“Sit,” he told my brother. Harrison stared at him for a moment and then did what he was told. After he did, Cash eyed me expectantly.
“If you expect me to sit, you’ll have to answer a question first.”
“She always this angry?”
My brother shook his head, but it wasn’t to deny Cash’s stupid-ass remark. He didn’t seem to want to entertain small talk.
“Shorter and shorter, darlin’,” Cash said and then sighed. “Usually after time apart, most people grow, either in height or in maturity. Your maturity always seems to get shrink each time we meet.”
“That’s because you bring out the worst in me.”
“Why is that?”
He settled in his seat, getting comfortable. Like he didn’t have fucking care in the world.La de da. I could be like any other singing Irishman in the world.Except it would be a grave mistake to believe that about this man.
“Tell me why I’m here so I can go. I have better things to do, and better people to spend my time with. People who don’t make me feel like committing murder. Apparently, I’m not the only one who feels that way.” I nodded toward his head, which was still bleeding. I also noted that his white dress shirt was stained, too. He was a dangerous animal dressed in an expensive suit.
“You’re going to marry me.”
Seconds. Minutes. Hours. I had no idea how long I stood there staring at him staring at me.
What.
The.
Fuck.
Did.
He.
Just.
Say?
You’re going to marry me.
I wanted to laugh. Laugh and laugh and laugh, like my brother, because he thought this was a joke. I knew better, and so did the muscles around my mouth.
“I’ll kill you first.”
The tone of my voice made my brother look between Cash and me. Harrison stood abruptly when he realized how serious the demand was.
“Mr. Kelly,” my brother said. It was ridiculous to hear him call Cash Mr. Kelly, because they were around the same age, but there was no denying the respect in the tone covering up for the shock. Or was it defiance? “You’re joking.”
“Not a bit.”
It all made sense in that moment. That was why Raff had checked us for weapons. He knew one of us was going to kill him after this. And there was still time. The day was fresh. There was no way in hell I was marrying this marauding animal. This…this...gangster of New York! I was engaged—wasn’t I?—to a man of the law!
“You kill me,” Cash said easily, “and you doom your brothers. To start. Each attempt on my life will cost you one of theirs.”
Harrison came to stand next to me. He put his hand on my shoulder. “Boss. Can we talk about this? Why my sister? She’s not—”
I barely heard the words from my brother’s mouth as mine opened. I knew Harrison felt like it was his duty to protect me, and I could tell he was trying to do that through reasoning, but this was between Cash and me now. “There will be no attempts. Plural. When I aim to shoot, I never miss my mark.”
“Don’t be so quick to anger, darlin’. Think this through. Be rational.”
“I already have. I can’t stand to be in the same room as you, much less be your wife.” I realized then how deadly my voice had become. Low. Soft. But with enough power to strike him in his heart and make it stop—if he had one.
