Then, quick as a snake striking, he straightens and pulls his gun from the waistband of his pants, aiming it at Victoria’s head.
“Think twice before you do that,” he says quietly.
She uncurls her fingers from the grip of her own gun, which is hidden at the small of her back, tucked into her waistband beneath her shirt. I didn’t think she was still armed, but it occurs to me that maybe she had it in the same go-bag where the clothes were.
My stomach tightens. We should’ve kept a closer eye on her. I should have. I’m the one who convinced the guys to give her a chance to help us. And the first thing she did after we arrived here was sneak back to her car and grab a weapon.
Luckily, although she moved fast, she's not as fast as Marcus.
Her hand still hovering a few inches from the black metal of her gun’s grip, Victoria glares at him, her jaw clenching.
“There’ll be room for you and your family to keep operating as you have been,” Marcus tells her evenly. “Room for expansion, even. We won’t interfere with any part of your business, and Ayla already gave you her word that Jaden will be safe. That’s the best offer you’re going to get.”
Victoria doesn’t move for several long beats, her gaze locked with Marcus’s as she considers her options.
It strikes me suddenly how similar the two of them are—both strong-willed and intense, both passionate and determined. In another life, in another world, maybe their engagement wouldn’t have been a sham.
A ridiculous surge of jealousy rises up in me at the thought, and I shove it down.
Marcus doesn’t want her.
He wants me.
He wants me so much that he dragged me into a dingy bedroom and made me come on his fingers just to prove that I’m his and he’s mine. That he doesn’t want anything Victoria has to offer. That he was accepting her help only because I asked.
He dragged me into that room to make sure I knew he loved me.
And it was exactly what I needed.
It’s not exactly hearts and roses, but I’ve never gone for that shit anyway.
The silence stretches out for another long moment. Then Victoria’s gaze darts to Dominic. “You okay with this?”
He shrugs, looking exhausted. “Yeah. I don’t fucking want it.”
She narrows her eyes a little disdainfully, as if surprised he’d give up so quickly. I am too, honestly.
A flicker of concern passes through me. Maybe he hit his head harder than we thought. I feel a lot better after sleeping for a while, but it doesn’t seem to have helped Dominic any. He still looks pretty awful.
Victoria’s lips press together, forming a hard line. Then she shakes her head. “No. Luca can declare you the winner for the sake of appearances, but once he hands over power—if we actually get him to do it—then we split control of the city. Fifty-fifty.”
Marcus chuckles darkly. “Not a fucking chance. We’ll split it six ways.” He glances at Dominic. “Unless you were serious about not wanting it?”
Dominic’s eyebrows rise a little, a look of interest passing over his face. He straightens, looking more alert. “No. I’m interested.”
“So you three and her”—Victoria gestures toward me—“get two-thirds control?”
“Yes.” Marcus doesn’t even hesitate. He adjusts his grip on his gun slightly. “That’s my final offer.”
I find myself holding my breath as I wait for her response. I could easily see her insisting on half, or even trying to push for more than that. But how badly does she want it?
Marcus is offering her a chance at peace, a chance at power, a chance to protect the man she loves—all without spilling another drop of blood.
Please fucking take it.
As if she’s somehow heard my internal plea, Victoria finally nods and raises her hand, holding it up and away from her gun.
“All right. Six ways.”
The flood of relief almost makes me dizzy, but I keep my face as impassive as the men do. Marcus nods, lowering his weapon, although he doesn’t make any move to set it down or put it away.
“That means we need to set up a meeting with Luca,” Victoria says smoothly, brushing past the fact that we’ve all narrowly avoided a shootout. “In person. He won’t do this any other way.”
“We need some kind of neutral territory then. Somewhere he won’t just march in and fucking shoot us.” Theo grimaces. “All the neutral ground I know of in Halston is only neutral because Luca declared it so. It’d be safe to meet someone else there maybe, but not him.”
“I know where.” Victoria’s has a bitter edge. “The one place he won’t do violence.”
“Where?” I ask.
She meets my gaze, her expression hard. “His wife’s grave.”
I almost choke on my next breath. That wasn’t what I was expecting her to say at all. I imagined she’d suggest some building downtown or someplace, in one of the few places left in Halston that’s controlled by someone other than Luca.
“His wife’s… grave?”
“He considers it sacrosanct.” She shrugs. “Even more than his home. He won’t attack us there, I’m sure of it. Not unless we shoot first.”
“How do you know this?” Marcus sounds suspicious, and I can’t help but notice that his finger is still resting on the trigger of his gun.
The bitterness in her voice deepens. “Jaden told me. Luca made him come along for a negotiation once, and that was the location that was chosen. Luca loved his wife more than anything. Everyone in Halston knows it. Luca was pissed that the buyer picked that as a meeting place specifically because he doesn’t want to tarnish her memory with blood.”
“No, he just wants to see blood spilled everywhere else,” I mutter.
Victoria cuts me a sharp look, but I’m pretty sure the anger in her eyes isn’t directed at me. It’s all meant for Luca.
“It makes sense,” I tell the guys, stepping forward. “We already know how devoted he was to his wife. Losing her wrecked him, but after reading that letter he wrote, it doesn’t surprise me that he considers her burial site sacred ground. She was everything to him.”
Ryland nods slowly, seeming to mull the implications of Victoria’s suggestion over in his mind. “We can do it tonight. Leave here just after dusk and get into position before we contact Luca. Besides being neutral ground, it’s not a bad place for this kind of thing. Gravestones will provide some cover, and I’m sure it’s not well lit. If shit does hit the fan, there are worse places to be.”
“All right.” Marcus nods, finally slipping his gun back into his waistband.
He steps forward and holds out his hand, and although his jaw is clenched so tight that the muscles in his cheek stand out starkly, he keeps his expression neutral as he waits for Victoria to accept.
Thank fuck, she doesn’t make him wait. Her smaller hand swings out to grasp his, and they shake. Once.
That’s all it is, but it’s enough.
“I’ve got some weapons and ammo stashed in the basement,” Dom says, smoothing his unruly dark hair. “Nothing fancy, but it’ll give us more firepower than we have now.”
“Good.” Marcus glances over at my brother. “Show us. Then whoever hasn’t slept yet should get some rest. We’ve still got at least five hours until sunset, so we should make the most of it.”