Page 177 of Making Choices

For months, he’s been asking me to reach out to the Trinity.

Each time, I’ve refused or offered him a vague assurance.

The time has come to pay the piper.

“Why?”

His expression darkens as I dare to question him, and I curl my fingers into a fist. Too focused on Cherub, he misses my growing ire, although his own aggravation is clear when he snarls, “You know why. Speak to Gabriel and Cass. Ask your mother. Lily will explain the rest.”

The woman caught between us verbalises my next question for me. “What do I need to explain? You said—”

“Use my rainy-day fund for the rest of it,” Venom tells me. “There’s more than enough for everyone.”

“I’m confused,” I retort, even though I’m more clued in than I’d like to be. Let him explain to his Lily that he plans on bartering her to me to save the club—she can hate him for it instead of me. “None of this seems like a good idea to me.”

He’s clearly got a different endgame in mind than I do.

Involving the Trinity makes sense.

My marrying Cherub does not.

As the secret-nephew of one of the UK Trinity’s head families, I am untouchable as soon as my mumma makes it known that she’s not actually dead. With that level of protection in place, the Shamrocks become impervious to challenge unless the Maddisons want to go to war with the guild that rules this planet.

That’s a recipe for self-destruction.

Even the Maddison clan knows that.

I guess there’s a reason why Mumma’s familial links were kept from Brutus for all these years. Venom only found out on accident when he overheard a conversation when we were in our late teens—I’m not even sure if Hunter knows the truth. Turns out that being connected to the Trinity is Venom’s get-out-of-jail-free card.

Doesn’t mean I’m going to marry my duchess to secure his freedom.

Whether Bebe’s carrying my baby or not, there’s some things a relationship can’t come back from. An arranged marriage is one of them. Sure, some people might fall in love with their betrothed down the track, but I know my duchess. Her mind will instantaneously separate her feelings for me from the deed itself and that’ll be the final death knell for our future.

I’d bet on my Mumma’s life that Venom is banking on that.

As if to drive home this point, my perpetual competitor states, “Just need you to tell me that you’re gonna do what I’ve asked as quickly as you can. We’re runnin’ outta time here.”

Caught between a rock and a hard place, I can deny his request.

Not with Cherub at stake.

The Shamrocks would never forgive me.

Screwing up my face, I force myself to swallow down the urge to throat punch him. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

“I’m trustin’ you with my life.” Never one to take a win without gloating, Venom decides to twist the knife a little harder. “Look after her.”

“Always.” The next words I say are for me as much as they’re to lay down the gauntlet for the man who apparently thinks he’s outsmarted us all with this plan. “I’ll look after her like she’s mine ’cause she belongs to us both.”

The pain that flares in his eyes settles some of my misery.

I meet his arrogant glare with one of my own.

Unblinking, we silently vow that this isn’t the end.

One of us will win Cherub’s heart.

Fair and square… or not.

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