Nikolai’s second looks over at us, his head tilted casually. His question is anything but.
“If he’s dead, then what happened to his wife?”
Lachlan nods. “She’s still alive. She provided this evidence, and she’ll be under our protection.”
“I’m going to marry her,” Connor adds.
His answer is so sudden that I have to fight not to move at first, stopping myself from betraying how surprised I am. We didn’t speak about this at all. None of us did.
Willow was Dmitri’s wife. By rights, she now controls the majority of the Raven Syndicate’s business holdings. Marrying her would give our family more power, and it would protect her from those who would try to gain her power.
Or people who might want retribution for Dmitri’s betrayal.
Willow is a powerful part of the Raven Syndicate now, but there’s no way she’s well enough to handle it all. There’s too much happening that she never knew about, and besides that, I don’t even know if she’s in the right state for it.
I wonder how the fuck this is going to go. Connor and Willow married. Willow is obviously emotionally damaged, a drug addict—she probably has no interest in marrying Connor. She may never want to marry again.
But I can see why he said what he did.
It’s necessary. It’s necessary for the Raven Syndicate to maintain their power and stability, and more than that, it’s necessary to keep Willow safe.
Nikolai’s second doesn’t look too happy about that answer, though.
The Assembly members are skeptical, I know. Some of them are probably even angry that Connor put a claim on her first, but they won’t say anything. We’re the ones who took Dmitri down, and we’re the ones who knew he was plotting in the first place. They won’t challenge Connor on his claim.
Maybe they think things worked out too well for us. Maybe some people suspect us, but that doesn’t matter. We have our proof, and so long as we manage the transition of power, we won’t have to suffer for what happened.
Willow deserves happiness too. I just hope there’s enough left of her in one piece to find it. I hope that Connor can help her move on from this, or at least be whole enough to have a life.
They might never truly be in love, or even like each other all that much, but Connor can keep her safe. I believe he wants to do it for all the right reasons. That’s all that matters in the end.
And it’s not like there’s much of a choice.
“That’s all, then,” Antonio finally says. “Our business is done. I believe we all have much to attend to.”
That’s a fucking understatement.
We leave the Assembly meeting, walking as a tight group as we make our way out of the building.
“You’re doing this,” Finn says. It doesn’t sound like a question. He stares at Connor as we walk out.
Connor keeps his eyes straight ahead. “I’m doing this.”
“You’re sure?” Finn frowns. “You don’t have to just because—”
“It’s not ‘just because’ of anything,” Connor says, his voice firm. His eyes are locked on something ahead of him, maybe some future he wants. “It’s for the family. And she doesn’t deserve the shit show that’ll happen when this ends.”
“Shit show is right,” Finn mutters. “It would be hell to deal with for anyone.”
“We’ll have to move fast,” Lachlan says. I can hear questions in his voice, but I know he realizes that Connor isn’t going to back down. “Others will try to move in on Dmitri’s territory. As soon as they know he’s dead, it’s open season.”
“The Raven Syndicate will go under unless you can prop it up and join it with our family,” I tell Connor. I know he probably knows this, but I want him to hear it.
An arranged marriage is harder than it seems, especially when it’s about power and business.
Part of me feels bad that Connor has to do this, but he did volunteer. I know he’s doing it for the family, but I also know it’s going to be hell. Willow is damaged, and she needs time, but she can’t get that now. She’s going to be forced to marry again, only this time, it will be for her safety.
She might hate Connor for making her do this, but there’s no other option.
