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“Sure. I bet it has nothing to do with them being girls rather than sons,” I muse. That sort of mentality is far from foreign in our world.
“What do you plan on doing with this information?” Romero questions, lifting an eyebrow.
“I know one of the girls was recently engaged to a kid from an upstanding family. They're in politics on a small scale yet have plans to step things up and have plenty of profitable business interests. They consider themselves the next Kennedy family, and she'll make a good wife for a future senator.” His smile spreads slowly. “I think she'd do better married to a man like me.”
There's a moment of silence, a long one, and I expect Sebastian to laugh. When he doesn't, I look at Romero and find hesitation in his eyes.
“What are you saying?” he finally asks.
“What does it sound like I'm saying? I'm reaching out to him, offering an alliance in exchange for an arranged marriage with his daughter.” Another long pause. Part of me wonders if he's really serious, only the expression he's giving me shows no hint of humor.
“You're serious?”
“I've already booked a room at Niagara Falls,” he snickers. “Do people still honeymoon there?”
“Why?” My anger is receding in the face of curiosity and disbelief.
“I have my reasons.”
“Not a good enough response,” Romero seethes. This time, I don't signal for him to stand down. He crosses the room and comes to a stop beside my desk so we can both glare at the kid.
Sebastian shrugs. “That's as much as I can tell you. I want her. She's going to be mine. And in return, he'll think he's getting my backing. He needs all the help he can get, especially with his warehouses mysteriously going up in flames. You might have inadvertently pushed my plans forward, come to think of it.”
“If they're sisters, why not ask for the other one instead?”
“No. That won't work. I don't need my sister-in-law marrying into a political family. If they had ties in our world, then it would be different. I could use that. But they're above that kind of thing.” He rolls his eyes. “Trust me. I've done my research.”
Something about this isn't clicking for me. It's clear from Romero's pensive expression that he's going through the same process of trying to put things together. “And you said Jack's not going for it? How long have you been working on this?”Without telling us.He leaves that part unspoken, though it's hanging over the room.
“Not long. It's been a little over a week since I reached out to him.”
Romero grunts his disgust, even as I manage to stay calm. “You should've come to me first.”
“That's not how I operate, and it's not how my father operated. I do what I feel is best–and I'm giving you the heads-up out of respect while also making sure you don't think I'm crossing you. I'm as committed as ever to eliminating that bastard, but I want something from him first. Once I get it, you can take whatever you want.” Sitting back in the chair, he shrugs. “I don't care.”
“You don't want any of the assets we discussed splitting?”
“I wouldn't say no to a nice chunk of cash, but it's the girl I'm most interested in.”
Usually, his cavalier attitude is something I chalk up to youth. He wants respect he hasn't yet earned. Except this is a little much. “What is so special about her?”
“That's my business. I didn't come here to be interrogated.”
At first, I'm stunned into silence. Never in my wildest dreams would I have spoken that way to someone in my position when I was his age. “Listen, and listen good,” I murmur, lowering my tone. “You're in my house now, kid. I was willing to overlook you walking in here like you own the place, but I won't be insulted in my own home.”
He holds my gaze, unblinking, until it's clear he gets the message as I glare right back at him.
“If you want to be considered a partner in this, you need to lay all your cards on the table,” Romero informs him. The tick in his jaw and the slow, measured rise and fall of his shoulders tell me he is fighting to control himself. “We need to have trust for this to go forward, and right now, you're anything but trustworthy.”
“Are you in the habit of letting him speak for you?” Sebastian asks me, jerking a thumb in Romero's direction.
Be calm. Don't take the bait.
“Romero is my second and trusted confidant. He knows what this empire stands for, and he knows the sacrifices that must be made. I think negotiating a deal with Jack is taking things a little too far.” I remind him, my voice icy.
Anyone else would be pissing their pants by now. Not this kid. He stands, palms on the desk, leaning down. He wants to loom over me, to overshadow me. To intimidate me. “No, that's the problem here. I don't think I've gonefar enough. You don't get to burn down shit that you said would be mine without consulting me first, and then tell me how to conduct my business. You want this fucker wiped off the map? So do I. Although, first, I'm going to get what I want.”
“And what if he never goes for it?” Romero asks, folding his arms. “He could find a political alliance more beneficial than anything you're offering.”
