“It’s my decision, Nick.”
I wanted to flip the table. I wanted to grab Dante Valenti by his expensive collar and throw him out of our house. I wanted to break his fucking legs and leave him on the mountain for dead. Instead, I sat there, useless, watching my sister reach for a pen that would seal her fate.
“Just a moment, my dear,” Dante said, pulling the pen out of her reach. “I think there may have been a misunderstanding.”
My father frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I think you’ve made some false assumptions,” Dante said quietly, a wicked grin curling over his lips. “The contract stipulates marriage to a member of the Wesley family. It doesn’t specify which member.” Dante’s gaze never left mine. “And I don’t want your daughter.”
My mother shook her head. “You… You want me?”
Dante laughed. “No. You’re already married.” Then he turned, those dark eyes fixed on me. “I want him.”
The words hit me like a kick to the chest. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. The kitchen went silent except for the ticking of the old clock on the wall.
“What?” Heather whispered.
Dante finally looked away from me, turning to address my parents. “Your son clearly cares about this ranch. About hisfamily. And frankly, having met Miss Wesley, I don’t think she’s suited for the kind of life this arrangement would require. She’s too...” He paused, searching for the word. “Soft. But Nick here—” Those eyes found me again. “He’s got fight in him. I respect that.”
My mouth had gone dry. “You’re insane.”
“Am I?” He tilted his head slightly, and I saw the ghost of a smile on his lips. “Think about it. You get to protect your sister. Your family keeps the ranch. And I get a partner who actually wants to make this work, even if the circumstances aren’t ideal.”
“I’m not—” I couldn’t even finish the sentence. My brain was short-circuiting, trying to process what he was suggesting.
“You’re not what?” Dante asked, his voice dropping lower. “Not willing to make the same sacrifice your sister was? Are you just all tough words and no action?”
The bastard had me cornered and he knew it.
“I’m not gay,” I said, the words coming out quieter than I’d intended.
Dante’s smile widened. “Don’t worry about that. I’m pretty good at breaking people.” He was a maniac. “But we both know that’s not what this is about. This is business. A legal arrangement. Nothing more. Personal details are ours to sort out.”
I looked at my family. Dad’s face had gone pale, his mouth opening and closing like he couldn’t find words. Mom had her hand pressed to her chest, looking between Dante and me like she was trying to solve an equation that didn’t add up. And Heather—Christ, Heather looked relieved. That cut deeper than anything Dante had said.
“You can’t be serious,” I said, turning back to him.
“I’m always serious when it comes to business.” He leaned forward, elbows on the table, and I caught the scent of his cologne. It was something expensive and foreign I’d neversmelled before. “Here’s what I’m offering, Nick. You marry me. We live on the ranch, run it together. Your family’s debt is forgiven. The property stays in Wesley hands, technically, through the marriage. You protect your sister. Everyone wins.”
“Except me.”
“Don’t you?” His eyes locked onto mine again, and I felt that same electric jolt from earlier. “You get to stay on the land you love. Keep working the ranch. Your family is safe and provided for. All you have to do is sign a piece of paper and play the part of my husband.Every part. That seems like a fair trade to me.”
My hands were shaking. I pressed them flat against my thighs under the table so no one would see. This was insane. Completely fucking insane. What would people say? What would they think? What would happen to me in the dark where nobody would hear me scream?
But then I looked at Heather again, saw the hope dawning in her eyes, and something in my chest cracked open.
“I need to think about this,” I said.
“No, you don’t.” Dante slid the contract across the table toward me. “Your father has until the end of the month to repay the loan or accept one of these arrangements. But my time is valuable, and I’m not interested in dragging this out. I need an answer today. Right now.”
“That’s not fair,” Mom said, finding her voice. “You can’t expect him to make a decision like this without?—”
“Life isn’t fair, Mrs. Wesley.” Dante’s tone was polite but firm. “Your husband learned that when he took money from my family. Now it’s time to settle accounts.”
I stared down at the contract, the words swimming in front of my eyes. My whole life, I’d imagined getting married someday. Maybe to some farmer’s daughter, or that teacher who’d moved to town last year. Someone soft and kind who’d give me kids and grow old with me on this land.
Not this. Never this.
