“Except I left everything to my mom,” Kane notes, throwing yet another curveball.
“Your mom is dead,” Dominick points out.
“Wrong.” Kane chuckles. “You guys were so focused on getting my brother that you didn’t dig deep enough.” He glances at Lorenzo. “Your dad tried to kill her when he took out my dad, but thankfully, I was close by, visiting from college, and found her in time. No one, not even Enrique, knew that she’d survived. I wasn’t about to risk her life, especially since Enrique had lost his shit after our father died, so I faked her death and hid her away to keep her safe.”
“Holy shit,” Lorenzo breathes. “I remember this now. My dad said when he showed up to kill Joseph, there was a prostitute there, but …”
“She’s not a fucking prostitute!” Kane barks. “She was a woman in love with a man who was forced to be with someone else.”
“And yet you’re going to force our sister to marry you,” Matteo points out.
“He did what he did for the success of his business, and I don’t fault him for that,” Kane says. “The only way to ensure that our families are unified is through marriage and producing an heir. That’s why our fathers made that deal, and that’s what we’re going to do.” His eyes bounce between each of us. “My father lived and breathed and died for this city, and I want it back for him.”
“Why would you want to be part of a family who doesn’t want you?” Peyton asks.
“Because while I’m powerful on my own, the power of the three families is stronger, and I want to honor what my father wanted, even in his death. Matteo and Daniella already secured the alliance between the Antonovs and Russos, so that just leaves us.” Kane looks at me. “I don’t just want marriage. I also want a baby.”
I suck in a harsh breath, trying like hell not to cry.
He wants a baby … with me.
All my hopes of finding a man who will love me are thrown out the window.
Of creating a baby out of love …
Rather than stopping the vicious cycle, like my brothers did, we’ll be continuing it.
“Bri, you don’t have to do this,” Matteo mutters. “We’ll figure out another way.”
“I can’t let you do that,” I murmur. “He’s covered his bases, and if I don’t marry him, you’ll not only lose the waterfront expansion, but there’ll be bloodshed.”
And I can’t have more blood on my hands.
“I’ll marry you,” I tell him.
He nods. “You have a month, during which time I’ll publicly court you and then we’ll announce our engagement and plan the wedding.”
“Bri …” Matteo sighs. “I thought you wanted to marry for love. And what about Theodore?”
“She broke up with him yesterday,” Kane says with a smirk that I want to smack off his face.
“How the fuck do you know that?” Matteo barks.
“Stop.” I rest my hand on Matteo’s arm, not wanting to explain that I slept with Kane last night. “I broke up with Theo last night. I got to experience love once, and I knew Theo wasn’t the one for me. Besides, I’m starting to think that maybe we’re only destined to fall in love once in our lifetime.”
“Bri …” Dani begins, but I shake my head.
“I want to do this for you guys … for our family.” I glance at Dominick. “Make sure Kevin double-checks the contract. I’ll be pissed if I do this and that asshole still finds a way to fuck you and your waterfront expansion over.” Kevin is the attorney my brothers have on retainer.
“‘That asshole’ isn’t going to fuck anyone over,” Kane says. “As soon as the marriage is official and you guys include Morgan Enterprises as an equal investor in the waterfront project, I’ll sign the twenty acres over to the project.”
“And what if I can’t have a baby?” I ask.
“You can,” Kane says confidently. “I had your records pulled. You’re healthy and able to conceive.” He grins. “I look forward to making a baby with you.”
“I think I just threw up in my mouth,” I mumble.
Kane chuckles and steps back. “I’ll let you guys get back to it.” He looks at Dominick. “I’ll be in touch.”
