Page 22 of Stryker's Ruin
Something breaks free inside me. The chains of fear and rejection are crumbling. This man, who claims he doesn’t deserve me, has already given me, shown me, more autonomy and respect than I’ve had my whole life.
I’m a little heady with the power he’s given me, the independence. When he bought me the purse, he took cash from his own wallet to ‘get me started’ and told me to buy something for myself. He patiently waited, while I chose a lip gloss and a beaded hair clasp similar to what Charmaine wore to hold up her hair.
“As you say, I deserve to make my own choices. Not even you can make them for me. You don’t get to choose if I deserve you or not. You get to decide how you feel about me. I get to decide how I feel about you.
“I may be innocent in many things, but I’m not naive. Biology was one of my better classes. I want to be with you. My choice. Is it quick? I don’t know. Ettore told me she took one look at herhusband and knew he was the one. I know when I’m with you I’m happy.”
I slide off the counter. “Perhaps we should sleep and see what tomorrow brings. I’ll shower first. Can you work in bed again?”
He nods.
I leave him to his thoughts. God knows mine are swirling. When he finally joins me in the bed I feign sleep. He doesn’t work long before turning off the light and rolling to his side behind me. As if unable to resist he carefully snuggles up behind me and places his hand on my hip. I fall asleep tucked safely against his warmth.
The next morning I’m still struggling with my emotions. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to be a bargaining chip. Sitting at the breakfast bar, my hand trembles as I take the coffee Stryker offers me.
“How much have they told you?” he asks.
“Nothing. Only that I have to marry this man as a contractual agreement between the two families. I already told you what I overheard.”
“Have you seen pictures? Know anything about the O’Kelleys?”
“I haven’t even seen pictures of the Camassas.”
He shakes his head, sits on the stool next to me and opens his computer. He pulls up photos as he talks.
“Vince wants you at the restaurant at five for cocktails then dinner. There will be a party of ten. My guess is it will be Vince, Moe, your real father who you saw in the office, and Johnny who’s pretending to be your father. Your half-brother, Nico will be there as well.”
He pauses as I study my family. They are all big bulky men. I have their dark hair, but my hazel green eyes are different, and my frame is much smaller. “I must have gotten my mother’s eyes and build.”
He gives my thigh a gentle squeeze before going on.
“The O’Kelleys will be Anlon who’s head of the family like Vince, his son Oscar, and Oscar’s son, Garvey, who they want you to marry.
“The concern is the two grandsons. Both of them are hotheads. Their business choices are competitive to start. Garvey runs a nightclub; Nico has a brewery and bar. They both trash talk the other publicly. And both want more power, and influence. Both are in line for the enforcer positions in their families and are hungry to make power plays. These two families are mortal enemies.
“Most intelligent mafia heads have turned to white-collar crime. Easier to get away with and very lucrative. It appears that Vince and Anlon have been moving their families in that direction. The grandsons are extremely competitive and immature. They’re caught up in the fantasy of the violent glory days.”
“Violent?”
“Killing off each other’s families.” A muscle in his cheek twitches. “No one in either family is innocent. The old ‘eye for an eye’ is ingrained in every crime family, no matter what they’re called. Some have managed to take their clans legit or at least become less violent. But they all have their limits, and their enforcers, who will even the score if it’s too grievous.”
“And Garvey is an enforcer? He’s killed for his family?”
“We believe so. We suspect not all the deaths attributed to him are for—family honor. We’re looking for proof.”
“And this marriage is supposed to bring peace between the families?”
“It’s the old school solution. Once joined, if there is an issue, the family heads agree on the restitution.”
“Does Vince really think a bastard daughter is valuable enough? No one even knows of my existence.” I meet his furtive gaze. “You said you’d never lie to me.”
“It’s a shot. If it works, great. If not, it buys Vince time to make other plans to take out the competition. And he hasn’t lost anything of value.”
I swallow, already knowing the truth, but grateful for his honesty. “Thank you.”
He pulls me into his arms. “Mo stór, I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll find a way to relocate you and hide you. I’ll make sure you’re safe. You can trust me.”
I’ve seen the lies, the disgust, even the hate my whole life from Vince. I do trust Stryker. Completely. With my life and my heart.