That was a fact.
Me and Zonnique had been fuckin’ more than I ever wanted to, mostly because my father kept asking for progress reports like I was running a science experiment. Some nights, italmostfelt real… until Zonnique would open her mouth talking about love, feelings and shit and remind me exactly why I hated her.
“At this point, I’m just about to find another solution,” I grumbled.
“This is exactly why I told you to start early, Merge. I reminded you every damn year, hoping you wouldn't stall like you always do... and now look whereyouare. You got a consigliere's son circling like a vulture, waiting for you to slip so he can take your seat. You’re with a girl who seemingly can’t deliver what we need from her. And then there’s me... stuck between my son and the bylaws, watching this whole thing crumble because you couldn't handle a simple task.”
My father sounded disappointed, and somehow that hit harder than if he’d yelled.
Then his tone softened, almost weary. “Merge, I don’t want Kalvon in my chair, but if you can’t fulfill your end of the deal and secure the Belvior line, my hands are tied. The council will vote, and you already know how that ends. I can put your name before the council, but I can’t force them to confirm an unmarried man with no heir. I may occupy the chair, son, but even the Don answers to the laws protecting it.”
His voice carried the kind of weight that crushed men who didn’t know how to carry it.
The bourbon burned in my chest, but not as hot as the rage simmering beneath my skin.
“Good thing is you still have time… a little. So, figure it out, butfast.Because next time we have this conversation, it won’t be as father and son, it will be a boss dealing with a problem.”
He turned toward the door, then abruptly stopped.
“Clean this up,” he ordered, gesturing at the wreckage around us. “Oh, and a little FYI… the next time you decide to make a statement, do it somewhere that doesn’t require replacing a piece of family history.”
With nothing else to say, he left me sitting in the heavy quiet.
I downed another shot. The liquid burned all the way down, but not harder than the thought that followed.
I will marry whoever I have to, breed with whoever will secure my legacy, and eliminate anyone who dares to stand in my way.
When it came to the Belvior throne, love was a luxury I couldn’t afford, but legacy was the law that dictated my every move.
I’ll figure it out. I always do.
***
Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!
The aggressive ringing of my doorbell jolted me out of my sleep.
My eyes snapped open. I quickly rolled over and squinted at the time on my phone.
5:47 a.m.
I grabbed my Glock on the nightstand before I was fully conscious. Years of dealing with enemies, emergencies, and idiots had conditioned me to expect the worst first and ask questions later. Nobody came to my house before sunrise to say good morning. They either came with problems, bad news, or requests that should’ve been text messages. So, whoever wasringing my bell like they were trying to set it on fire either had a death wish or information valuable enough to buy themselves a few extra minutes of life.
Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!
“Who the hell is ringing my doorbell like a damn maniac before six in the goddamn morning?!” I grumbled, hopping up, boxers hanging low and tension hanging lower.
Shirtless, barefoot, and fresh out of grace, I made my way downstairs with my gun in my hand. The metal was solid in my grip as I descended the stairs.
By the time I got halfway down, my butler’s shaky voice echoed through the foyer. “Sir—uh, it’s Miss Zonnique.”
I froze mid-step.
Sure enough, there she was, standing in the middle of the foyer wearing a fitted trench coat belted at the waist, heels that clicked against the floor, and a smug little smirk playing on her lips like she’d just walked off a runway instead of slithered in uninvited.
What the fuck is she doing here?
My jaw flexed as I put my tucked my gun away in my waistband and continued down the stairs. Part of me wished I had a reason to use my gun. Zonnique’s ass worked every fiber of my being, and if the circumstances were different, I probably would’ve shot her ass right then and there.
