“I think we’re all a bit tired of this blame game,” Leon’s voice is in my ear, low and bored. His breath against my neck makes me shudder involuntarily. “I have places to be.”
I try to pull my arm from his grasp and fail spectacularly. “Thenleave,”I huff back at him.
“Not without you.”
I grimace. “Okay, so you put a ring on my finger, and suddenly I’m your property?”
“Technically, yes.” He sneers down at me in a way that makes me think he’s only saying it to get under my skin. Successfully, I should add. “But in this instance, we have unfinished business.”
I show him my ring finger as if it were my middle finger. “I think our business is concluded.”
He looks away, suddenly looking slightly put out as he examines the chandelier above us quite extensively.
But before I can question it, Cas approaches, pulling me into a half-unwilling hug.
There, with her lips close to my ear, she whispers, “You have to consummate the marriage.”
Oh.
Fuck.
Leon takes a very purposeful step away from my father.
I knew, logically, that this would have to happen eventually, what with the demand on this marriage being to solely produce heirs. But I’d been relying on the idea that I’d have weeks to prepare (and get very, very drunk) to maintain my sanity during all of this.
Now that safety net was being yanked away.
Leon coughs and turns to address Teo. “I assume that today's events will remain secret to all those who are not currently in this room?”
“Mia’s safety will be our collective priority until a child is born. You have my word no one here will endanger her by revealing your union.”
My father relaxes a bit at this news, though he narrows his eyes at the priest, who looks as if he were trying to melt into the background.
Leon nods once before dragging his eyes back to me, suddenly looking unsure. “Then we should depart.”
“Right,” I manage to whisper.
Cas hugs me again, as does my father. I don’t spare a look at Rocco and Teo. Both of them have the common sense to remain silent as I follow Leon out of the room.
There’s a numbness that threatens to take hold of me as he guides us to an elevator. I cling to it like a lifeline instead of thinking about what is about to happen.
But there’s a stubborn, angry fire that prevents me from succumbing entirely. It’s a fire I unleash the second the elevator door closes and we begin our ascent to the highest floor.
“Was it you?” I ask as firmly as I can.
Leon glances down at me with an unreadable expression. “You’re shaking. Mia, I’m not going to force you to?—”
“Was. It. You.”
He sighs. “You’re going to have to be a bit more specific.”
“Did you or did you not threaten my father’s life?”
Something seems to click behind those unfairly gorgeous brown eyes. “That’s why you agreed to this?”
“You didn’t know?” I frown as a tightness begins to settle within me.
“No, I—” he swallows and looks away. “I need an heir. But there are other…means of acquiring one. I wouldn’t need to threaten your father to do so.”
