Chapter 67 Reasoning with Elena
Sage's POV
"Considerate would be not forcing me to marry him in the first place.” I nearly screamed at Elena over the phone.
"Forcing? Oh honey, no one's forcing you to do anything." Her voice dripped with false sympathy. "You have a choice. Honor your father's contract or watch your family suffer the consequences. That's not force, that's just reality."
"What do you want, Elena?"
"I'm calling to discuss some logistical details. You'll need to come to Arizona a week before the wedding because Diego wants you to meet with the wedding planner, get fitted for the dress, and take some engagement photos for the announcement."
"Engagement photos?"
"Of course. This is a major event and we need to publicize it properly so everyone knows about this alliance." She paused. "Diego also wants to spend some time getting to know you before the wedding. He thinks it's important that you're comfortable with each other."
My skin crawled at the thought of spending time alone with Diego, of getting to know the man who had threatened to torture Ryder in front of me.
"I'm not coming to Arizona a week early."
"Then you're not coming at all, and we both know what happens if you refuse." Elena's voice went cold. "The attacks will continue and more brothers will get hurt. Eventually someone will die, maybe multiple people, all because you were too stubborn to honor a simple contract."
"There's nothing simple about this contract."
"Actually there is. You marry Diego, the clubs unite, and everyone wins." Her tone was condescending. "It's incredibly simple if you stop fighting it."
"And what about what I want? What about my feelings?"
"Your feelings are irrelevant. This is bigger than you, Sage, this is about family and loyalty and honoring the deals your father made to protect you." She paused for effect. "Vincent signed that contract because he knew the alternative was worse, much worse. You should trust his judgment."
"My father's dead. His judgment got him killed."
The words came out harsh and bitter, and I regretted them immediately.
Elena was quiet for a few long seconds and when she spoke again her voice had softened slightly. "I liked your father. He was a good man trying to navigate an impossible situation, and you're right, his choices may have contributed to his death. But that doesn't make the contract invalid, and if anything, it makes it more important that you honor it."
"Why? Why does this matter so much to you and Diego?"
"Because alliances matter in our world. Because strength matters. Because you're either united or you're vulnerable to attack from enemies you don't even see coming." She sighed. "Look, I get it. This isn't the fairy tale wedding you probably dreamed about when you were a little girl, but it's necessary. And Diego will treat you well if you give him a chance."
"He threatened to torture my boyfriend in front of me."
"He was making sure you understood the stakes. That's not the same as actually doing it."
"That doesn't make it okay."
"No, but it makes it effective." Elena's voice hardened again. "One week before the wedding, Sage. Come to Arizona or the next attack won't be on a building or a business, it'll be on a person you care about. Maybe even that silly man you're dating that won't let you fulfill your destiny."
She hung up before I could respond, leaving me staring at my phone.
I put it down carefully because my hands were shaking so badly I almost dropped it.
Ryder had heard the whole conversation and his expression was dark and dangerous, like he was already planning what he would do to Elena and Diego if given the chance.
"She's escalating the threats."
"Yeah, she is."
"And Diego wants you in Arizona a week early."
"I'm not going."
"I know, but that means we have two weeks instead of three to figure this out." He picked up the wedding folder and looked at it again with disgust. "Two weeks to find your dad's killer."
"That's not enough time."
"Then we make it enough time." He put the folder down and pulled me back into his arms. "I'm not losing you, Sage, not to Diego, not to anyone. Whatever it takes, whatever I have to do, you're staying with me."
I wanted to believe him and wanted to think that love and determination would be enough to solve problems this big, but looking at the wedding plans spread across the table, at the beautiful venue and the guest list full of powerful people, I couldn't help thinking we were out of our depth. Diego had money and resources and the backing of one of the most powerful MCs in the Southwest.
We had two weeks and desperation.
It didn't feel like enough, but it was all we had.
Ryder's phone buzzed with a message and he looked at the screen, his expression shifting. "It's Tommy. He says he has something to tell me. He said he wants me to come over."
"What kind of something?"
"He didn't say, just that I need to get there now." Ryder grabbed his jacket. "Come on."
We headed for the door but I stopped and looked back at the wedding folder on the table.
I wasn't going through with this, no matter what threats Elena made, no matter how many attacks Diego coordinated, and no matter what consequences they tried to force on me.
I was going to find another way out of this nightmare.
Even if it meant running and never coming back, even if it meant watching everything burn to the ground around us.
I chose Ryder and I chose myself and I chose love over duty and freedom over obligation.
And in two weeks, Diego was going to find out exactly what happened when you tried to force a Romano woman into something she didn't want, when you tried to cage someone who was willing to fight tooth and nail for her freedom.
He was going to learn that some cages couldn't hold their prisoners, that some contracts weren't worth the paper they were printed on, and that threatening the people I loved was the biggest mistake he'd ever make.
But first, we had to survive the next two weeks.
And find out what information Tommy had that was important enough to call us in the middle of all this chaos.