Warwick sat down, oblivious to the tightening of Deadeye's knuckles around his chair handles. It didn't concern me, not when I was reacting the same way- only, to my father's smile.

"Well, well, little Corin's found herself a bodyguard." Father purred, taking in every detail about the way we were sitting, the way Deadeye watched him, every little thing he could gather in that conniving mind of his to somehow use later.

I waved a hand, "that's beside the point. Answer my question."

Father waited until the waitress had left after putting down his coffee, and his face suddenly darkened. "You know very well what we want, Corin."

"I have an idea of what you want, but I need to hear specifically the terms of what you desire."

Father shrugged an indifferent shoulder, then gestured to Warwick. "We want you to marry this man. You only have to be cordial enough to each other for around 4-5 years, and who knows, maybe you'll fall in love?" Father snickered to himself, as if he had just said some kind of personal joke.

"Each year you are married to him, we will pay for everything you buy and do, additional to that, you'll receive another million every six months for any other...disgruntlements."

If my parents were willing to put that much money into this...investment, then there must be some larger gain on another side.

"What are the specifications while I am married to him?"

Mother smirked, as if she had won some battle, and I grit my jaw against the urge to punch those perfect teeth out of her big mouth. It was a very hard battle.

"You'll have to attend all meetings, dinners, events that we invite you to, or another person of standing invites you to. You'll also have to... adopt a child, one that will settle any rumours of this being a 'financial' wedding."

I raised a brow. "But it is."

Father shook his head, "Not to the world it isn't. The more they think your marriage is real, the more likely they will be able to befriend you and make you their idols. Two perfect people from perfect families, in a perfect marriage."

I turned to Warwick, noticing his assessment of me. He liked my appearance- that much I could tell- but he didn't like my piercings, my tattoos or probably the way I dressed. He, and my parents, would no doubt change that. I didn't care for him at all. Sure he was pretty, but so was a flower. And most flowers can't handle anything more than a slight breeze.

I was a tornado. One he definitely wouldn't be able to handle.

"What's in it for you two then?" I glanced between my parents, making an obvious connection. "Warwick's family is in the black market, obviously, or you wouldn't be so intent on our coupling. You're from a different family, one that is all new money and power- you want to unite both the factions. You want a symbol."

The truth dawned on me and my father clapped, shaking his head in awe. "Your mother never did give you any credit for your brains- hell, neither did I. But you've always been smart."

I rolled my eyes and turned my gaze hard. "So, if I do this, you'll take the bounty off my head?"

Mother sat forward, curling her fingers into the table cloth as she said the words that guaranteed her death.

"It also guarantees us taking the bounty off the whole club you're involved with too. Especially that Ripper boy."

Deadeye's hand came to mine so quickly I didn't know if he was comforting me or holding me down.

I stood, fists clenched at my side. " Give me a day. Then you'll have your answer."

________________

There was a whole lot of yelling as soon as I said what I planned to do. Ripper, Seamus, Slater and Hammer all yelled at me as soon as I mentioned it, going on and on until they were red in the face.

Bianca stood next to me, head lolled back as she thought quietly.

I sighed, grabbing the rest of dad's beer and chugging the rest of it down. Ripper had gone completely silent now, Seamus was murmuring obscenities and kicking the floor, Hammer was doing an amazing 'punisher' expression, and I was getting fed up.

"You all understand that this is the easiest way to get what we need. And we need more time for Gervais to write up his documents. There is no other way to get my parents to stay in Ireland longer, where their privacy isn't as closely guarded and they are not protected by their family. So shut up, stop glaring at me or the floor and let me think. I'm not happy about it all either."

There was a silence as I picked up the phone, calling the number I never once wanted to. Bianca placed a hand on my shoulder, nodding her agreement just as father picked up.

"Ah, Corin. Your answer?"

I paused a long moment, keeping my gaze on Ripper, who stood stiffly at the doorway.

"Yes. I'll do it."

______