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I snickered at that. “You’re right, I don’t know that position, nor will I ever.”
“Donatella.” He lifted his right hand out and then his left as if it were a scale. “Your family’s image.”
A year. That’s how long Donatella was going to put up with this bastard before putting a bullet threw his skull while he slept.
“As the head of the Callahan family, our marriage makes you even look stronger. For the first time in your history, people won’t whisper about how powerful you are, or what your connections might be. They will know your family extends into royalty. By connection to me you all now have permanence in history. They will talk of you all as they talk of the Medici family.”
“Is there a point or do you simply wish to see how long I can maintain my composure?” I asked.
“With such a legacy, don’t you think I should get something in return?”
“My sister isn’t enough?” Now he was insulting us.
“If I go down, your sister goes down too,” he frowned. “And with her, so do the years of persevered, untouchable influence and power your family has created. With great families, image is everything, isn’t? How does the image of my death or defeat for the throne look to you?”
“I thought your life was guaranteed?”
“You all are that guarantee.” He grinned.
Weakness… Donatella on one had. Our family’s image on the other. I now understood what he meant. However, he didn’t understand who I was.
“You do realize she isn’t married to you yet. I’ve become very well-equipped in cleaning up messes. Your death will be a hassle, but can be cleaned up as well.” I laughed because it was funny and he just grinned.
“You do realize now that she’s seen me and what I can offer, should she lose that, she’ll never get another chance to have what she wants. At least not without coming for your throne again. Her ambition is dangerous like that. So, you’re free to kill me now, knowing that it will most likely hurt your precious sister in the future.”
A year? I gave him a year? Dona is going to kill this motherfucker within six months if not less.
“What I want is simple, and nothing you wouldn’t want to do anyway,” he spoke again, his shoulder relaxed, as were his eyes. “I need men. I need them to be from Monaco. What happened today can never happen again, anywhere, for any reason. And I do not mean men loyal to you or men who can trade their loyalty to the highest bidder. Their first and only priority should always be your sister and I.”
For a brief moment I wondered what type of man I would be if I’d been born into his life, and I wasn’t sure if I found it reassuring or disturbing that I’d be somewhat like him. He was thinking and becoming the devil he needed to be… No, he already was that dark-hearted, he just needed the army to do follow through. I couldn’t fault him for that. Not when I’d had a ready-made one when I’d come into power.
I briefly thanked God that my father hadn’t been as much of a fool as his had but then again, I should also have thanked my mother for not being as weak as his.
The strength of their marriage was what saved me from the chaotic irrational soap-opera that was his life.
“You’ll have your men,” I replied, turning as I realized I did have a speech for him. “Gabriel, men like you and I aren’t supposed to be just men. We’re leaders. We’re rulers in two different spheres but still rulers, nonetheless. The women we marry will feel pain and will get hurt, yes. But the pain I’m speaking of, the harms I am warning against, aren’t small. It is not forgetting an anniversary or even fighting with one another. The harms I am warning you against…are the types kings and princes seem so prone to… My sister can and will handle anything you throw at her, but if you, Gabriel, make her your wife and then decide you want a mistress, too, I’ll kill you.
“If you allow her be embarrassed or disgraced, I will kill you. She ends up gravely injured because of fire directed at you, I will kill you. Your life is not guaranteed. My sister is not your insurance. Do not test me and this vast benevolence that I am bestowing on you. Because if I even hear whispers of her being treated like your mother was… You’ll see those flames I was talking about earlier. Now excuse me, Your Highness, I have an international drug empire to run.”
I said nothing more and didn’t wait for him to say anything either, not that he should have had anything to say. Ignoring and walking past the men taking out her boxes, I headed towards my study, hoping for peace to outrun the reality around me. But my mind wouldn’t stop.
I understood everything.
Why she was going to leave.
Why she wanted to leave.
Why my parents chose him.
Even why he needed her.
And yet, despite it all… I couldn’t imagine coming home and not seeing her. I couldn’t imagine Chicago without Dona…without my baby sister.
I didn’t want to think about either but it was going to happen.
“You alright?” Ivy asked when I entered.
/> Leaning against the door, I shook my head. “Give me one good reason to stop him from taking her.”
