AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Before you refuse, you should know I’m already in love with Adrien. Marrying him isn’t exactly a hardship since I already said yes.”
Looking into her eyes, I saw strength and resolve, tempered by a lightness I hadn’t seen since Antoni was alive. She really did love Adrien just as much as she loved my brother, and this was likely the only way she could have him. Emmanuel or Christian would marry him off if I didn’t help her.
By agreeing, she could finally marry the man she wanted. She could move on in the way I knew she’d been dying to for years.
That it would clear the city of Cash at the same time was a boon I couldn’t ignore.
“I don’t want this to be like Cameron,” I admitted.
“It won’t be. Adrien’s… He’s amazing, but he’s also real. He hasn’t lied to me, and he’s proven it. I know that means nothing to you, but I’m asking you to trust me. I know what I’m doing.” When I nodded reluctantly—because what else could I do? —she straightened in her seat. “I’ll do it.”
Christian’s jaw clenched, while Emmanuel looked at her like she was roadkill. “What use is a friend with no power to us?”
“Shara is my sister in all but name, and if we’d had even a few more months with Antoni, she would’ve been that too.”
“Ah, this is the would-be fiancée.” Suddenly Emmanuel’s gaze was far more appraising.
“Yes.”
“Fine, she’ll marry?—”
“Me.”
Adrien started and Shara clenched her fists at her sides at Christian’s interruption, but neither of them spoke, so I did.
“No.” Marrying her to Adrien because she was in love with him was one thing. Marrying her to Christian was another.
“Yes,” Emmanuel said, jumping on anything to make me uncomfortable. Dick. “Your sister will marry my heir.”
He grinned at my unimpressed look, but my focus was taken by the two men beside him. Adrien glared at his best friend like he was ready to fight to the death. I couldn’t see Christian’s face well, but he maintained a haughty air that said he was baiting his second.
If you want her, you’ll have to get through me. It made me like him less and Adrien more.
Adrien slid his eyes to Shara, and only when she shook her head did he back down, though there was no doubt he was going to make Christian pay. As my cousin twisted back to us, Adrien watched Shara with a look of such stark devotion and possession that it made my skin tingle.
“Jesus,” Nate whispered behind us, and it made me laugh.
Shara’s firm nod pushed me to answer, though it pained me to do it. “Agreed.”
Emmanuel and I stood, shaking on the deal before he turned to Christian with a grin then looked at Two-Bit. “Congratulations, boys.”
What the hell is he— No.
My stomach dropped. It didn’t make sense at first, but Two-Bit was here, when he’d otherwise been separated from Osorio business. Why else would Emmanuel have invited him unless…
“You made them co-heirs.”
Emmanuel’s smirk got bigger. “I did.”
Christian’s head snapped toward him. “What? When?”
“No,” Two-Bit snarled.
“Now, and yes. My grandsons will take over for their father.” He sent a disapproving glance toward Rafael, who stood with his mouth open in shock. “You’ll both marry the girl.”
Every part of me wanted to pull Shara away, not willing to let her get involved in what was bound to be a brotherly shitshow, but she held firm. “Okay.”
I could practically see Two-Bit’s mind whirling, trying hard to come up with a way to get out of being pulled further into the life he clearly hated, but there wasn’t one. He’d come to the meeting, and even if he hadn’t fully agreed, he’d shown his support as an Osorio. Just being here, he had signed his name on the dotted line. Unless he gave up pretending and told them all the truth, he was going to rule at his brother’s side whether he liked it or not.
