Page 61 of Collateral Claim

If a woman wronged her, I could send Slada. She’ll fix it all right.

“Is there something you want to tell me?” I ask. I’m not big on small talk. Say what you mean and mean what you say, or sit in silence.

Scarlett sits back and expels a breath as if releasing tension. Whatever’s on her mind is as heavy as my worries over my brother, over what I’ll do with her if her father doesn’t comply.

I gambled on a sure thing. I took his fucking daughter, but clearly, he’s not responding the way a father should. Does he not love her? I know he’s using her and her sister for power moves and personal gain, but that’s nothing compared to what he’s doing now with me. He’s risking her life.

He thinks I won’t go through with what I told him I’d do. I need to send a message. A firmer one. Hearing about our wedding should get him moving faster. “Did you hear what I asked?”

Scarlett clears her throat. “No, sorry. I thought you were talking to your nephews.”

“I asked if there was something you wanted to tell me.”

“Thank you,” she says.

“Thank you?” I frown. “Thank you for what?”

“For the flowers.”

She’s throwing me off my game. I swear to God, I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing with this woman. Why can’t I pin her down? She’s driving me crazy.

“You’re welcome. Aren’t you upset with me?”

“For what?”

“Everything.”

“Yes, I’m upset with you, but I don’t want to argue with you today.”

I sit up again. “Why not? That’s what we do.”

A smile plays on her lips. “I signed the contract for the wedding reception. You’re going to be upset when you see the cost, which makes me happy. My quota for the day is fulfilled. I can sit in the car and cry about how bad I feel for having to do this and lie to everyone, and I’m going to miss the dog and all these people you’ve made me work with.” She licks her lips.

“There’s a hundred-thousand-dollar deposit that I’ve made nonrefundable. So you’ll owe Fiada that money for the time she put into creating a reception you’ll end up canceling. And you will be the one to cancel, not me, because I won’t be here to disappoint her. Fiada is really nice, and everyone is excited about the wedding.” Her chin quivers. “They want to make this awful thing between us work. People are invested.”

“Or I can marry you.”

Scarlett fists her hands in her lap.That a girl. Get mad at me.

“You are joking. Say it’s a joke.”

My jaw is locked tight. She must process the possibility that I’ll follow through on what I said I’d do. Engagement to marriage.

When I don’t deny what I think might be her worst fear, she continues. “That wasn’t part of the deal. The deal was that I would stay with you until your brother is located.”

“I’m still waiting on that.”

“Wait longer.”

“My brother can’t wait,” I bite out. “My brother could be dying for all I know, and every day, every hour, every minute I spend waiting could mean life and death for him. I need your father to act fast, and he’s dragging his feet. The news of the marriage will make him work faster. What’s the date?”

Her eyes narrow. “You came into the clinic with a plan. You engineered all of it, didn’t you?”

I neither confirm nor deny.

“You’ve lost your mind,” she adds.

“The date, Scarlett.”