Page 98 of Prized Possession

“Time for you to get your shit together,” Marcus replies, taking a much harsher approach than I would have.

I glare at him, and he just rolls his eyes at me, his lips turning up into that cocky smirk that makes my stomach flutter. I turn away quickly and address Jake.

“We were hoping you’d use the time to go to rehab, to get better. This is about more than just stopping Scott from getting power. Marcus needs you torule with him. The people of Blackthorn deserve the leader they think you are. But more than that, I’m sitting here, as your little sister, asking my big brother to help me.

“I don’t want to marry Scott. I don’t want to be forced into any marriage, and I know it’s selfish of me to ask you to do a job that you hate just so that I won’t be forced into the life I don’t want, but I’m asking anyway.”

Jake squeezes my hand, his chocolate eyes turning misty with unshed tears. This time when he speaks to me, his voice is small, barely above a whisper. “I’m scared. I don’t know who I am without using as a crutch.”

I shuffle closer to him so that I can throw my arms around him, pulling Jake into my chest, my heart breaking when I hear his small sob. “You don’t have to be scared, Jake. You’ve got me, and I promise, I will be with you every step of the way. I know you can do this.”

He pulls back, lifting his free hand to swipe away the rogue tears that are trailing down his cheeks. “I’m such a mess.”

“It takes a lot to admit that,” Marcus says, giving Jake a reassuring smile. “I think you’re strong enough to handle this. I’ve seen you take on worse. Besides, I found that once I took over and proved myself to my father, I was able to move away from what he wanted and be who I want.

“I was raised the same way you were, with a shit tonne of expectations thrust on my shoulders from an early age. The pressure was crippling, and I hated the person my father wanted me to be.

“I could have rebelled the way you did, but I didn’t. Instead, I did as I was told. I trained, I followed my father’s every instruction, and I quickly became the heir he wanted me to be.

“Then, when he handed all the power over to me, there was nothing holding me back. I stopped doing what he expected of me, and I became my own leader. He’s not pleased with how I handle certain things, but at this point, there’s very little he can do about it.

“So my best piece of advice for you would be to play along for now, bide your time, and when you finally have his power, then you can step out from his shadow and be the person you want to be. At that point, he can’t do shit about it anyway.”

I can’t help but laugh, and both guys turn to look at me, confused as to why I’d be laughing at such a tense moment.

“Sorry, it’s just… We should have known you’d be playing the long game.”

Marcus shrugs his shoulders. “I like having a plan.”

I turn back to my brother, watching as he takes a deep breath to try and get control over his emotions again. “Are you okay?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. But I know that I care about the people ofBlackthorn, and I don’t ever want to let them down. I’d also do anything for my little sister.

“So, while the idea of rehab scares the shit out of me, and I’m not sure it will work, I’ll give it a try—for you,” he says, squeezing my hand at the end.

I shake my head, fixing him with a stern glare. “No, you need to do this for you. If you keep going the way you are, you could die. You need to get better because that’s what’s best for you.”

Although his smile is small, it’s genuine, and my heart soars. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

I turn to Marcus, a bright smile on my face, mixed with a little shock. Although I hoped Jake would agree, I didn’t actually know if he would or not. Marcus was incredibly sceptical, but the smile on his face tells me he’s just as pleased as I am with the outcome.

“Right,” Marcus says as he stands, “I’m going to go and make some phone calls before you change your mind.”

“What will we tell everyone?” Jake asks.

“We’ll tell your dad the truth, and he’ll cover for you with everyone else. He knows you’ve got a problem, and this will make him see you’re serious about getting help. We need him to know you’re doing this, so he reconsiders Scott,” Marcus explains as he pulls out his phone, walking towards the hallway.

“That makes sense,” Jake agrees.

“I’ll make the calls in my office. I’ll be back soon,” he says, looking directly at me. I give him a smile, and what can only be described as an awkward wave, watching as he leaves.

When I turn back, Jake is looking at me with a fierce expression. “What’s really going on with you two?”

I let out a long sigh. “It’s complicated.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Look, I know you’re not going to want to hear this, but you asked me and it’s the truth… I’ve liked Marcus for pretty much my whole life. He’s never been interested, even going as far as to pick on me just so I’d hate him, but I never did,” I confess, my cheeks heating up as I admit my feelings.

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