Page 108 of Marked By Moonlight

“I can turn Anastasia against Jensen — who, by the way, will probably try to cut you out of the deal.”

“Nonsense.”

“Don’t believe me? Check your own files,” I snipped. “You’ll find reference after reference to him delighting in cutting the middleman. But that’s a moot point if Anastasia decides to look for another buyer. That de Mézières woman, for example.”

“The influencer?” His face went all stormy. “You wouldn’t.”

“No, I won’t, as long as you assure me of the following.” I stood and stretched to my full height while he remained seated. “You declare the conditions of your contracts with Marius, Roux, Benedict, and Henrik met, to be replaced with normal — dare I say, voluntary — contracts that run to the end of their original term with you. So, nothing changes, except their pardons are guaranteed, effective immediately.”

I’d had the past few hours to think it all over, and that’s what I’d come up with. And yes, I’d been sorely tempted to leave Henrik off the list, but I’d decided not to stoop that low.

Lord knew I’d come close, though.

Gordon’s eyes narrowed. “What do you know of their contracts with me?”

“More than I ever wanted.” He was about to protest, so I hurried on. “If you want this deal to go through, you will agree to my terms.”

He stared in shock. “Yourterms?”

Ungrateful bratwent through his mind, but I had prepared myself for that.

“I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Gordon. For all of us, for all these years.”

“And yet here you are, making demands of me,” he said bitterly, likeIwas the one who’d usedhim.

“Not making demands. I’m defending myself and defending men whose lives you have no problem risking, again and again.”

He shrugged. “They work in a risky business.”

I banged my hand on the table. “That business isyourbusiness! Something you’ve hidden from us all these years.”

He shook his head. “Again, you’ve been misled.”

I had no desire to go down that rabbit hole of an argument, so I finished quickly.

“All these years, I’ve loved and appreciated you, Gordon. I’ve been able to do so much thanks to your support. But manipulation and deceit are not part of a healthy relationship.”

“Which you hope to achieve with the likes of that dragon shifter?”

That rabble, his tone implied.

“None of your business, in the same way your personal choices are none of mine.”

My teacher side tapped on my shoulder, telling me to end this while I was ahead. I’d said what I had to say. Going on would simply open the door to argument.

“What happened to you wanting the best for the painting?” Gordon snipped viciously.

I’d already turned to the door, but at that, I turned back. “A question I’ve asked myself a thousand times. But I think the answer lies with you, not me.”

My heart raced, and every nerve in my body tensed as I marched out the door. But march out the door I did, leaving a dangerously disgruntled Gordon in my wake.

Chapter Twenty-Two

MARIUS

Every minute Mina spent with Gordon was an eternity. But Celeste was in our suite with the rest of us, so I couldn’t pace, roar, or vow to kill Gordon in a thousand different ways. I just stood by the window, my back to the room, trying not to quiver with rage.

Go in there and help her!my dragon howled.