A moment of silence follows and no one moves until Cass speaks.
“I’ll be leaving for the Caymans shortly and I’ll be gone until Friday. When I get back, you’ll be ready to share your decision, Cecilia. The boys will accept your choice.”
This is evidently a signal that we are all dismissed.
And there’s no longer any doubt that every one of them takes this marriage arrangement thing very seriously.
Tye and Getty exit the room first. Out in the hallway, Getty elbows his brother and mutters something that causes Tye to bark with laughter. They observe me with wicked grins as I walk in their direction.
Meanwhile, Fort and Julian press close, right at my back. I’m literally surrounded.
Determined not to let any of them observe my anxiety, I paste a smile on my face and address all four of them. “Would this be a good day to ask for a tour of the ranch?”
“It’s already been all planned out,” Julian says, taking my elbow. “We’re way ahead of you.”
Tye loops his bulky arm through my other elbow and winks down at me. “Or haven’t you figured that out yet?”
I’m trying not to feel bullied and helpless as they steer me toward the door. It’s rather impossible.
How could I have ever fooled myself into believing that I have the power to outsmart these men?
They’ve decided the price to be paid for my brother’s life is me. They get what they want. Always. What’s more, I agreed to their terms the moment I stepped aboard their private jet.
The contract has already been written.
There is no cancellation clause.
8
JULIAN
Our private helicopter is one of my father’s favorite toys. He was annoyed by my demand to move it off the property before Cecilia’s arrival.
The Grimaldi wedding is ancient history to us. But to Cecilia, the murder of her parents must be a constant daily agony. If anyone should understand how she feels, it’s us.
And our goal is to test this girl, not terrorize her. She won’t want to see a helicopter and be reminded of the ones that cut down her parents.
In a rare moment of submission, my father agreed. The chopper is now being stored in a Laramie hangar until further notice.
Right now a pair of men wander into view after their smoking break. They wear dark clothes with chunky rings on their beefy fingers and don’t bother to conceal their holstered weapons. Both are regular soldiers, reliable guys.
They also might as well be walking around beneath cartoon bubbles that say, ‘Mafia THUG’.
From my vantage point in the shadow of the barn, I watch them from a distance as they joke around, no doubt exchanging filthy banter. Their attitude falls away in a flash when my father strolls through the front door. He tosses a travel bag at one guy and the other one scrambles to open the passenger door of the Range Rover.
Our plane, back from yesterday’s adventures, is already waiting at the airport. Angelo Grimaldi was dropped off in Vegas last night and Vegas is a city where we have a lot of eyes. According to my sources, that fucker is currently casino hopping and eating showgirl pussy while his sister is here singlehandedly saving the future of their sorry ass family.
None of them will get the chance to use Cecilia in this manner again.
She’s now in much better hands.Mine.
My father’s eyes are obscured by a pair of mirrored sunglasses and he stops in his tracks when he sees me. His trip to the Cayman Islands is standard business. Another real estate bubble appears likely and after a crash there’s plenty of territory ripe for the taking. Carefully assembled shell companies are the best tools for maximizing profit. He’s meeting with some partners to strategize.
I could have handled this trip. It’s exactly the sort of role I can fill with ease. Any other week, I’d be the one sent to the Caymans along with one or two of my brothers.
My father dislikes leaving the ranch. More and more, he prefers to remain at home, usually in his study. My brothers and I don’t discuss the murmured one-sided conversations we overhear coming from that room.
We don’t talk about the music either.
