Mikhail gestured lazily. “Marriage is the easiest way to fold someone in, make them an asset instead of a liability.”
That was exactly how Mikhail had gotten a seat at the table. He’d married Giovanni’s sister, Sloane, and suddenly, he wasn’t an outsider—he was family. Exactly how these men operated. Ties forged by contracts and marriages rather than trust or loyalty. And now he was suggesting Sebastian Callahan should get the same deal.
Sebastian fucking Callahan. Andmarriage.
The implications were immediate—and unsettling. Because there was only one person in this scenario who’d end up wearing his ring.
Valentina.
My jaw tightened again. The idea of Sebastian having his hands anywhere near her—married to her, controlling her, manipulating her—was a thought I wasn’t willing to entertain.
I shouldn’t have cared. It wasn’t my business who Max matched Valentina with. Yet the thought of her being used as collateral in a deal she barely understood had me seeing red.
I leaned back, forcing my breath out slowly and trying to regain my control. This wasn’t supposed to be personal, but hell, lately, everything about her felt personal. Too personal.
Max leaned back, exhaling through his nose. “She’d probably fight it.”
Mikhail smirked. “She fights everything. But she might not fightthis. She has a history with him.”
I exhaled slowly, forcing my shoulders to stay relaxed, forcing my body to stay still, forcing my fucking pulse to slow down.
Max was thinking. I could see it in the way he tapped his fingers against the armrest. He thought this was asolution.
“She was seen with him before,” Max murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
Mikhail nodded. “Exactly. People wouldn’t question it.”
I stared out the window, my jaw tight.
Valentina withhim. I hated how much sense it made sense. They were both reckless. Both arrogant. Both liked playing with fire and pretending they wouldn’t get burned.
Lev, who’d been listening quietly until now, finally spoke. “No.”
Max raised a brow. “No?”
Lev continued. “Sebastian carries too much weight in the city. Private runs, side deals—he’s not clean enough. If you fold him in, you’re giving him access toeverything.”
Max frowned. “You think he’d take advantage?”
Lev shrugged. “I think he’d be an idiot not to.”
The conversation moved on, but I wasn’t listening. I was still thinking about it. Still picturing her withhim.
That was when I realized it. This wasn’t just about guilt. If it were just about guilt—about killing her husband, about her being stuck in Max’s web, about the way she never had the money or the choices she should have—I would’ve let it go. I would’ve let Max do whatever the fuck he wanted.
But it wasn’t.
“It won’t work,” I finally said, offering my input even though it was none of my damn business. Still, I was being honest. “Sebastian is a Callahan. The same name attached to men who have Feds and politicians in their pockets. The same name attached to a family who’s still breathing down your neck every chance they get.”
Max nodded, understanding. He knew I was right.
“But there’s a chance it could work out for us.”
Dealing with the Callahans was a nightmare—the kind that lingered long after meetings ended. I wasn’t just saying this tokeep Valentina away from Sebastian, though that was certainly a bonus. I’d had the displeasure of sitting across from Callahan men before. I’d dealt with enough men like them to last a lifetime. The last thing I needed was to invite another Callahan back into our business—or worse, closer to Valentina.
This wasn’t about personal feelings. At least, that was what I kept telling myself. But even if it were, so be it. I’d rather walk away than watch her slip deeper into their twisted world.
Sebastian was the worst of them. The cocky grin. The smug, self-assured arrogance that wasn’t just an act—it was in his fucking DNA. His brother’s too. The Fed. He was on Max’s game.
