“I didn’t want that shitty pile of rocks, anyway,” Gabriel declares as he does battle with a package of corn chips. “At least Malloy Manor haspersonality. It may be the personality of an evil old goat with no taste in art, but it’s still a personality.”
He’s not wrong. Unlike the stuffy, cold halls of Blackwich Castle, where the weight of Gabriel’s lineage crushes his beautiful spirit, the manor is the vision of one man, and Howard Malloy knew what he liked.
Gabriel’s trying to pretend he’s perfectly okay about Cleo becoming his new stepmother (gag me). So, of course, it’s obvious he’snotokay. Noah told me he saw Gabe get a bathroom pass first period. When he came back, his breath reeked of alcohol. He’s making a big show of refusing alcohol when he’s around us, and drinking in secret. That’s not an improvement.
The worst part is that Gabe’s distress isn’t even about losing the Blackwich estate to Cleo and her gross demon child (which is a pity – I was looking forward to solidifying my rule with an actualcastle). He’s upset because I waved the marriage-and-baby thing in his dad’s face. Because I told Gabriel I didn’t want to have a kid with him and then pretended we were all ready to conceive.
It was a tactical move. Nothing more. Surely he can see that?
“You know,” Eli says, stirring his zucchini noodles around his plate. “An heir might be one way out of this marriage mess.”
I turn to him with interest.Did Gabe tell him about the conversation with the duke? Is he going to back me up on this?“Explain.”
“This whole marriage thing is about heirs, right? Nero and Constantine – whichever one puts a baby in your belly first, they’ll be the one with the power to claim a true alliance. But that only works if there’s no other heir to claim the August empire. So we make an heir.”
I hold out a hand. “Stay away from my uterus. I’m not getting pregnant just go fuck up Nero’s plans.”
“We don’t have to actuallygiveyou a baby. Just get Galen to fake scans or something. It could buy us some time—”
“I’m leaving.” Gabe stands up. “I’ve got songs to write.”
“Gabe—”
I reach out to grab his arm, but he darts away from me and slips into the cafeteria crowd. Noah watches him leave, his coal-eyes wreathed in orange.
“What’s up with him?” Eli asks as Gabriel pushes his way through the crowd in the cafeteria and heads out toward the bleachers.
Ah, so he hasn’t said anything. Guess we’re having this conversation, then.
I shovel a mouthful of kale salad. “Oh, he’s mad because I told his father we’re getting married.”
Eli drops his fork. Noah’s hands ball into fists as he swivels his intense eyes toward me. “You did what?”
“I’m going to… go over there.” George quickly snaps up her tray and races off, leaving me alone to face the wrath of Eli and Noah.
“So, tell us about this marriage.” Eli gives me a wobbly smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.
“It’s basically exactly what you were talking about a few minutes ago. If Gabe and I married, we align ourselves with a powerful family, get me out of this stupid wedding with the Imperators, and take another valuable market away from Nero. And any child wemighthave would inherit his father’s estate. It was a good idea – how was I to know it wouldn’t work because the randy old goat was screwing Cleo?”
Neither Eli nor Noah picks up on my Cleo news. Noah’s eyes narrow. “You were just going to marry Gabe without talking it over with us?”
“What about Nero and Constantine?” Eli says. “What will yourotherhusbands say about that?”
“I don’t give a fuck what they say because I’m getting out of that. And this thing with Gabe isn’t a real marriage,” I say. “I mean, it would have to be real in order to claim the estate, but it’s not about me choosing Gabe over either of you. If Iwantedto get married now and I had a choice, I’d marry all of you. But that’s not a legal option, and if I marry Gabe and string the duke along thinking there will be an heir, we’ll get possession of his estate, and I take the Grey Death business away from Nero, which is another massive blow right in his cajones—”
“I’m going to find Gabe.” Noah rises.
“Noah, what the fuck—”
But he’s gone, his huge shoulders shuffling away from me. Seriously, what the hell is going on?
I turn back to Eli. “So this is it? I spend every moment of every day trying to figure out how to keep this family safe, and instead of discussing your problem with my plan like adults, you act like spoiled children being forced to share a toy?”
“You’re not a toy, Claws. You’re our girl.” Eli frowns. He reaches across the table and places his fingers tenderly over mine. “I get what you were attempting; really, I do. But you’re thinking like Claws the mafia queen. Just for a moment, can you see this as Claudia, our girlfriend?”
I shove his hand away. “I don’t have that luxury anymore. If I want to keep you safe, I have to make hard decisions. We all do. You all said you were in this. You all agreed to wear my mark with pride. Well, this is what it means to be with me. It means that everything is up for negotiation, even my fucking womb if it means my family will live another day. So what is it, Eli? You still want in?”
I don’t wait for an answer. I shove my own chair back and storm out.
