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“He was always going to find out. Charlotte needed him to be involved in the negotiations. That isn’t the problem.”
Negotiations.
A bargain.
That’s all I’ll ever be. I may have convinced myself that Luke wants me because he’s interested in me, but in reality I am a business transaction. I step away from him, feeling my heart tighten. I was so swept up in the dream, in the relief of escaping Jeremiah Wood, that I didn’t consider whether Luke is just playing a role.
Luke’s eyes narrow as he watches me distance myself from him. “Sariah?”
“I don’t expect you to love me, Luke. I know I was just a means to an end, but it’s hard when you refer to things as negotiations.” I can’t keep the sadness from my voice as I say these words. I had prayed so hard for the fairy-tale ending, but I’d forgotten I don’t exist in a world where happy endings occur. My own mother was murdered by my father. I know the realities of being a mob princess.
“You’re my wife. Mine. Do you understand me? This is a real marriage for me, and I hope it is for you as well.” He takes my chin in his hand. “I did this for my family. I can’t lie about that, but I want you.”
His words ease some of the tension in my shoulders and across my back. “It’s real for me too, but you’re going to resent me in time. I’m going to bring a whirlwind of trouble to your door. Because I know my father and I know Jeremiah Wood. Neither of them are going to allow me to escape them. And… who is Aurelia?”
His whole demeanour changes. He grins. “Are you jealous?”
Does he like that I am? I grit my teeth. “Of course not.”
His hands come to my biceps and he holds me steady as he presses his mouth to mine. It’s like the oxygen is sucked out of the air, leaving me feeling light-headed when he pulls back.
He gives me a smile as his hands move around the back of my neck. “Aurelia is my sister. She was at the church when we got married. She was the dark-haired girl. My brothers are bringing her here. It’s safer for you both to be together.”
Her image dances across my memory. I remember seeing her briefly. “Was your whole family at our wedding?”
“My brothers were there too, and my father. I should have introduced you to everyone, but there will be time for that. Zeke’s wife likes to have us over for dinner quite a bit, so no doubt there will be an invitation extended.”
I can’t help but think how surreal this whole situation is. I can’t deny that I’m grateful the man in front of me is my husband though. I find myself hoping he is not disappointed in me. Am I what he expected?
“But no, it’s not your father who has been in touch. It’s Wood. He called my mother earlier. Your father is reportedly in surgery. I’m not even sure if he knows the situation.”
“He saw me get taken. He knows, though he might not know it was your family who did it.”
“I’m sure Wood will enlighten him when he comes to. He seems to be leading this shit.”
My stomach rolls.
“Is he coming for me?” My heart stutters and my head starts to feel fuzzy. If he was cruel to me before, I can only imagine how terrible he will be now that I’ve married somebody else.
Luke moves so he is standing in front of me, his hands coming to my hips. “I’m not handing you over, Sariah. I don’t give a fuck what happens. You are my wife, and I won’t let him near you. My family can handle Wood. We have allies and support.”
He doesn’t explain who that support is, but it doesn’t matter. His assurance soothes me and makes my fears disappear. “This is a dangerous route you chose to take, Luke.”
His smile is lopsided and a little dark. “We like to live on the edge.”
My concern must show on my face, because he grabs my hands and squeezes them. “Wood doesn’t scare us. He’s a back-alley wannabe mobster. His support circle is limited, and that’s why he was seeking this alliance with your father. We cut the legs out from under him.”
“My father will side with him. He won’t like what you’ve done either.”
“I don’t want you to worry. It’s being handled.”
“You asked if it was Declan on the phone. What has he done?”
Luke moves back to the pan. For a moment he doesn’t say anything, and I think he’s going to keep his silence and his secrets. Then he speaks. “One of our businesses was firebombed last night.”
My jaw nearly hits the floor. Fear climbs through my veins, reaching for my heart. It finds my stomach instead. I stagger, grabbing hold of the top of the counter to steady my legs, which suddenly feel weak. “Is anyone dead?”
Our actions caused this. We brought this down on our heads—Luke by taking me, and me by agreeing to the wedding. I should have just married Jeremiah and not cared about how I felt or what I wanted. Life isn’t fair. I know that first-hand. The thought that people could have died because of my actions makes me feel sick. I place a hand over my stomach, trying to calm my rolling belly.
Luke grabs my face between his hands, cupping my cheeks. He forces me to look at him. “Hey, hey—this isn’t your fault. You never threw that petrol bomb into that building. No one blames you.”
But he’s wrong.
Because I blame myself.
My happiness comes at a price, and I’m not sure it isn’t too high of one to pay.
