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“Don’t shoot,” I cry out.
They all turn and look at me—none of them knowing who I’m referring to.
Andrea tries to take a step toward Kit, but Vincent speaks first. “Enough.”
His voice is booming, echoing through the room.
Vincent looks from man to man to me. Like he’s finally piecing together a puzzle. “Lennox, I know you’re here.”
I stare around the room in confusion but see Lennox walk out of the shadows in the corner of the room—a slit of a door left open behind him. Apparently, there is more than one door leading into this room. Now that I think about it, Vincent usually prefers a house with secret tunnels underneath, so I shouldn’t be surprised.
But I am surprised to see Lennox here.
He doesn’t pull out his gun like the others. His eyes just cut to me with lava-bubbling rage before he looks back to the circle of men.
“Lower your weapons—both of you,” Vincent says.
Kit and Andrea immediately lower their guns.
When Vincent is satisfied, he holsters his gun.
“Now, I’ve had enough of this. We are going to settle this once and for all.” Vincent glares at each of the men, driving the fear of god into all of them. There is no sign of recently being shot in his stance, no pain etched on his face—just pure fury beating down on all of us.
“All three of you think you are the best for my daughter. Lennox—I gave you the job, and so far, you’ve failed. Rialta wants nothing to do with you. Kit—you think my daughter loves you, but it’s just puppy love that comes from being her first. It’s not real, and you don’t have the skills to keep her safe, no matter how convincing you tried to be coming to her rescue. And Andrea—you may have the skills to protect her, but you’re a power-hungry ass. You care more about replacing me than my daughter.”
Vincent looks to me with an exhausted look.
I shake my head in frustration. Don’t do this, my eyes beg. Let me make my own choice, please.
Vincent sighs, but his eyes glow with rage.
“None of you are good enough for Rialta. All of you are fools in your own ways. But I’m getting older, and as much as I try, I won’t live forever. Eventually, The Abyss or someone else will finally succeed in killing me, and I need to know my family line is taken care of. I need to know Rialta and her children will survive. The Corsi family will continue forever.”
Vincent walks toward me, looking at me intently. If he’s trying to tell me something, I have no idea what it is. He turns and leans on the desk, turning to face the three men.
“I’m tired of the three of you fighting for my daughter. So I’m proposing a final challenge. It’s the same challenge I gave to Lennox, and he’s failed to fulfill. You have three tasks you have to complete in order to win the right to ask Rialta to be yours forever. She can still say no, though, even if you complete all three tasks and are the rightful winner.”
My eyebrows shoot up at the power he’s giving me.
“So I would consider if you will be able to convince Rialta to be your partner forever before you decide to enter. The three tasks you must complete are to kill The Abyss, prove to me you love Rialta, and then produce an heir within a year of her agreeing to be yours.”
Vincent stares each of them down one at a time—Andrea, Kit, and Lennox.
“Whoever completes the tasks first, wins. But you must achieve all three.”
There’s a charge about the room—of anticipation of Vincent’s final declaration.
“You must choose now if you will compete or surrender now. If you surrender, you can walk out that door, and no one here will think about you again. No one will go after you. You will be free to live out the rest of your life in peace.”
He pauses for dramatic effect.
“But if you decide to compete, then realize you’re taking the same blood oath Lennox took when he agreed to marry my daughter. If you win, you get a chance with my daughter. If you fail, you die.”
Chapter 22
Lennox
I should be tired of Vincent’s games, but I get why he does it. Rialta lives without fear. She’s so free and willing to risk everything just to enjoy life. She doesn’t hide away in fear of a man hunting her down one day. And so that’s how she chooses her relationships.
