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“Very well,” Damius stood at the end of the table. “Vincent is to take the oath with the Thorne girl. This matter won’t be spoken about again. Now,” he clapped his hands, the side doors opened. “We shall celebrate, Marcels announcement on my first great grandson, to be named in my honor.”

Too bad if they didn’t want to name their kid after him. Damius the fourth. Fuck that for a first name.

I shared a look with Nikolai as the drinks started to be poured.

I had never needed a drink more. How was I going to explain to Madeline she didn’t have a choice about marrying into our sick fucked up family?

The car ride back with Nikolai was silent. Every possible way I thought of telling her seemed to just not be right.

The only choice I could give her was me or August.

My stomach twisted. What if she wanted to marry August?

“I blew up the Thornes yard.”

What the fuck.

I turned to look at Nikolai. Who had been silent for the last two and a half hours on the drive home.

“So, under no fucking circumstances are you to let Maddy marry August, understand? She doesn’t get a choice between you and him. It’s just you.” He turned to look at me. “I didn’t carefully plan, start a war, keep all our hands clean, for you to fuck up my plan at the end. Then for us all to end up in a worse position.”

He started their war. So Marcel was right. Knowing they really hadn’t been responsible infuriated me more.

“Clearly you’re not very fucking busy.” I shook my head. While I was carrying this family, mister arson was flying up the coast starting wars. “When did you put all this in motion?”

“That night at the club, when I found you in the hall.” He checked his watch. “Honestly, you’re unbearable without her. I forgot how bad you could get.”

“Unbearable?”

“Worse than when you were sleep deprived because of the twins.” He shook his head, “and I’m not letting you slip back to how bad you were at twenty-five. Just before you met her. I nearly lost you.”

Gritting my teeth.

The car stopped at his front door.

“Her engagement falling apart just before it made it easier. I had already organized a hit on Noah.” He opened the car door. “Maddy belongs with you and our family, so don’t fuck this up. Understand? She doesn’t have a choice. Do I need to be the bad guy and be the one that tells her?”

Not getting out of the car, he waited for my answer.

The bastard waited until the last possible moment to tell me on the drive home.

“Vince, do I need to tell her?”

Shifting on the seat. “No. I’ll handle it.”

“Good.” He got out, closing the door.

CHAPTER 17

Madeline

I laid back against Vince. “You put them back on.” Holding his fingers, I traced across his rings.

“Yeah, a few minutes after you took them off.” He linked his hand with mine, slowly stroking my thumb. “You were too distracted to notice.”

I sighed. Now I had all that to look forward to again. The indecision, the questions, the overthinking.

It didn’t help my parents had been acting weird all week. I even saw my mother smile at dad. Which just wasn’t normal. Ever.