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“Elsa’s right,” he continues. “If Calliope marries just ‘some guy’ who happens to head a family, there’s no telling what might happen. Even if we’re talking allies, that person might take one look at that kind of money and decide friendship has a fucking price tag. And New York doesn’t look kindly on prenups where the richer party keeps everything and leaves the other party with shit. It could be bulletproof, but a state Supreme Court could easily give a third or more of that away if it came to that.”
His sharp green eyes grab onto mine. I already know what he’s thinking before he says it.
“Cillian…”
“I’m not saying this lightly, Castle,” he growls. “But this is our backs against the fucking wall. I know we’ve been putting off having this conversation, but Iamgoing to be stepping down. And the throne really is yours. You’re ready. You’re more than ready.”
“I’mnot a fucking Kildare,” I hiss.
“Well, here’s your goddamn chance to become one,” he snaps back. “Christ, you’ve been one by proxy for ten fucking years, Castle. This is it.”
I turn away. My gaze pierces the chaos of the room and lands on a wild-eyed, flushed, so innocent and yet so fierce Callie.
Callie, whose lips I know the taste of.
Callie, whose body I know the heat and curves of.
Callie, who I’ve already killed for.
“Castle, this isn’t something I relish asking you, but—”
I turn away from Cillian and stride across the floor, my eyes locked onto her. My jaw set and my pulse thudding in my ears, I try to tell myself I’m doing this for the family. For the money for Eilish and Neve’s future, and their eventual children’s future. I tell myself I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do. That this is simply another mission, and I’m simply a soldier, just as I’ve always been.
But the truth is, before I even let the words slip out of my mouth, I know that’s not the reason I’m doing this.
I’m doing it for her.
And that’s the most dangerous reason of all.
“I’ll do it.”
Everyone is still yelling at each other and nobody even hears me. So I say it again, much louder.
“I’ll do it.”
Slowly, everyone stops talking. Every face in the room swivels to stare at me—some with a look of confusion on their face; some, like Hades, with an accusatory scowl.
“What?” Hades hisses thinly.
“I said I’ll do it.” I tear my gaze away from him, letting my eyes stab through the lot of them until they pierce right into her own baby-blues looking back at me from under those thick black lashes.
“I’ll marry Callie.”
9
CALLIE
At first,it’s sheer bedlam. Everyone’s shouting at once. Neve is arguing with Cillian, accusing him of shoving Castle into the middle of this against his will. Deimos is roaring at Ares about putting the entire family at risk. Ya-ya is hastily ushering Nora and Dahlia out of the room, who’ve definitely been exposed towaymore drama tonight than they probably ever expected to be at a simple birthday party.
Hades accuses Castle of trying to get into my pants. Eilish immediately defends him, screaming in Hades’ face, while Kratos gets inherface, which of course sets Gavan off. When there’s about six different fist fights about to go down in the fucking library simultaneously, I finally explode.
“STOP IT!”
When that doesn’t work, I whirl, grab a crystal tumbler off the bar cart, and hurl it at the wall as I scream again.
“STOP!!”
The shattering glass against one of the bookshelves halts the whole circus and bring everything to a silent standstill. Ares catches my eye, and suddenly, the fury drops from his face as he gives a curt nod of understanding.
