3

Before long, the door opened and Jack nodded at Landon before letting a man walk through the door and into the room. He must have been absolutely shitting his pants. Dozens of eyes turned his way, and the atmosphere took on an even thicker, more insidious vibe. To his credit, he squared his shoulders and stepped up to the long table where my brothers and their closest men sat.

‘Griff,’ Landon said, almost spitting the word at him.

‘Landon,’ Griff responded with one of those stiff nods that guys who don’t want to touch each other seem to do.

‘Every man in this room wants to have your balls off and ram them down your throat, so I’d get to the point. Fast.’ Erik’s hand fisted on the table as he spoke.

Griff held up his hands. ‘Don’t shoot the messenger, guys. I don’t want to be here any more than you guys want me to be here.’

He visibly swallowed before proceeding. ‘After last night’s get together, Harry has decided he wishes to expedite his courtship with Maddie.’

Numerous faces turned my way as a wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm me. It was supposed to be a decoy. To buy us time. I didn’t want to marry a lecherous pig old enough to be my grandfather, who’d already cost me half of my family.

‘She won’t marry Harry. Not now, not ever. I am not my father and I won’t allow it.’ Landon pushed back his chair and stood, his hands resting on the polished table as he glared at Griff.

‘Harry feared you may say as much, and he agrees that, though lovely, Maddie is a little young even for his tastes. So he has offered an alternative. If Maddie would prefer, she can marry his son Camden. One way or another, he intends on having the McGowan bride, and the ties to your family, that your father promised him.’ Griff’s voice shook a little at the end as he watched my brothers’ faces darken more with each word.

‘No,’ Landon and Erik said in unison.

‘He thought you may say that. So he had me bring you a gift.’ Griff reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and took out a small Tupperware tub. He slid it toward Landon. Landon lifted the lid and paled. I inched closer until I saw the tip of a finger resting inside on a bed of quickly melting ice.

Erik was on his feet with a gun pointed at Griff’s head as I steadied myself on the edge of the table. It was the top of Mac’s pinky finger and I fought back the surge of vomit which tried to make its way into my mouth.

Griff held his ground, despite the barrel of Erik’s gun being metres away.

‘If you agree quickly, the finger will be reattached. If you do not, there are plenty more which can join it.’

I looked desperately at Landon. His jaw twitched as he looked from Erik’s gun to Griff and then down to the finger between them. On his word, Erik would blow Griff’s brains out, but Landon knew he was only the messenger. Time was clearly no longer on our side.

Marrying Camden and being part of the King family wasn’t what I wanted. While they had a lot of power and connections, rumours had it they flouted the rules we kept between the organisations. They were double-crossing, downright awful human beings. Being shackled to either of them made me want to wretch, but undoubtedly Camden was the lesser of two evils. Largely because of his utter disinterest in me. He’d want the match no more than I would. Not only that, but I could use my position in his home as leverage to take the whole King syndicate to its knees. I’d finally get revenge for Mum and Malcolm’s death. I’d still be under a patriarch, but one who I had no problem not listening to.

Erik’s finger twitched against the trigger and I couldn’t hold back anymore.

I stepped forward and put my hand over Erik’s gun, slowly lowering.

‘I’ll do it. I’ll marry Camden.’

‘No.’ Landon’s eyes were wild.

‘It’s the only way.’

‘We just need time...’ he said, his voice softening as I turned to face him. ‘I can’t let them have you. They’ve taken enough.’

‘You’ll lose someone either way. At least this way we both live.’

Landon leaned in closer to me, dropping his voice low. ‘You cannot trust them Maddie, you may not have to marry Harry, but he’ll use you to get to us.’

‘Not if I use them first. Mac would do it for me. I’d never live with myself if they killed him and I could have saved him. It’s the only way,’ I whispered back to him.

‘You’ll be in danger. Every moment of every day.’

‘Until we get rid of them once and for all,’ I whispered. Landon closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again and giving me a small nod.

‘You have your deal. She’ll marry Camden. Now get this back on my brother,’ Landon said while shoving the finger-box back at Griff. ‘And get out of my house before I change my mind.’

Griff nodded while gathering up the box. ‘Harry thought you may agree. I’ve to let you know the wedding is a week tomorrow.’

‘You can’t arrange a wedding in a week,’ I stammered, expecting to have had more time with my brothers before having to leave.

‘He’s already got special dispensation from the registry office. You won’t need to plan anything, just show up. An invitation will follow.’ Griff gave me a tight smile as he tucked the box back into his jacket.

‘I want Mac back before the wedding.’

‘That will not happen. See him as a wedding gift, of sorts.’ Griff nodded once more at the room before turning to excuse himself.

I slumped into Dad’s empty chair as the surrounding men filtered out, following my brothers from the room.

When I was alone entirely, I gave way to the tears.

I had never had a serious boyfriend, and I knew I was likely to end up marrying for connections rather than love, but the thought of being with a man I hated tore a hole through my chest.

There was no choice but to bring about the ruin of the King family as quickly, and hopefully as painfully, as possible.