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But his brother was the oldest. So he was the only one that actually got to give that free rein.
But Javier thought of Violet. Violet.
And he could send her away, or he could keep her.
The beast in the castle.
He could have her. Always. Could keep her for his own and not have to apologize for it.
“Why did you make it sound like her father didn’t have any power? Like he’d lost a bet?”
“That’s what he told me. He didn’t want her to know that he had traded her for a business deal. He instructed me that when the time was right... I should embellish a little bit.”
“That bastard.”
“Honestly. He’s decent enough compared to our father.”
“Our father should not be a metric for good parenting in comparison to anyone.”
“Perhaps not. So, what’s it to be?”
“Even if I marry her, you will still have to marry.”
“I’m aware,” Matteo said. “I’m sure my mouse can help with that.”
“I’m sure she shall be delighted to.”
“She is ever delighted to serve my every whim. After all, I am her Savior, am I not?”
“I cannot imagine a worse possible man to serve as Savior. To owe
you a debt must be a truly miserable thing. I will marry Violet.”
“Interesting,” Matteo said. “I did not expect you to accept.”
“If you touch her,” Javier said, “I will make good on my promise and find an excuse to kill you.”
“So you have feelings for her?”
He had, for many years, looked into his soul and seen only darkness. But she had somehow traversed into that darkness and left the tiniest shard of hope in him. A small sliver of light. But it wasn’t his. It was hers. He feared that the laughter she’d placed in him, the smile she’d put on his lips...he feared in the end his darkness would consume it.
But like any starving creature, hungry for warmth, he could not turn away either.
Though he knew he should.
Though it went against all he knew he should do, all he knew he should be. “She’s mine. I’m not sure why it took this long for me to accept it. I’m the one who went and claimed her. You’ve kept your hands clean of it the entire time. If I’m going to go to all the trouble of kidnapping a woman, she ought to belong in my bed, don’t you think?”
“As you wish.”
“I do.”
“Congratulations, then. On your upcoming marriage.”
CHAPTER TEN
VIOLET’S ANXIETY WAS steadily mounting. Everything had come crashing down on her that moment in the library. The reality of it all. And then in the crushing silence Javier had delivered in the days since, it had all become more and more frightening.
She knew that Matteo was back.
