“What are you getting at?” I pressed.
She cocked her head, a coy smile in her eyes. “Something a little more concrete,” she said. “A future. Alliances are still made this way.”
Alliances? I looked at my friends, trying to gauge any understanding of what the fuck she was talking about in their eyes, too, but they seemed just as lost as me.
But as I dropped my gaze to the picture again, it slowly started to hit me. My heart pumped harder, and my fists under my crossed arms clenched.
She wasn’t serious.
“You’re talking about a marriage?” Rika blurted out, glaring at her.
But Banks spoke to me. “She currently lives in London,” she informed me. “She speaks fluent English, French, Spanish, and Russian. She’s well-educated—”
“Get the fuck out.” Michael laughed bitterly.
“And she’s… untouched,” Banks finished as if Michael wasn’t about to explode three feet from her.
I leaned forward, staring at her. Untouched. A virgin.
“You’re joking,” I charged. What century was Gabriel living in? A marriage? This was fucking ludicrous.
Hell, no!
But she just cocked her head at me. “The only way we can see that you won’t be tempted to hurt the Torrance family is if you’re invested with the Torrance family,” she explained. “We want an alliance that’s binding.”
I could barely breathe. I mean, I couldn’t say she was wrong, I guess. Marriages in certain families could be much more about keeping wealth and alliances secure rather than anything else, but there was no way I was doing something like that.
“For this, you will have complete autonomy over her inheritance,” she told me, “including the properties which her parents left her when they passed away several years ago.” She paused, drawing out the last bit. “And you’ll have The Pope. Free of charge. As a wedding present.”
Will sat with his arms folded over his chest, watching the scene with mild amusement, while Rika looked at me, troubled. Her entire body was stiff, and she cast a hard look at Banks out of the corner of her eye.
“He’s not marrying Damon’s cousin, okay?” Michael stood up, looking like he was done talking. “This is fucking bullshit. We don’t need the hotel. We’ll…find what we need on our own.” He gave me a knowing look, indicating our search for Damon.
Will grabbed the picture off the table and joked, “Well, I’ll marry her.”
But Michael ignored him, prodding me. “Kai? Tel
l her to fuck off and leave.”
But I held her dark gaze, seeing the corner of her mouth turn up just slightly, unable to hide her enjoyment at this.
“Kai?” Rika prompted when I didn’t answer Michael.
I took a deep breath and sat back in my chair, clearing my throat. “Guys, leave us alone for a minute, okay?”
“Kai?” Michael said again.
I looked up at him, trying to appear at ease. “A few minutes, okay?”
My friends all hesitated, looking between the girl and me and clearly not wanting to leave me alone with her. It was a credit to her, I suppose. That they thought she was that dangerous.
They left the room and closed the door behind them, and I picked up the photograph, holding it up. “You think you can show me a picture and that alone is supposed to tell me that’s the woman who should have my children?”
She shrugged. “She’s young, healthy…. What more do you need to know? She’ll please you.”
I laughed quietly. Jesus Christ. “It takes a lot to please me,” I taunted. “Remember?”
Her small smirk fell, and she straightened in her chair.