Chapter 11 #2
“Raven,” Marcus says carefully, “are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“I’m saying that traditional doesn’t work for me. Normal doesn’t work for me. I’m Vincent Blackwood’s daughter, heir to a criminal empire, trained to fight and kill and rebuild from ashes.” I meet each of their eyes again. “Why would I want a traditional relationship?”
“Because it’s insane,” Dom says, but there’s no conviction in his voice.
“So is everything else about my life.” I move back to the sectional, but I don’t sit.
Instead, I stand in the center of the room where they can all see me clearly.
“I’m not asking you to share me like I’m some object to be passed around.
I’m telling you that I want all of you in different ways for different reasons, and if that’s something none of you can handle, then we end this now. ”
“And if we can handle it?” Kieran’s voice is carefully neutral, but I can see the hunger in his ice-blue eyes.
“Then we figure out how to make it work. Together.” I let the weight of that word settle over them. “But I need to know that you can handle seeing me with the others. I need to know that this won’t destroy the trust we’re building.”
Axel laughs, the sound sharp and bright. “You want to know if we can play nice and share the toys?”
“I want to know if you can be adults about something that goes against every possessive instinct you have,” I correct. “If you can’t, this ends now, and I walk away from all of you.”
The threat hangs in the air like a blade. I can see them processing it, weighing their desire for me against their territorial natures, their need for exclusive claim against the possibility of losing me entirely.
If I have to walk away… I don’t know who I would turn to next for help.
But deep down, I don’t want to walk away. I will if I must, but that’s not an avenue I want to stroll down.
Dom is the first to speak. “What exactly are you proposing?”
“I’m proposing that we try something unconventional, that instead of competing with each other, you learn to work together. That instead of seeing each other as threats, you see each other as allies in keeping me safe and helping me reclaim what’s mine.”
“The Blackwood empire,” Marcus says quietly.
“Among other things.” My smile has to be sharp and dangerous. “I have enemies, gentlemen. The people who killed my father would be very interested in killing me if they knew I was planning to take back what they stole. I could use four deadly men watching my back.”
“And in return?” Kieran asks.
“In return, you get me. All of me in whatever way works between us.” I let heat creep into my voice. “I’m not promising it will be easy. I’m not promising it will be conventional, but I’m promising it will be real.”
The room falls silent again as they consider my proposal. I can practically see the wheels turning in their heads, calculating risks and benefits, possibilities and complications.
Silence stretches longer than I expected. For a second, doubt creeps in. Maybe I’ve pushed too far. Maybe I asked too much.
But then, finally, Axel breaks the silence. “I’m in.”
Three heads turn to stare at him in surprise.
“What?” He shrugs. “She’s right. Conventional doesn’t work for any of us. Besides, I’ve never been good at sharing, but I’ve also never wanted anyone enough to try.” His brown eyes find mine. “Consider this my learning experience.”
“Axel—” Dom starts.
“I’m in too.”
The words come from Marcus, quiet but absolute. He removes his glasses, cleaning them with methodical precision before replacing them. “I’ve spent five years wanting something I thought I could never have. I’m not walking away because the terms are… unconventional.”
That leaves Dom and Kieran, the two who have the most to lose and the most reasons to say no.
Dom runs a hand through his close-cropped hair, his expression torn between desire and disbelief. “This is fucking insane.”
“Is that a yes or a no?” I ask.
He looks at me for a long moment, those dark eyes searching my face for something I’m not sure he finds. Finally, he nods once, sharp and decisive. “It’s a yes, but I have conditions.”
“Such as?”
“Your safety comes first. Always. If this arrangement puts you in danger, it ends.” His voice carries the weight of absolute authority. “And if any of us can’t handle it, if jealousy or possessiveness threatens what we’re building, we address it immediately.”
“Agreed.” I turn to Kieran, the only holdout. “What about you?”
Kieran swirls his scotch, studying the amber liquid like it holds answers to questions he’s not ready to ask.
When he finally looks up, his ice-blue eyes are unreadable.
“My family will never accept this,” he says quietly.
“Any of this. My relationship with you, your reclamation of your father’s empire, the alliance this creates between our organizations… ”
“Is that a problem for you?”
His reckless, lopsided smile is dangerous. “My family has been a problem for me my entire life. I think it’s time I became a problem for them.” He drains his scotch in one smooth motion. “I’m in, Raven. Completely, unconditionally, and probably stupidly.”
Relief floods through me, followed immediately by anticipation and something that might be terror.
I’ve just committed to something unprecedented, something that goes against every conventional relationship model, something that could either be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced or the most spectacular disaster.
“So,” Axel says cheerfully, “now what? Group hug? Team building exercises? Because I have some very creative ideas about team building.”
“Now,” I say, before anyone can respond to that particular provocation, “we establish ground rules. We figure out how this works practically… and probably have a very large drink.”
“I’ll get the bottle,” Marcus offers, standing with fluid grace.
“Make it two bottles,” Dom mutters.
As Marcus moves to the bar and the others begin to relax into this new reality, I catch my reflection in the window overlooking the fight cages below. The woman looking back at me is someone I’m still learning to recognize. She’s confident and powerful, and, maybe most importantly, she’s not alone.
I’ve just done something that should terrify me. Instead, I feel like I’m finally, truly awake.
And I have no idea what happens next, but I’m eager to find out.