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“Then I don’t seem to understand, Mister Romani,” I follow suit, sucking down the rest of my tumbler in one big gulp.
I read somewhere, once upon a time, mimicking the person you’re with, makes them more comfortable. I chalked it up to some nonsense mind game, but find myself doing it anyway.
“Mister Romani, The King, those names are behind you, Maddox. Call me Dad,” Bruno replies.
Call me Dad? What the hell’s that supposed to mean. Though that’s my first thought, I know precisely what Bruno’s saying to me. He’s not offering me a place in his legion, he’s…
“What the hell did you just say?” Isabella spits. She’s right to feel angry, but I don’t think the true implication’s set in with her yet.
“Oh, right, Isabella,” Bruno turns to his daughter. “I know times have been tough. I know what I did with Vik was wrong. But look, let’s put all of that behind us now. The past is the past, we can only look forward.”
Bruno’s attention shifts back to me. “Maddox, I believe that you are the right man to sire my heir. I love my daughter with all of my heart, but there is no place for a woman in our world.”
“You can’t be serious?” Isabella slams her glass against the table. It’s a miracle it doesn’t shatter. “I’m not some plaything you can give to whoever wants a quick fuck…”
“Isabella, control yourself,” Bruno’s voice is stern, and he turns, waggling a finger in Isabella’s face. “Maddox has proven himself worthy at the highest caliber. He will sire a child to hold the title of King someday. If you’re lucky, boy, you might even have the seat yourself.”
What a way to tell two people, who barely know each other, they’re going to be having a kid.
“Oh, but with that…” the longer Bruno speaks, the more infuriated Isabella gets. She turns to me with hatred in her eyes, ready to tear my head off. Who can blame her? A few hours ago, I stood over Emma Blake’s body with the intention of seeing Isabella one more time, before I purged her from my mind for good. Now I’m meant to be marrying her?
Jesus, how does all of this look? I told Isabella to come back home. She’s going to think I had something to do with it.
“The two of you will marry. If anything were to happen to me in the time that your child is growing up to stand as King, my seat cannot be vacated. The riff-raff of the Slaters, Harrisons, and Braddocks – no offense,” Bruno turns to me.
“None taken,” I reply.
“Well yes, we can’t have the riff-raff vying for power. There’s too much in the works. I can’t have my legacy ruined at the hands of those fools,” Bruno finishes. He gets to his feet, rubbing the palms of his hands together, almost giddily.
“I won’t go through with it,” Isabella says. “You can’t take away the only freedom I have left.”
“This is how it has to be, Isabella. Maddox seems to understand, so why can’t you?” Bruno turns to her. That’s when it hits her. Isabella sinks back into her chair. I can see it on her face. She thinks I had something to do with this.
“Welcome to the family, Son,” Bruno says. I get out of my chair and shake his hand. He slaps it away and pulls me into an awkward hug.
“Thank you, sir,” I reply.
Bruno turns around and starts walking toward the door. “Don’t worry; calling me sir will stop eventually. I’ll let you two get to know each other and discuss the good news.”
Then he’s gone. With the way Isabella’s looking at me, I shouldn’t have been worried that Bruno wanted me dead, she’s going to do it all on her own.
“I swear, I had nothing to do with this,” I say. “Your father asked me to do a job, and this is my payment. I don’t like it any more than you do.”
That’s a lie. Although I am uncomfortable and concerned about Isabella’s feelings, the idea of bedding her is alluring. Maybe that’s what all my woes have been about; I’ve never had trouble sleeping with any woman, and Isabella is a forbidden fruit. If I can get one taste, life can go back to normal.
Even that seems like a fallacy I tell myself to get through this whole situation.
* * *
