Page 57 of Theirs to Possess: The Marriage Claim
Within an hour, I had the price.
Five hundred large.
I’d whistled. That was a hell of a lot of money to immediately come up with in unmarked bills.
When convenient and seemed natural, I’d informed Moretti.
“Pay it.”
As if this party and my potential upcoming campaign weren’t big enough expenses?
Of course there’d be no Senate seat if my name was tied to this incident.
Jesus fucking hell.
“I can’t be tied to this,”Moretti had insisted.
As if I could?
Lucian Hawthorne handled the wire transfer, bouncing the money around the world a dozen times before bringing it in and landing it in an offshore account.
“Still waiting for an answer, Vale.”
Brennan’s sharp tone cuts through my ruminations. “If Marco’s not already out, I’d be surprised.”
“You didn’t think to mention any of this?”
Of course not. There was no need.
I sip the whiskey, the burn steadying me. Castillo’s old tricks still haunt us—loan scams were his game before he fucked us on that land deal. “It’s handled.”
“Fuck you.” Brennan slams down his glass on the mantel.“Handled? You wired five hundred grand without a word. It’sourcash, asshole.Half mine. And what the hell are you doing, playing ball with Moretti?”
“No harm. No foul.”
“No harm. No foul?”His low, threatening tone is the kind that used to send punks running back when we were clawing our way up.
He stalks closer, his eyes blazing. “You’re betting our cash, our livelihoods, even the risk of jail, and you don’t even blink. I know you’re a selfish sonofabitch. But come on. Isla’s an innocent, man.”
An innocent.
I freeze, the drink halfway to my lips.
Masking the jolt to my gut, I deliberately set the glass down.
“She deserves a husband who thinks things through and considers all the angles. You’re responsible for her now.”
I shove aside the realization he’s right. Instead, I say, “Isla doesn’t need to know about any of this.” The mob, what abastard her father truly is, my past, the woman I can’t forget…
“Doesn’t need to—” Brennan clenches and unclenches his fists. “The fuck are you talking about, Vale? She’s not some sidepiece. She’s ours forever.” His voice cracks, softer now, and I see it—guilt flickering in his eyes, the same shadow from when Lena bled out in that Houston alley.
And curse it all. Tendrils of remorse nip at me. I’m unfamiliar with the feeling, and I fucking don’t like it.
“You exchanged vows.”
This time.
“Isla willingly gave herself to us.” Brennan glances over his shoulder, back toward the bedroom. “Yeah. She’s tough all right. Priceless.”
