Page 3 of Collateral Claim
“Finally, Scarlett said yes. When I met Daniel the other day, I asked him if it would be okay if I made the grand announcement tonight. He, being such a gracious host, said yes. Scarlett and I are getting married.”
WHAT?!
The man turns to me, showing me a set of straight white teeth.
The crowd claps some more, and his men whistle and hoot.
Macarley pecks my cheek. Near my ear, he whispers, “I slipped an engagement ring into your clutch. Open it and put the ring on.”
“You’ve lost your mind,” I say through my teeth while forcing a smile for the people who are watching us.
“You’re about to lose your daddy.” He pulls back and holds my gaze. Two long fingers tap his chest, and he jerks his head toward my dad. I look over at my dad, and a tiny red dot flashes on his tie. A sniper rifle is pointed at him.
My hands shake as I lift the clutch and open it to peek inside. I don’t have to search for long. The princess-cut diamond on an elegant, slender platinum band reflects the light. I slip the ring on my wedding finger while the elite of our country cheer wildly.
The man leans in as if to kiss me on my mouth.
I pretend to admire the diamond on my finger. “If you try to kiss me, I’ll knee you in the balls.”
Macarley licks his teeth. “Be careful, Scarlett. Violence turns me on.”
Chapter 2
He’s the sweetest
Scarlett
For the next hour, Endo Macarley and I mingle with the partygoers. He spins elaborate and detailed tales about our nonexistent relationship, and there’s no question in my mind that everyone believes him. Except my dad, but since he’s made himself scarce, I’m on my own.
Wilfred, the ever-dutiful Doberman, chats with my dad, the pair of them conveniently doing their best to avoid me. Or maybe it’s Endo they’re avoiding, in which case, I don’t blame them. But it makes me want to scream that I’m forced to interact with this delusional lunatic while my dad enjoys his partner’s company.
I have no idea why this man told everyone we’re engaged when I’ve never met him before. And I have no idea why my father seems to go along with it.
How does my father even know him?
I struggle with the morality of judging a man by his appearance, but I can’t help but notice that Endo is unlike themen he’s shaking hands with. Whenever he sticks his hand out, takes a drink, or runs a palm over his jaw, the tattoos on his middle fingers flash in my brain like a warning sign.
In my experience, most people’s tattoos hold some sort of meaning, even if it’s just an aesthetic one. A pretty butterfly as a symbol of freedom and rebirth. The face of Jesus because of faith. A tiger for courage and strength. But a skull and crossbones makes me think of pirates. And the placement on his middle fingers surely means something.
I don’t know if it’s a giant fuck-you to the world or if it’s a sign he’s given away all his fucks. No matter the reason, the placement of his tattoos is provocative. For me, since I have no tattoos, the liberty with which he carries this provocative sign is thought provoking. I have no marks on my body, not even from the time I fell off Harriet’s pony.
When I was growing up, my parents made sure I was sheltered from the world. I’m thirty now and can do whatever I wish, and I wish to visit the land of my mother’s roots and get to know her community, perhaps even meet some of my relatives. I’m pretty sure I could never be as bold as this man, but taking a job in a volatile country with a humanitarian crisis going on is as bold as I’ll go.
We’re almost going to be seated for dinner when Endo leads me aside, a few feet away from the last table in the back.
Across the garden, I catch sight of my sister as she hands Beatrice off to a friend. She marches toward Endo and me, probably dying to confront this stranger.
Charlotte and I are very close, and she damn well knows she’d be the first person I’d tell if I met a man I was planning on marrying.
“Did you memorize our story by now?” Endo asks.
“I have. It’s a tale as old as time.”
His smile appears genuine now. “Except I’ll never turn into the prince.”
“No, you’ll end up behind bars.”
He laughs. “With your daddy in the cell next door.”
