8. Chapter 8 #2
“Your closest male relative.” Dane’s tone is matter-of-fact. “Doves don’t become free just because their fathers die. They are given to their nearest male relative if they haven’t been married.”
The words hit me like a punch to the stomach. I hadn’t thought past my father’s death. I was so focused on him being gone that I never considered what that meant in our world.
I could escape him and still end up belonging to someone else.
My mind is racing to figure out who that might be.
Not all men in our world are cruel and confine women to these rules, but many do if they think there is an opportunity to gain more power for themselves.
The Ravens really thought of everything when it comes to making sure women stay owned.
My fingers drift toward my mouth before I can stop them.
Tate catches my hand before it gets there. He doesn’t call attention to it, doesn’t make me feel like something is wrong with me. He just pulls my hand down and presses a kiss to my knuckles, his eyes never leaving his father’s face.
“Then we make sure no one else can claim her.” His voice is controlled, but I can feel the tension vibrating through him. “How do we do that?”
“A betrothal contract.” Dane crosses his arms. “Signed by her father before he dies. That transfers her status directly to her intended husband. There will be no question about it.”
The room goes quiet and they all stare at us.
Tate looks at me, determination in his eyes, and then back at his father. “Then draw up the contract with me as her betrothed.”
“I want you to think about what you’re doing.” Dane’s gaze bores into his son. “You’re talking about killing a Council member and taking his daughter as your bride. That’s not a casual fucking decision.”
I look back and forth between them, still trying to process what this all means.
“There’s nothing casual about it.” Tate’s arm tightens around me. “It’s what’s happening.”
“And what about you?” Dane’s attention shifts to me. “Do you understand what this means?”
I feel everyone watching me. Waiting.
My fingers drift up to my lips and I rub them. Tate shifts me so that I’m facing him on the couch.
“Baby girl.” He takes my hand from my mouth and places it on his chest. “If you want to escape and leave this world and their rules, you can. I told you I would get you out of here, and I mean that. If that is what you want, just tell me and it’s done.
If you want to stay here and live this life, as my wife, with my family, then that’s what we’ll do. But you get to make that choice.”
Tears sting my eyes and I tune out all the other pairs of eyes watching us to focus on only him.
This is the moment. I knew once I got into Tate’s car at Velum that things wouldn’t be the same. I’d either beg forgiveness from my father and accept my punishment, or I’d have to escape.
I can walk away right now. I can ask Tate to help me disappear, and start over somewhere else. But why should I have to run? I don’t want to take on a different name and a different life. I want to stand on my own two fucking feet in my own life, as myself, with the man I love by my side.
“I want to stay.” My words come out so soft, I hope he heard me. “I want to marry you.”
Tate pulls me to him, and his lips crash down on mine. The kiss is not soft. His hand fists in my hair, tilting my head back, his tongue sliding against mine. He’s claiming me in front of his entire family, making it clear that I’m already his whether there’s a contract or not.
I should be embarrassed. I should care that his brothers are watching and his father is waiting.
I don’t. I melt into it.
My fingers curl into his shirt, and for a moment, I forget we have an audience. There’s just Tate, his mouth on mine, his hand in my hair, his body solid and warm beside me.
When he pulls back, his forehead rests against mine.
“You’re sure?” The words are rough, just for me.
“I’m sure.” I hold his gaze. “I want the contract. I want to be yours. Officially, permanently, whatever that takes.”
“Good answer, baby girl.” Something dark and satisfied flashes in his eyes. “But you were already mine.”
“If you two are finished.” Dane’s voice is calm, but there is a small curve of his lips that I would call a smile. “We have to get the contract ready and you all need to prepare if you think you are going to make this happen tomorrow. We need to bring this to a close as soon as possible.”
I lean into Tate. A week ago, I was surviving one day at a time, trying to make it through each night without breaking. Now I’m sitting in a room full of people who are planning to burn down everyone who ever hurt me.
It’s almost enough to make me believe in something again.
Tomorrow. Less than thirty-six hours until I watch my father sign me over to Tate. And then he’ll pay with his life for everything he’s done to me.
I wait for the guilt to hit. He’s still my father, even if he never acted like one. Some part of me should mourn what we could have been, what he should have been for me.
But there’s nothing. Just cold satisfaction and the warmth of Tate’s body next to mine.
“We’re ready, Dad.” Tate has never sounded more confident in the time I’ve known him. “We’re going to see this through.”
Dane nods once and then finally gives me a small smile. “As soon as this is all done and my sons are home safely, I look forward to welcoming you to the family, Reese.”
I wouldn’t call it warm and fuzzy, but I feel like he means it. And when I look around the room—at Fox and Ivy, at Thorne, at Whitney, and even at the hard patriarch of the Sinclair family—I feel something settle in my chest.
I’m going to join this family. A family of tactical, powerful killers who stop at nothing to protect their own.
It’s fucked up in any other context to choose this fucked-up world with their fucked-up rules.
But here with them is exactly where I want to be.