Page 102 of Madness Behind the Mask
“I wanted to wait until she was older,” he says slowly, a sigh heavy in those words. “And I hoped her marriage would be to someone outside of the Family to strengthen our reach, but…”
My stomach twists. My tongue feels too heavy. My eyes fall back to the page, reading each name over and over again.No.
“But thatnight,” he says, and he doesn’t need to clarify. I know the one he means. When the vampires attacked, then the werewolves. When I was violated yet again. “Left us greatly weakened. We lost a lot of our soldiers, and weneed to strengthen the inside of this Family. Rebuild it.”
“She’s onlyeight,” I whisper, but there isn’t a tremble to my words. Nor any grief. I keep that deep inside like a good wife should.But she’s onlyeight.
“She’s started her ascension. That makes her a woman.”
I close my eyes briefly. I knew this day would come. It happens to every female Shadow. It happened to me. I would have been so happy to be married off so young. Jade definitely would have bragged about it. But now… After all I’ve been through. After learning what it means to be a mother in this family… To lose a child… To fear for them every day they go out? I’m left awake every night, terrified that I’ve just seen Leon or Jonathan for the last time.
“She won’t go to someone we can’t trust,” Caden says softly.
He doesn’t promise her love.
My mother didn’t have it.
Nor did my aunt.
Nor any of the women of the Shadow family in the last five hundred years but one.
And me, I say mentally, taking a bit of comfort in that.
“Who have you picked?” I finally asked, turning to him.
“I haven’t yet. That’s why I’mstillstaring at this damnpiece of paper.” His jaw tightens, and his next words are flat and so damn controlled. “I do not doubt that some of the caposwere loyal to David. Or failing that, theyknewwhat he was doing and waited to see how itallplayed out before they pledged their loyalty.Myers is in the middle of weeding David’s associates out, but…”He hesitates. “We might never know who they allare.”
My hands trembling, I clench them into fists, careful not to press my anger into Ryo. “And yet we must pick one to marry our daughter.”
He nods, not sugarcoating it in the slightest. This is the reality of the world we live in. I used to be so proud of it…
Now all I want is to run from it.
Or watch it burn.
Shaking the thoughtsaway, I look at the piece of paper again.“Tell me about them.”
“Kallum Zafira has been with this Family a long time. Your father spoke highly of him, spoke of his solid loyalty and his bravery. We haven’t always agreed on everything, but he has a strong sense of morals that I respect.”
“But…?” I ask, knowing there is one.
Cadensighs. “But heis already so damn loyal. Molly’s marriage is to gainmoreof it, and I don’t see howtheir alliancecandothat.”
“So you can mark him off the list then.”
“Not quite.”
“Why not?”
“Because offering her to someone else mightturnhis loyalty. There’s only so much a man can get overlooked before he starts seeking shows of appreciation elsewhere.”
I frown. “Can we give him something else to show that?”
“Perhaps. But he is rich. Greatly so. Each capo gets a percentage of the money they bring in, and his district is flourishing. He’s also not a gambler or a drinker, so his money isn’tsquandered as fast as he makes it. There isn’tmuch he doesn’t already have,” he says.
Myfrown deepens.
“But that was a good idea,” he adds, kissing the side of my head, and my lips reverse the direction they’re in.
