Page 125 of Betrayed in the Dark
“I see.” He taps a finger on his desk while maintaining his unwavering gaze. “So, just to clarify, you want me to be the one to pull the strings by making some calls and getting your friend freed?”
“Yes,” I answer matter-of-factly.
“Well, you’ve come to the right person, then. It shouldn’t be a problem. I know exactly who to contact for this sort of situation. I can have Eli released by the end of the day.”
Relief courses through me. “Thank you.”
His head tilts to the side. “And what do I get in return?”
I swallow hard, aware that this moment was bound to arrive. Nobody in my world does anything out of the goodness of their hearts. “Name your price.”
It’ll probably be some astronomical figure he presents to me, but I’ll do it. I’ll do anything to get—
“Marriage.”
My lips part, shock whirling through me. “Marriage?” I scoff, straightening my spine. “Be serious. I didn’t come here to play games.”
“Oh, Madeleine,” he starts in a condescending tone. “I thought you were a smart girl. You came here because you know I can make one call and have Eli saved. But you also knew that I wouldn’t be doing it without receiving something of value in return.” He chuckles. “A marriage to you would open more doors for my family than I could ever imagine. It would form a powerful alliance that the world has never seen before.”
My eyes narrow. “Why does it seem like the idea of marrying me isn’t a new concept to you?”
He gives a slight shrug. “It’s passed my mind once or twice. I’m not going to lie by not saying this situation doesn’t make things more convenient for me.”
I look out the side window, taking in the view of the city beneath us.
“It’s up to you how fast I make that phone call,” he muses. “I just hope it’s in time before anything serious might happen…”
His words hang thick in the air between us.
Eli’s life is on the line.
And there isn’t any time for me to think this over.
But there’s one thing he doesn’t know—one thing that might cause him to change his mind about helping me if he found out.
So, instead of telling him that I’m pregnant and risking everything, I say, “I’ll marry you.”
I hate the weakness laced in my words.
A sly grin grows across his face. “See, you are a smart girl.” He taps his chin. “But what’s going to stop you from backing out of this deal once good old Eli is back home?”
My brows furrow. “I agreed to marry you. You have my word. What more—”
He laughs. “You’ve been a part of our world for long enough to know how it works.”
I grind my back molars, feeling frustration bubble inside me. Why did I think coming to him would be a good idea?
“What are the stipulations?” I ask.
“Fairly simple. I’ll be generous and give you one year to follow through on your end of the deal by marrying me. That way, we’ll have time to make the announcement and plan a proper wedding—one that will be on the cover of every magazine and tabloid in the world.” His smile drops. “But if you back out of the deal, I can promise you that Eli will be killed.”
My heart thuds in my rib cage as I shake my head. This is ludicrous. “Do you know who my family is? You can’t kill—”
“You won’t make a fool out of me!” he snaps, his eyes burning into me. “Your family may hold power in the northeast, but their name means nothing in the Middle East, unlike mine.” He exhales, rolling his neck. “I am offering to help you, and if you can’t agree to the terms, then I’m left to wonder if you’re even taking this seriously. So, if you can’t agree to the stipulations set, then there’s no deal to be made. Which would really be quite a shame for your…friend.” He presses a button on the top of his desk, and a TV in the corner of the room lights up, displaying the newscaster I saw earlier, repeating the same breaking news.“Missing soldier in Iraq believed to be part of a hostage situation…”
“You knew,” I say incredulously, glancing from the TV to him. “You already knew he was missing before I came in here.”
“It’s my job to know everything that goes on where my businesses are concerned. You coming to me for help was just a bonus.” He shrugs. “I was going to let the man die, seeing that he is of no importance to me, but you just made things a whole lot more interesting.”
