Page 11 of Lush

“You’ll do it, Laurene,” Mama said. “There’s no ‘can’t.’ You’ll marry Reese. Blood and marriage makes us stronger. And Harold won’t fuck us over if he can lose something too.”

“I don’t love him.” I forced the lie out, and I felt my heart pulse in pain as I said it.

“Love is aluxury.”

“There’s other ways?—”

“No.”

“Then let’s talk parameters. How long do I have to stay married to him?”

“We need to stick together long enough to make our alliances strong and show everyone how solid we are. And until I see if Dante is a friend or foe.”

“One year?” I asked, trying to find some leverage. “Two?”

Her gaze remained icy. “Three years, minimum. I would prefer five. Any less, and it will look like a failure on both our parts. During this time, you are to live together publicly and privately. Separate lives are unacceptable.”

“Five years?”I looked at her like she had fully lost it. “I’m not putting my life on hold for five years.” I had plans. Things to accomplish. “Can we divorce after that?”

“Divorce and annulment will be a family decision.”

I glared at her. “I’m forced into this marriage, and it’s up to thefamilyif I can divorce after? What if I’m miserable?”

“This family’s needs come before your happiness. Remember, you have nothing in Paris anymore.”

“And what about children?” I was scared to asked.

“Within the first two years,” Mama stated. “You are to produce at least one heir. This is non-negotiable.”

“You can’tforceme to have a child.”

Her lips curled into a faint, humorless smile. “You misunderstand.I’m not forcing you, Laurene. I’m giving you achoice. You can have everything your grandfather intended for you, or you can walk away with nothing.”

“This is mylife.”

“You don’t have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out. You will marry Reese, and you will fulfill your duty. Any concessions I grant are mere courtesies, not rights.”

“And what about Reese? What if he refuses?” I asked, hoping that he might be the way out of this madness.

Her smile faded. “Reese will do as he’s told. Harold made sure of it.”

“And if he cheats?” That idea made me feel like someone punched me in the gut. Reese with another woman was not something I wanted to imagine.

Her eyes hardened. “Publicly, you will stand by him. There will be no scandals, no fractures in the alliance. Discretion is everything, or you’ll both suffer.”

“If I don’t agree?” My voice faltered, but I steadied myself. “What if I just walk away? What will you do?”

Her smile turned predatory, the kind I’d seen before when she dismantled a competitor or crushed an opponent.

“That little life you built in Paris? It’s already gone. Your apartment? Gone. Your bank account? Cleared. I’ve made sure of it. And as for your inheritance, the future you think you have waiting for you? You don’t have one unless you play this game.”

Mama snapped her fingers, and the staff quickly returned to their positions, their faces as neutral as stone.

“We all got a role to play in this family.” Her voice dripped with condescension. “Time to step up. How you handle it? That’s on you, but I know you’ll figure it out. Stop all that whining. Toughen up.”

She turned, her heels clicking sharply against the pavement, then paused and glanced back over her shoulder.

“Oh, before I forget.”

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