Chapter 4

Anna's POV

“That's Gabriel Martinez, your fiance.”

I burst out laughing uncontrollably, my shoulders vibrating violently. Liam however kept a straight face. My laugh was snuffed out like a candle on a windy night.

“That wasn't a joke?” I asked.

Liam tucked his hand into his pocket and brought out my engagement ring—Aiden. What did they do to him?

“No, sister. I wasn't joking.” Liam lifted up the ring and pinned his gaze on it. “Pretty ring. But what were you thinking, sister? That you'd get away from all this? You can't run from the McClain name.”

“That name is a curse.”

Liam scoffed, threw the ring in the air and caught it, tucking it back in his pocket. I eyed his every movement. He leaned back in his chair. That was his subtle way of threatening me—of telling Aiden isn't safe if I refuse his proposal.

“Hate it if you must, but that's our father's legacy and you will respect it,” he said firmly with every trace of warmth seeping out of his eyes.

“I want no part of a legacy born from bloodshed.”

“You can't run away from this, Anna. The next few months after a new Don takes power is the most important. There'll be war—everyone will want to test his power—kill him if possible; eliminate all competition—”I looked at his face“—yes, that's all we are now. Competition. You won't last out there, and your fiance will probably be the first to die.”

I sighed in relief. His last sentence meant Aiden was safe—for now.

“Cain and Jason will probably come back into town.”

Those names ensured that he got my attention.

“And when they do, all hell will break loose. You know it too; you and I are stronger together. It's either that or we get caught in the crossfire. Marry into the Martinez's family, and we'll have the manpower we need to win this war.”

I knew he had a point. Now was the time to make allies and the Martinez family would make really great allies—if they don't stab us in the back. “So, let's assume that I buy into this stupid idea of yours. Indulge me. What do the Martinez’s possibly stand to gain from this union?”

Liam began to drum his fingers on his thighs. I sighed, expecting another lie. What was he hiding?

“Money. I told them I had access to father's secret stash—millions of dollars. You see, the Martinez's are broke and would need all the financial help they can get or their hold on their territory will break down. They're desperate.”

I cocked my brow. “What secret stash?”

“Father's secret stash…” Liam said, as he tucked his hand into his pockets, probably to hide his tell

“You dumb fuck. You're scamming the Martinez’s.”

He leaned back in his seat with a smile sitting perfectly on his face. “I saw an opportunity and I took it.”

“And when it's time to meet up with your part of the bargain?”

“Let me worry about that. I'll figure something out.”

“You expect me to trust you and go along with this scam? How stupid do you think I am?”

“Plenty stupid,” he said with a smirk. I looked at him with disgust and he raised both hands in mock surrender. “I'm kidding…I'm kidding. But what other choice do you have?”

It was time to use one of the McClains' favored tools—manipulation. I braced for it.

“If you decide to run and play ‘normal girl’ with your fiance, it's only a matter of time before you're found. Then it's certain death for you and him. You don't want to be the reason he dies, do you? If you love him, you'll forget about him and fight for your family. Family is all you have, Anna, and you know it.”

I let out a heavy exhale. I wasn't disappointed. One of the rules of making an ally or destroying a rival was discovering their weakness; the next was exploiting it. My love for Aiden was my weakness, Liam knew this and was simply exploiting it. He was presenting himself as my only salvation.

“Or I could side with Cain. He'll be happy to have me.”

Liam's eyes darkened. “We both know Cain is a psychopath and a control freak. You don't want to ally yourself with him. What I'm offering you is a partnership, you won't get an offer as good as this from Cain. Once I secure the seat as Don, you can disappear for all I care. You can go to the moon with your fiance, do anything you want.”

“I thought the whole essence of this was to survive the incoming war, not getting the seat as Don.”

“Oh don't be naive. We kill Marcus and what? Leave his seat empty? As long as someone else is Don, neither of us will ever be safe.”

I hated it, but he had a point—a damn good one. But I felt like a pawn in all of this. He was simply using me to secure his place as Don, but what did I care, as long as I survived and could eventually get away from this family.

“You're not the one going into the Martinez's. What's to say they won't kill me once they find out you're scamming them?”

“You only need to be engaged with him for a few months—just long enough to win this war.”

“If we break off the engagement, what's to say that the Martinez's won't put a target on our back?”

Liam's eyes glinted as a smile formed on his lips. He had probably thought up a stupid plan.

“Trust me, if we pull this off, then we'd have destroyed the Martinez's too.”

Classic Liam, a backstabber.

“So are you in or out?”

I look at the picture of Gabriel Martinez on the tab in my hands. It was my turn to lean back in my chair and smile. “I'm in.”