Page 119 of Sadistic

"No."

"Then we do this." Runes stands, commanding the room. "But we do it smart. Ingrid, you'll have backup. Hidden, but there. The moment things go sideways?—"

"They won't," she promises. "I know him. Even manic, there's still Njal in there. He wants to be the hero. I just have to show him who the real villain is."

"And after?" I ask. "When the dust settles?"

"If he's alive, he gets help," Runes repeats. "That's the deal. We're not executioners. We're family."

The word hangs heavy.

Family.

These people who threatened to kill me if I hurt Revna, now working beside me to protect her.

The irony isn't lost.

"What about Bembe's timeline?" I ask. "Twenty-four hours puts us at?—"

"Two PM tomorrow," Fenrir finishes. "Middle of your wedding."

"He planned that," Rati growls. "Wants maximum impact. Either you cave and apologize, looking weak in front of everyone, or he starts his war during your reception."

"Neither's happening," I say firmly. "By tomorrow morning, this will be handled."

"One way or another," Runes agrees.

He pulls me aside as the others work out logistics.

His hand on my shoulder is surprisingly gentle, fatherly almost.

"You know why I agreed to this marriage?"

"The alliance. Protection for the club."

"That's part of it." He guides me toward the window overlooking the parking lot.

Below, I can see Revna's new Audi, Dalla's beside it.

They're here. Safe, for now. "But mostly, it was how you looked at her."

"What?"

"Five years ago. That Christmas party where she told me to fuck off." His smile is nostalgic. "You were there with your parents. Watching from the corner like you always did. But when she stood up to me, when she showed that fire... your face changed."

I remember that night.

The dress, the defiance, the moment I knew she'd own me forever.

The way the light caught her hair, the fury in her eyes, the absolute lack of fear in the face of a room full of killers.

"You looked at her like she was already yours," he continues. "Not in a possessive way—well, not just possessive. Like you'd been waiting your whole life, and suddenly there she was. That's when I knew."

"Knew what?"

"That this arrangement might actually work. That my daughter might find something real in all this mess." His grip tightens. "But if your pride gets her killed, if your need to control everything costs her life, I'll feed you to the gators in pieces. Understand?"

"If I get her killed, I'll help you do it."

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