“Pass,” Monroe says.
I ignore her. “I’m sure you have responsibilities and other things requiring your attention in your respective factions. Obviously you can’t go home, but we’re willing to loosen the leash a bit. There’s no reason for your companies and factions to suffer simply because you’re Brides.” The jab isn’t my most subtle, but I’m irritated and trying hard not to let it get control.
Monroe goes still. She might play like she’s a loose cannon, but it’s a ploy just like Eli’s easy charm is a ploy. People see the pretty face and the irreverent attitude and, despite her being the Amazon heir, they underestimate her.
“Are we expected to run things remotely from Paine territory?” Fallon’s fingers drift to her ankle again. “That’s a potential security breach that won’t be ignored by our people. You might as well keep us under lock and key and be done with it.”
This, I expected. I wrap my hands around my cup of tea. Like last time, neither of them took me up on my offer to share. “I’m merely opening up negotiations. I’m sure there’s a compromise that can get the job done.”
“I doubt it.”
I give Fallon a long look. “It’s your choice, but with you and Matteo gone, do you really think Juniper won’t take advantage of this opening?” Fallon’s sister was third in line for the Mystic throne, and she is actually a loose cannon if ever there was one. Cruel and petty and with no impulse control to speak of, if she took over, both the Mystic faction and Sabine Valley as a whole will suffer. Even Matteo with his dreamy demeanor would be a better option.
Then again, positioning Juniper to take the throne would be a brilliant way to undermine the Mystics and set them up for a hostile takeover from one of the other two factions. It’s ruthless in the extreme and required playing the long game, but I wouldn’t put anything past Abel at this point.
Fallon clenches her jaw, and her eyes flare. “She wouldn’t dare.”
“She would, and you know it. She’s probably already started.” I turn to Monroe. “Your mother followed in the Amazon tradition of teaching her oldest two daughters to rule so that if anything happened to you, Thea will be able to step in and your people will be fine.”
Monroe loses her smile. “I’m not dead; she’s the spare for a reason.”
“You might as well be dead, Monroe. If you stay here for the next year without reasserting your position, you might not have a position to come back to.” I sit back. “Look, call me a lap dog if you want, but the truth is that I want what’s best for my faction. That means that I will do whatever it takes to smooth the way as long as the Paines don’t fuck with our bottom line. That also means that I have no interest in war. Both of your factions are too strong to take on without bleeding Sabine Valley dry—at the moment.” I pause meaningfully. “In a year? That might be a different story.”
“Bitch,” Monroe snarls.
“If you want to insult me, you’re going to have to try harder.”
Monroe shakes her head slowly. “Okay, fine, you have us over a barrel. What do you want?”
“Speak for yourself.” Fallon’s tone could freeze the entire room several times over. “But I will listen to your proposal.”
This is going better than expected. I can only open the door. It’s going to be up to the Paines to enforce it. “We can negotiate you returning to your factions on a limited basis to maintain your power and continue whatever projects you have going right now—with some conditions.” I tick them off on my fingers. “You will not transport anything to or from this faction. Your family members who are Brides will remain behind to ensure good behavior. And you will give your word that you will uphold the Bridal agreement, which means doing nothing to harm, directly or indirectly, the Paine brothers or the Raider faction.”
“You ask too much.”
Monroe laughs. “Get that stick out of your ass, Fallon.” She pushes to her feet and smooths her hands down her body. “I agree, on one condition.”
“I’m listening.”
Her grin is razor sharp. “We limit the definition of harm as physical and financial when it comes to Broderick Paine. I won’t bloody him, but I’m going to spend the next year tormenting the fuck out of him.”
I open my mouth to say no but change my mind halfway through. She’s going to do it anyway. If I give her this concession, then there’s a decent chance Monroe will keep her word, and it will negate the risk of larger consequences. I’ve only seen Broderick in passing, but if he’s even halfway as capable as Abel, he can handle whatever Monroe throws at him. If he’s not? Well, that’s a him problem, not a faction problem. “Deal.”