When I open it, the guilt in his eyes makes it clear he knows I was listening.
“What the hell were the two of you discussing behind my back?” My voice shakes as I fight my anger.
Oscar steps inside my room and closes the door behind him.
“Riley, please?—”
“You’re trading me like I’m some commodity.”
“It’s not like that?—”
I fold my arms over my chest. “No? Then explain it to me.”
“Riley—”
“Because from where I’m standing, it sounds like you and Rion are selling me off to a man old enough to be my father to keep some territory that you likely stole in the first place!”
Oscar runs a hand down his face. “I didn’t want it to be this way.”
“Really? Could’ve fooled me.”
“We’re running out of options, Riley. The Sullivans are gaining power, and after what happened with Dad, we’re exposed. If we don’t make a move soon, we’ll lose everything.”
“So, your solution is to auction me off like livestock?”
Oscar flinches, but I refuse to feel bad.
“Look, I know he’s older. But Sean is powerful and well connected. Once we’re aligned with him, no one will touch us. And he agreed to help without taking any of our territory, just…” He lowers his eyes.
“Just me. I’m your currency.”
Oscar doesn’t deny it, which feels like a punch to the gut.
I reach out to grip the bed post to stop myself from collapsing as I try to breathe.
“I won’t do it.” I shake my head as my eyes start to sting. “You can’t sacrifice my life like this.”
Oscar takes a step toward me. “You think I want this? I hate this just as much as you do, Riles.”
“Then stop it! Tell Rion the deal is off, tell him—” My voice cracks, and I choke on a sob.
“It’s not that simple. Rion has already spoken to Sean.”
“So what? Since when doesRionget to decide what happens to me?”
“Since Dad died.”
And there it is.
The weight of his words settles between us.
Since our father was murdered by the Sullivans, Rion has stepped in not as a guardian or protector, as he tries to portray himself, but as a puppeteer, and Oscar, for all his good intentions, is just another string in his hand.
“Mom wouldn’t make me do this. She would have found another way out.”
Oscar’s expression hardens.
“Well, Mom’s not here, and neither is?—”
