Page 108 of Souls and Sorrows

Part of me expects Cash to deny it, but it seems that he’s also aware of our bleak outlook and seems to err on the side of caution. “Not my fault your guys didn’t check to see if it was legitimate before I left Anteros. Seems like a no-brainer to me.”

“Yes, well, normally, the no-brainer here would be you bleeding out on the floor already, but I’ll admit, I’m curious as to why you didn’t just pay your fee. If you didn’t have the money to back it up, a bid that was even one-tenth of what you pledged would have done the trick; no one at the club thought she was worththatmuch.”

Shame scalds my cheeks, and I bite the inside of one to keep from making a dirty remark. If he were closer and not holding a gun, I’d try to leap out and wrap my hands around his neck, squeezing until I saw the life drain from his eyes.

I’m so sick of people undermining my value just because it doesn’t look like what they want it to.

“The two hundred fifty million was insurance mostly. I didn’t want anyone, even in their wildest fantasies, outbidding me.” Cash pauses. “I have the money. I just didn’t want to give it to you.”

“Because you wanted to take mine.” When Cash doesn’t respond, Ermes chuckles, aiming the gun at me. “Well, tell me how it feels for me to now take something from you.”

“Wait.” Cash steps in front of me, blocking Ermes’s shot. One of his arms reaches behind him, and the back of his hand presses into my back, keeping me close. “If you shoot her, I won’t relinquish Ricci Inc.”

Silence.

I frown, not sure what he means, and Ermes says, “Ricci Inc. is gone, boy. You can’t relinquish anything.”

“Ricci Inc. ismine,” Cash counters, and I wrench myself out of his hold, moving to stand at his side. “When Ariana became my wife, I was entitled to everything—business accounts, assets, the network of criminals Rafael kept at his disposal. When I got my hands on it, I decided to liquidate the company and absorb any overhead and outlying expenses into my family’s company, Primrose Realty. So, technically, it exists, just… differently.”

My eyes widen, shock freezing my features in place. “Wait, soyouerased us off the face of the planet?”

I hadn’t even realized he’d taken over, thinking Mamma had put a stop to the transition.

He gives a sheepish smile. “It pays to be an important attorney sometimes. Lots of people owe me favors. And it was the only way to unlatch your mother’s claws from the business entirely.”

Shaking my head, I laugh to myself, letting his words sink in. When they do, I look up again slowly. Dread swims rapidly through my stomach, flooding the organs there.

“What do you mean, my mother?”

“Carmen? Of course. I should’ve known she’d have something to do with this,” Ermes spits. “Should’ve gutted that bitch years ago when she was sleeping with my men, trying to bribe them to come work for Rafe.”

Cash exhales. “It wasn’t very difficult to track down who was running things while your father was incarcerated. And from what I’d gathered from everyone else I spoke to, she wasn’t giving the company up without a fight, so I removed that option completely.”

My heart pounds heavy in my throat as I try to grapple with the onslaught of information. It feels like I’ve stepped into some alternate universe and had the rug ripped out from right beneath me.

As I stare at Cash, I wonder if anything he’s ever told me was true. If he’s had the company all this time or at least for the last few weeks, does that mean he’s considered this marriage legitimate for that long?

Technically, the terms of our agreement have been met, so the only reason he’s stayed …

Is me.

He maintains eye contact, seemingly unwilling to allow me to look anywhere else.

“All right,” Ermes says, taking a step in our direction. “Well, thanks for the heads-up, kid, but I don’t feel like dealing with either of you outside of here now. I’ll tie up the counterfeit issue on my own and just take over the reins at Primrose Realty.”

Cash’s brows draw in, though the rest of his expression remains neutral. “They won’t just hand you my company if I die.”

“No,” Ermes agrees. “I’ll simply take it.”

Still, something feels off about all of this. Cash’s confession makes sense in the grand scheme, but the mechanics are off. I tap my fingers against my stomach, sifting through each piece of information and trying to complete the puzzle.

Ermes moves forward again, slowly closing the gap between us, clearly not looking for a large margin of error here.

I study Cash’s face, taking in the sharp planes and angles, imprinting them in my mind. If this is the last thing I get to see before I die, at least I’ll go happily.

Knowing I was loved even if only for a fleeting moment in time.

A fleeting moment.

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