Page 49 of Corruption
Vince reached out, placing a hand on my neck, forcing me to focus on him once more.
“I’m not obsessed with her,” I asserted.
“But you are, and that’s all right. She’s been in your thoughts every day for years.”
“I want to hurt her, not save her,” I growled softly.
“But you don’t want to release her either,” he pointed out. “We both knew a month could never truly satisfy you, but it proved you listened to my advice. You understood that indulging in this game for too long would make it impossible to end it when the time came. But you must end it. This promise of marriage to the North will ensure that you do. You can have your fun, Jared. You can make your point clear, but don’t lose yourself to her. You want the power? Then show me that you’re truly done with her. Prove to yourself that you don’t actually need her.”
I grabbed his wrist, digging my nails into his skin, but he didn’t flinch. He simply smiled.
“I don’t fucking need her. She’ll need me! I’ll be everything she thinks about!”
“Because it would make you feel better about the fact that you can’t get her out of your head either,” he pointed out.
“You’re wrong. I hate her more than anyone I’ve ever hated in my entire life, and my father abused me from the moment my mother walked out the door and left me there. I’d choose a lifetime of being stuck with him over ever admitting I want her or need her,” I retorted.
“Then what’s so wrong about this marriage?”
“I don’t know the woman!”
“And? You’ve slept with strangers before.”
“Sex and marriage are two very different things,” I reminded him.
“It’s just a piece of paper.”
“Between us, it won’t be, and you know that.”
“Or maybe you’re saying no because it means making a promise to truly let Alison go,” he challenged.
I pushed his hand away, glaring at him, yet Vince continued to smile. He knew me too well, knew how to provoke a reaction. So, I walked back to the couch and sat down, Vince joining me.
“Have you thought about it, Henrick?” Vince asked.
“Giving my daughter to the man who killed her brother?” Henrick scoffed. “Why would I ever give my daughter to such a fucking loser?”
“Yes, because being tied to you Vikings is such a delight,” I retorted.
“Being a Viking is a profession, not a species, but this shows the extent of American education,” he countered, making me roll my eyes.
“I don’t really give a fuck about Swedish history.”
“We are Norwegian,” the daughter finally interjected, her smile still fixed on me. I didn’t like that smile, not because she wasn’t attractive or because there was anything wrong with it, but rather the message hidden in her eyes. What the hell did it mean?
“Let’s not delve into the details of heritage, shall we? Do we have an agreement?” Vince asked.
“Why should I agree?” Henrick questioned.
“Because it’s a good deal. Two families united to lead this city. We wouldn’t need to worry about each other because we’d be family.”
Henrick appeared to ponder it, but then his daughter leaned in, grabbing his hand and speaking softly to him. The two men standing behind them leaned in as well, all of them conversing in their native tongue, ensuring that Vince and I couldn’t understand what was being discussed. They spoke quickly, but eventually, they all turned back to us, and the smile on his daughter’s lips had grown even wider.
“Astrid was always the smartest of my children,” Henrick admitted, a clear warning in his eyes. “Hurt my daughter in any way, and don’t expect your dick and balls to remain attached.”
The threat was unnecessary, and I simply stared at him before he turned to Vince.
“You have a deal, but I want this to happen fast to ensure you’re serious,” Henrick added.
