Page 10 of Marrying the Gardener
What indeed… I glance at Maelin and Zakery, free a breath, then say, “I’m getting married. Tomorrow.”
“What?” Crisis blurts.
Viktor’s fist loosens as he throws his hands in the air. “Getting married isn’t a race!” His gaze shoots to Zakery, who is laughing, and who practically eloped a mere week ago. “What is this? A contest to see who can get married before my wedding?”
Morana snorts, somewhat oblivious to the stillness surrounding Kyran as he watches her.
Lifting a hand to my mouth, I clear my throat. Loudly.
Maelin nudges Zakery, shushing him.
“It’s an unusual situation,” I proceed. “Someone found out I was an escort.”
Viktor’s brow falls low. “Why would that matter? Unless…they also know you’re a Bachelor and are trying to use that against all of us? If you’re being blackmailed, Kaleb, we aren’t ashamed to call you our brother, and while the publicity might be inconvenient for you for a minute, it cannot affect you in Sunset. This is our town, our haven, and we have rules against those sorts of things.”
“I’m not being blackmailed. I’m being bought.”
“For marriage?” Crisis crosses her arms, confounded, and leans against Viktor’s chest.
He wraps his arm around her waist as his eyes darken.“That’s a…tall order, Kaleb.”
“I know.”
“You don’t have to keep doing this. You know that. No amount of money is worth your peace, and we don’t need it.”
My stomach knots. Every time I’ve told my eldest brother that I have ajoband I’ll be gone for a few days, he’s told me that Idon’t have to do this. I don’t have to make money. I don’t have to contribute, even in the only miniscule way I know how. In his eyes, I could just run away from the pain then come back to a family that’s warm and kind and caring, without ever paying the price for what I did.
Without ever paying the price for abandoning them.
Knowing that this time this job is different turns the taste in my mouth sour. I say, “I know I don’t have to. I know you don’t need the money. I want to do this.”
I have never wanted anything more.
Slivers of pain filter through Viktor’s eyes, but he nods. “If you’re sure. Do you need our lawyers to go over any paperwork involved in this job? Are you being paid enough? Your rates aren’t cheap.” I remain silent until Viktor winces. “Is it already too late?”
“Yes, it is.”
His jaw locks. “I suppose you can’t tell us who your benefactor is?”
Normally, no. But, given this situation, I am unwilling to disappear without a word again even if it breaks the rules I just signed. I trust my family. I…wantto trust my family. This time. Also, given this situation, it’s not impossible that the Nightingale and Bachelor circles will overlap within the next month and cause issues if I don’t say something now. Without flourish, I relinquish, “Crimson Nightingale.”
Crisis launches to her feet. “What?”
“My benefactor is Crimson Nightingale.”
“Your benefactor ismyhusband?” Crisis declares. “You’re marryingmyhusband? My twin.My flesh and blood?”
They are not twins, or even siblings.
They just tell people they’re twins—and also married, apparently, though that is news to me.
Morana and Maelin are real twins, identical reflections of one another in different shades since only Maelin got the albinism gene. And they’re currently peering at me with matching expressions of shock.
Actually, everyone in this room is.
Even Kyran has lifted a brow and ripped his attention off Morana to provide me with something quite near incredulity.
“I can’t share details with everyone,” I say.
