Drayton
“I don’t know her.” Quinn shook his head, turning from the screen where we’d been watching Marian.
“Holy shit, Dray. Who is she? Did you fucking see that? I grew up with Marian. I knew her way before you, not that I can say I know her a lot, but… that is not the girl I remember. She—” His mouth dropped open, only for him to shake his head once again as he paced.
“Not just anybody could do that. She didn’t even fucking hesitate.
Just—” His hand made a back and forth sawing motion. “Holy. Shit.”
“She sawed off a hand. She has a long way to go before she impresses me.”
Quinn’s forehead creased through his disbelief.
“You’re joking.” I gave him a bored look. “Okay, you’re not joking.” He pointed at the screen. “Should we go out and check on her? That was a pretty big fall. She could have hit her head.”
“Nope.”
“No? You’re just going to leave her there?”
I sat up straighter, glaring from the anger that built.
“Have you forgotten the last decade? Have you forgotten what she’s done?”
Quinn blinked through my questions, lowering back to the chair to sit down.
“You said on our way here that she denied your accusations. That she doesn’t remember saying those things to your family, or even much from that night.”
“And you think I believe her?”
Quinn continued to take in the screen. “It might not be a bad idea to at least listen to her side. There are videos that are being released on our circle’s website, Dray.
Evidence from the FBI. They’re secret videos of Melissa LaRoe that we’re supposed to stay quiet about. Haven’t you watched them?”
“I haven’t been the heir in a long time. There hasn’t been a point to check the site.”
“Well, you’re the heir now. You need to log on. There’s proof Marian’s mother did some really bad things. And you’ve heard the rumors going around about the people she hurt. They don’t remember things either. What if Marian’s telling the truth?”
“It doesn’t change the fact that she said it. It doesn’t matter if she can remember it or not. Marian spoke those words. She’ll pay for them.”
“Has she not already?”
My lips parted as I sat even more forward, towards him.
“Don’t do this, Quinn. You’re soft for her when you shouldn’t be. Marian deserves this. Trust me when I say she’s far from paying her debt.”
“I heard her defend you. I haven’t seen her do anything that’s pointed to her being a liar or untrustworthy.
I mean, look” he said, thrusting his finger towards the monitor.
“She just cut off her fiancé’s fucking hand because you told her to.
Hell, she’s the entire reason we have him.
Does that not speak of loyalty? She’s not even fighting this, Dray.
She may fight you, but she’s not demanding we take her to the Elders.
She has not requested proof or a trial against your claim.
She’s damn near given herself to you in the most obvious way.
Do you not see it? Marian LaRoe, Dray. You remember her, right?
The woman you’ve loved forever now? The woman you’ve spent years searching out?
She’s right there, lying in the fucking dirt, unconscious.
She shouldn’t even be awake yet, but she was.
She fought that drug. She’s a fighter. You need her. Our line needs someone like her.”
My jaw flexed through his words.
“She pays.”
Quinn let out a deep breath. “She has. What are you planning to do for her?”
“I beg your pardon?”
Quinn shrugged. “You know the rules. The heir, the leader of his family, is only as strong as the example he sets. She’s proving herself to you. What will you do for her?”
“Marry her and let her live.” The words came out through my gritted teeth, but Quinn didn’t look impressed. He looked pissed. It had my lids narrowing through my glare. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying people are supposed to look up to you. You’re the heir now. I’m just not so sure you’re mentally cut out for it. You’re sure as fuck not acting like a leader.”
We had our knives out and pointed at each other before either of us could take a breath but for different reasons. Quinn’s was defensive; mine was because of the threat he was insinuating.
“You’re walking a very thin line, Quinton. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were implying I’m too unstable to be heir. It sounded like a challenge.”
“You are unstable, and yeah, it was a challenge, but not in the way you think. You may be heir again, but that doesn’t give you a free ride.
The family protects the wives outside of their husband for a reason.
You’re testing the limits on both of your rights.
Especially hers. I love you. You know I do.
But I love what we stand for even more. We were raised to cherish women.
I get why you can’t feel that for Marian just yet, but if you plan to marry her like you said—”
“I own her.”
“Which is different than marrying her. You know that. You know that!”
His voice roared through his repeated response. I’d never seen Quinn so angry, but I understood it even if I didn’t want to.
“Our marriage depends on if she makes it out of that room. If she does, I will respect the laws. But there will be no marriage and no Marian if she doesn’t continue.
” I lowered my voice, hearing it deepen through a truth I knew in my core.
“If she fails to prove herself and finish, she will not leave that room, and no one will change that. Not you. Not Elec. No one. In our world, she belongs to me. That is her fate.”
“You’re wrong.” Quinn met me head on, not breaking from my stare.
“You’re too caught up in your revenge that you’re not thinking clearly.
I heard you talking to Elec the other night.
She must produce you an heir. That’s what the two of you agreed to in whatever deal you made with him. Did you forget that part?”
“I did not. Marian can give me an heir without being my wife.”
“Bullshit! You plan for your heir not to be legitimate?”
“I didn’t say that. I said we’d be married.
That doesn’t mean she’ll be my wife. She can marry me in that room.
She can bear my heir right there in that fucking room,” I exploded, “and then she can live the rest of her days there. If Marian can’t follow my orders when she thinks she has no choice, she won’t follow them once she leaves.
That does not bode well for a successful marriage, and our family can’t risk that.
I will not let her ruin us anymore. I won’t. ”
Quinn stood from the chair, holstering his knife.
“I don’t support this. I don’t—” His head shook as I stood. “I thought I didn’t know her. It’s you I don’t know. It’s like I don’t even know who the fuck I’m talking to. I’m not sure I even want to after this.”
“Don’t do this, Quinton.”
“You don’t do this.” He pointed back at the monitor.
“If you don’t get your ass out there and at least go pick up your chosen and give her some fucking water or something, I’m out of here.
Hurt her, make her pay, but keep your fucking humanity, Drayton.
Otherwise, you’ve lost me. The next person you’ll have to deal with is your entire family.
Your father. Your brothers. My father. Every single uncle and cousin you have, I’ll call them.
I’ll call them all to come get her right now. ”
“Quinn.”
“No. You paid dearly for what she said. It fucked you up. It fucked us all up. I get it. I lived it. Not like you, but don’t you dare say I didn’t. We’re Penningtons. We’re only ruthless to our enemies. Until I see signs from her of that, Marian deserves better.”
“Water? That’s what you think she deserves? That’s what will make you happy? Fine. You want her to have water?” I reached to the table, grabbing a bottle and holding it for him to see. “She’ll get fucking water.”
I stormed for the door, jerking to a stop at Quinn’s tone as he called my name.
“Water and humanity. If you throw it at her. If you fucking hurt her—”
I spun, heading back to stand inches from his face.
“You’ll what?”
“That’s a question you don’t have to ask. If our roles were reversed, you’d be doing the same thing. I said make her pay. I never once said I wasn’t in support of your plan. But there are limits you must adhere to. That doesn’t mean you can’t still get what you want.”
To argue or continue was pointless. I turned, storming to the door and pulling it open.
The dark hall swallowed me up, and I let it.
But it didn’t last. Light from the torches flickered under the metal door ahead of me, and I slowed, reaching for the lock and twisting the key that was resting inside of it.
To pull the door open was almost too much.
I felt Quinn’s words. I felt them in every part of my being.
And I hated them. I hated them because of the constant internal arguments I had with myself over what was right and wrong.
I didn’t know anymore. I knew nothing but what the voices in my head were saying.
But there was one, and there was the other, and they were at odds.
To fight against them or choose left me reeling even more.
I jerked the door open, not even looking at Bastian as I headed for Marian.
She was sprawled on the ground, her dress nearly at her hips from the impact she’d taken.
Red was haloed out around her, but it wasn’t what stole my attention as I slowed in my approach.
I didn’t have my shirt on. I didn’t have much of anything on except for a pair of sweatpants I’d slipped on after my shower.
It was cold. A lot colder than it had been when I left her out here over twelve hours ago.