Page 51 of Sapphires and Snakes

“You’re right,” I say. Because I have to get him out of Alphabet House and remove the threat before it escalates any further. And the only way to do that is tell him exactly what he wants to hear. I lick my lips. If I were either of my parents, I would sacrifice Rita for the power play. I wouldn’t capitulate to Marcus’s demands. My ego would require I stand tall and let him throw a fit, even if it meant slaughter.

But I’m not them. A couple months ago, I would have wanted to live up to their expectations of me and would have spilled whoever’s blood to do so. Now, as I watch Rita choke back sobs and fight to keep her face full of anger rather than show a hint of fear as she faces down the brutal Accardi prince, I realize how much pride has ruled each of us.

No more.

“I’ll marry you, Marcus,” I mutter.

Pat’s eyes bug out, and they shake their head, like they can answer for me. Even Rita on the screen flinches at the words. I ignore them both.

All of us—me, Mother, Father, Tamayo, Marcus—we’ve put our egos before the good of our families, the good of each other. We commit crimes, game the system, enact violence, but we’re meant to take care of our own, not sacrifice them. And now Marcus stands with a small battalion in Alphabet House, gun pointed at one of the best people I know and threatening to rip something good and precious from this world so that he can take more power.

But power isn’t in the taking, it’s in the wielding. And I will wield what power I have.

I meet Marcus’s smug face, victory within his grasp, and show him what he wants to see—acquiescence. I pull my shoulders in, make myself smaller, and hide the plan forming in the back of my mind. “I’ll marry you in a few weeks.”

He narrows his eyes. “Why not now?”

“This must be incontestable.” And I need time to move the pieces into place. “Your stunt at the engagement party means everything we do will be scrutinized for duress. And you know the North and East don’t want us to… join forces.” I almost gag on the words. “They’ll do whatever they can to stop us.”

Marcus considers that, the tip of his gun still pressing into Rita’s forehead. I let him follow my logic to its end, let him believe we’re on a team. And he swallows it down without a fuss. “Fine. But you’ll move in with me until then.”

Absolutely not. “I don’t think that will help our case, Marcus.”

“I don’t trust you.” He glances pointedly to the gun, to Rita, to the coercion he orchestrated to force me to agree to marry him.

“I’ll move back in with my parents.” The irony of my and Pat’s conversation earlier compared to this one now almost forces a maniacal snort of laughter out of me. I bite down on it before it can escape.

“Danny stays with you,” Marcus says.

“Fine.” I do my best not to glance at the Snake himself in the background of the call.

Marcus levels me with a dangerous glare and a sadistic grin. “And you’ll have no further contact with Andrea Tamayo or her people. None. Or I’ll come back here and do more than threaten.”

I bat my eyelashes at him and make my voice sickly sweet. “And if you try to force us to marry earlier or hurt them in any way, I’ll get my tubes tied and you’ll never have a legitimate heir.”

He laughs, like this is fun. Like I’m a perfect match to his brutal cruelty. He holsters his gun, finally. “Christmas Day, then.”

I roll my eyes. “You’re so dramatic.”

“See you at the altar.”

“I’ll be the one vomiting.”

Marcus ignores me and cups Rita’s chin, stroking his thumb across the already blooming bruise on her cheekbone. “We’ll see you there, hm? You’ll make sure my bride behaves?”

Rita doesn’t answer, her whole body stiff with fear and anger.

“Good.” Marcus settles against the desk again. “Where are you?”

I wave a hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll call my father for a pickup.”

“No, I’ll call him.”

“Absolutely not,” I snap. “I don’t trust you not to kidnap me. Plus, this has to at leastappearlike my choice.”

He sighs. “Then have your pickup include Danny.”

“Fine.” The weight of what I’ve just agreed to settles into my body, sharp in my muscles, nauseous in my gut. I can’t pay off my family’s debts and I can’t marry Marcus, which leaves one path forward. My parents will hate it, but they lost all rights when they put their ego before the family.