Page 86 of Queen of Anarchy (Dirty Broken Savages 2)

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River

I whipmy head around to look at Knox as his voice cuts through the loaded silence.

Sure. Why not?

What the fuck?

As soon as Julian said no to the first proposal, my mind started turning, thinking of other ways I could get to my sister. Ways to sneak her out of Julian’s house somehow and then get her somewhere else where she would be safe. She wouldn’t be with me, but at least I’d know she wasn’t being treated like shit. We tried it Gage’s way, tried to negotiate and play nice and do it in a way that wouldn’t get anybody hurt, and Julian said no.

It seemed like sitting at the table any longer was a waste of time, but apparently Julian wasn’t done yet.

When he said he wanted one of the guys to marry Natalie, I expected an immediate no from everyone. I mean, it’s a crazy thing to suggest. None of the guys like Julian, and Natalie may as well be a block of wood for all she’s interacted or showed any personality since we walked in.

She doesn’t even care that her brother is making deals for her that would saddle her with a husband who would probably hate her.

But Knox is willing to marry her?Knox,of all people? The guy who really only comes to these meetings to make a show of force and because he hopes he’ll get to crack some skulls if things go south?

Again, what the fuck?

I can’t believe it. And alongside my shock, something else burns in my chest. The thought of him being married to someone else makes jealousy lick hot and insistent at my insides. I don’t want to see him with Natalie or anyone else. But definitely not her.

I glance at the guys, trying to see what they make of what just happened. No one has outright said no yet, even after Knox’s declaration.

Gage doesn’t seem like he likes it at all. He’s been handling this meeting smoothly so far, but now his brows are drawn down, and it’s clear he’s upset. His first offer was a good one, and already a pretty big concession for them, and Julian is raising the cost in a big way. Priest seems tense, the mask on his face back in place for the most part, but his hands are clenched under the table, I can tell. Ash just keeps looking back and forth between Knox and Natalie, like he’s trying to gauge what the fuck is going on.

I don’t blame him for that. I feel like I’m in the same goddamn boat.

Julian seems to relax a little after Knox says yes. The waitress darts in with our drinks, dropping off the wine for Julian and Natalie and then setting down our waters. When no one stops her to give food orders, she hurries away again.

Natalie takes a sip of her wine, and my mouth is dry, but I don’t take a drink of my water. I’m not sure I could get it down, my throat is so fucking tight.

“The reason I married Hannah was because I needed an heir,” Julian explains bluntly. “My father was pretty insistent about that. Carrying on the family line was more important to him than almost anything else. But by marrying her, I missed the chance to connect my family to another powerful family. Or group.”

His gaze darts to me before skimming over the four Kings, and I can’t even be mad that he’s basically talking shit about my lineage or whatever. My dad proved pretty surely that we were nobodies and would never have any real power in Detroit.

“Now that my heir is secured, I want to correct the missed opportunity to expand our reach and opportunity in Detroit,” Julian continues. “Through Natalie’s marriage.”

Natalie looks at Knox, and the disdain on her face is harsh and impossible to mistake for anything else. It makes me want to leap across the table and punch her.

Knox doesn’t seem to give a fuck, though.

He shares a look with Gage, and something seems to pass between them. It’s full of intent and silent communication, as if they can read each other without words. I can tell this wasn’t something the guys discussed ahead of time. And why would they have? It’s a hell of a curve ball.

I expect Gage to say no. To say it’s too high of a price, and that the last thing he wants is to tie his family to Julian’s.

But he doesn’t object. He just leans forward a little, resting his elbows on the table and steepling his hands.

“Why us?” he asks.

“Well, as you said,” Julian replies, that smug tone creeping back into his voice. “I have something you want. And all things considered, it’s not a bad deal for either of us. The Maduro family is powerful. We’ve built ourselves back up stronger than ever after the death of my father. And while you four aren’t a family in the… traditional sense, you have your own power in this city. You’ve carved out a name for yourselves. There are worse things than being tied to that.”

Gage seems to consider that. Julian sounds sincere enough, not like he’s blowing smoke up their asses, but simply laying out his reasoning. It’s obvious Gage still doesn’t like it, but he seems resigned.

“Alright,” he says after a beat. “We can discuss it.”

That sparks something in Julian, making a sort of greedy hunger blaze in his eyes. I can tell he didn’t think we would agree, and he seems pleased and surprised that they did.

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