Page 5 of Mastered by Them
I face my grandfather. He looks taller. And he’s sturdier than he was a month ago when he was fresh out of the hospital. I’m glad he’s feeling better. It makes it easier to be mad at him.
Of course, all I have to do is remember how small he looked in his hospital bed, how ashen, how close to death he was—and then my anger fades. I don’t want to be mad at him.
Granddad picks up the gift note on the coffee table and sees Edmund’s name scrawled at the bottom. Gesturing at the empty gift box, then the new handbag on my shoulder, he says, “I see the young man is already trying to woo you.”
“Yeah, well. It isn’t going to work.”
“You like the gift.”
“Doesn’t mean I like the sender.”
“You’ve always been such a stubborn little hellion.” He offers me a fond smile, and his eyes are watery with emotion. “Danica. I know you’re angry. I should have explained ahead of time.”
“You think?”
He tsks. “We don’t need sarcasm, you and I. You don’t have to protect yourself with your great big shield. I promise I don’t aim to hurt you or make you sad.”
“Then why do this? Why tell me I have to marry this guy I barely know?”
He gazes at the gift note before dropping it into the Baciarvita box. “For what it’s worth, I saw the way he looked at you when he came to my house with the gift basket. If I didn’t think he liked you, I would never have agreed to the engagement.”
I want to scoff and mouth off with something sarcastic. But Granddad made a good point. I use sarcasm as defense. And right now, we need to have this conversation rather than shut it down.
Granddad gives me a serious look. He truly thinks Edmund likes me.
I think he’s mistaking lust for affection, but I’m not about to get into that kind of argument with my grandfather, nope.
He takes my hand in his. “Go through with the engagement. Please. If the Vorsong Circle moves into San Esteban, our family is in danger. You, your parents and your aunts. Dmitri. Rachel.”
He doesn’t mention himself, but I’m sure he’s the most vulnerable—any rival crime organization is going to try to hit the leader first, right?
And Rachel. She sobbed all night after those guys followed her around.
They chased me, too, after I spotted them at the construction site.
An unseen weight settles over my shoulders. It goes further down, pressing against my stomach. We aren’t going to be safe until this is resolved. And it could take years.
“Why don’t we just go to the police?”
His blue eyes soften. “Danica, we can’t.”
Of course we can’t. Because he’s a criminal. We’re all criminals. I’m a member of a criminal family, and I’m marrying into another one.
“Please, go along with this for the family, for a time.” He squeezes my hand. “If we can get Vorsong Circle to leave San Esteban, the marriage might not be necessary.”
I stare off to the side, at Cackle sunning himself in the window, his gray and black striped fur gleaming. “Fine. I’ll be engaged to Edmund. For a time.”
“There’s my favorite granddaughter.”
I don’t look at his face, but I can hear the smile in his voice as he says it.
He goes on, “The Laytons are throwing an engagement party for you and Edmund, so we’ll need to attend.”
“Seriously, Granddad? I’ve barely wrapped my head around the idea of an engagement?—”
“Danica, please.”
“Fine, whatever.” I can put on a dress and pretend for an evening, I suppose. For the family. For a time. Not forever. “When is it?”
