. These rings cover the extra five percent you added.”
Theo gave a nod. “You have a deal.”
“I have another request.” Dante sat up, leaning forward with his arms on his thighs.
Theo smirked. “Don’t get too carried away now. I could just kill you and take these.”
“Which is why I only brought the one,” Dante said coldly. “And I’m the only one who knows where the other two are located.”
Theo’s smile faded. “What’s your stipulation?”
Dante was quiet for a long time, like he was having second thoughts about the request. He was right at the finish line, but something tripped him up. “I want you to marry my daughter.”
A rush of adrenaline flooded my blood and fueled my muscles for battle. The edges of my vision blurred with the color red. I could feel the spike in my heart rate, but I could also hear it in the pounding in my ears.
What the fuck did he just say?
Theo’s eyes flicked to mine in the mirror just for a nanosecond. He corrected himself instantly, shifting his gaze toward the window like his stare had been a meaningless reaction. He kept his gaze there, probably to look convincing. “Did you just ask me to marry your daughter?” He turned back to Dante, his perplexed reaction completely genuine.
I was about to storm out of there and choke Dante from behind then burn his eyes with a hot cigar. He’d taken Scarlett away from me, and then he offered her to Theo…who didn’t even fucking know her.
“Yes,” Dante said calmly. “I did.”
“And you don’t think that sounds crazy?” Theo asked incredulously. “Is this the fifteen hundreds and you’re marrying your daughter off to a king for political gain?”
“Yes.” Dante said it just as calmly as before. “That’s exactly what I’m doing.”
Theo continued to look at him like he was crazy.
“You’re a king, Theo. Not a king that wears a crown, but a king nonetheless,” he said. “I need to know my daughter will be safe when I’m gone, and I know you’ll be able to take care of her. You can acquire the business as part of the marriage, so that’s another asset under your belt. And then her children will take over once they’re of age. It’s my legacy—and I want you to safeguard it.”
I couldn’t believe this bullshit.
“How do you know I’ll treat her right?”
“You don’t strike me as the wife-beating and lying type.”
“I’m not,” Theo said. “But I don’t know how you would ever know that.”
“I have my people. I hear things.”
He obviously didn’t hear everything because he had no idea what kind of relationship Theo and I had.
“I’m not looking to get married, Dante,” Theo said. “Never been interested in that.”
“Have you seen my daughter?” Dante asked in disbelief. “You know the blood that runs in her veins. She would give you beautiful children. Maybe you don’t want a wife, but you certainly want your legacy to continue.”
He treated her like a horse to be bred.
“Dante, even if I agreed to this, what makes you think she would agree to it?” Theo asked. “She doesn’t strike me as a woman who would marry a fucking stranger.”
“Then don’t be a stranger,” he said. “Take her out to dinner. Wine and dine her. You’re a very handsome man. You should have no problem getting her to say yes.”
So, not mixing business and pleasure was a bunch of fucking bullshit.
Theo released a quiet chuckle, finding all of this batshit crazy. “I’ve been offered a lot of things to forge a deal—including the heads of my enemies—but never this. It’s not something I can guarantee because she needs to consent to it.”
“She will,” he said. “Take her out a couple of times, start a relationship, and when the time comes, I’ll make sure she says yes.” Dante remained leaning forward. “Do we have a deal, Theo?”
