Chapter 72 Impossible choice
Sage's POV
"I actually give a shit about your feelings and your happiness." Dante said.
"If you cared about my happiness, you wouldn't be trying to force me into another marriage I don't want."
"I'm not forcing you into anything. I'm giving you options that you didn't have before. If you marry me, the Diego contract becomes invalid because Diego can't marry someone else's wife. Elena and the Blood Sisters would have no claim on you."
"You've been sitting on this for three years and you're just now bringing it up? Why now and not before when I first came back to town?"
"Because I wanted to see if you and Jaxon could figure a way out of the Diego mess on your own. I wanted to see if the Steel Wolves were smart enough to find another solution without my help." He shrugged. "But it's clear that you're running out of time and options, so I'm offering you a lifeline. Take it or leave it."
"And if I take it, if I agree to marry you instead of Diego, you'll tell me who killed my father?"
"I'll tell you everything I know about Vincent's murder, about the blackmail, about who was pulling the strings behind the scenes. I'll give you names and evidence and recordings that will blow this whole thing wide open." He leaned against the edge of the desk. "But more importantly, I'll protect you from Diego and Elena when they come looking for revenge. I have connections they don't know about and resources they can't touch. I can keep you safe in ways the steel wolves can't."
I wanted to tell him to go to hell and take his offer with him. I wanted to throw the agreement in his face and tell him that I'd rather die than marry him.
But the truth was that I was running out of options and the clock was ticking down to Diego's deadline. If Dante actually had information about my father's killer and if he could actually protect me from the Blood Sisters, then maybe I needed to at least consider what he was offering.
"I need time to think about this."
"Take your time. I'm in no rush. But remember you'll be on your own with Diego." He checked his watch obviously for dramatics. "So I suggest you think fast."
"What if I say no? What if I refuse your offer and decide to take my chances with Diego?"
"Then I walk out of here with all my information intact and you'll never know who killed Vincent or why. You'll marry Diego in three weeks and spend the rest of your life wondering if you made the right choice." His expression turned cold. "And when Diego inevitably mistreats you or hurts you or uses you for whatever he needs, you'll remember this conversation and regret not taking my offer when you had the chance."
"You're threatening me."
"No, I'm being realistic about what your life will look like if you choose Diego over me. I'm giving you a clear picture of your options so you can make an informed decision." He moved away from the desk and walked to the window. "I'm not the villain here, Sage. I'm the guy offering you a way out of a situation that your father created when he started making deals he couldn't keep."
I sat there trying to process everything he just told me while fighting the urge to scream or throw something or just run out of this office and never look back. Dante claimed he had proof that my father promised me to him first, before Diego ever came into the picture. He claimed to have information about my dad's murder and about the blackmail that led to all these contracts. And he was offering me protection and freedom if I agreed to marry him instead.
The problem was that I didn't know him nor trust him and I couldn't shake the feeling that he was playing an angle I wasn't seeing yet.
"How do I know you're telling the truth about any of this? How do I know that recording is real and that you actually have information about my father's killer?"
"You don't, which is why you're going to have to decide whether trusting me is worth the risk or not." He turned away from the window to look at me. "But ask yourself this question: what do you have to lose by hearing me out? What's the worst that could happen if you agree to meet with me again and let me show you everything I've got?"
"The worst that could happen is you're lying about all of it and I waste time I don't have chasing false leads while Diego gets closer to dragging me to Arizona."
"Or the best that could happen is I'm telling the truth and I help you find your father's killer and escape from Diego's clutches at the same time." He smiled a cunning smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Only one way to find out which one it is."
I looked down at my fingers on the desk. How could my father have tossed me around without ever asking what I wanted or cared about.
The anger that filled my chest was so intense that I could barely breathe through it.
"I need to talk to Jaxon before I make any decisions."
"That's fine, but remember that this offer expires when Diego takes you. After that, I disappear and you never hear from me again." He checked his watch again. "Use your time wisely."
I stood up and walked to the door on shaking legs. My hand was on the knob when Dante spoke again.
"One more thing, Sage. Your father died because of his mistakes. Don't let that be you too."
I turned to look at him with my heart pounding.
Dante's expression was serious for the first time since he sat down. "He died trying to fix his mistakes and keep you safe. That's got to count for something."
I walked out of the office before I could start crying because I refused to show that kind of vulnerability in front of Dante. The hallway felt too small and too hot and I couldn't get enough air into my lungs no matter how hard I tried.
Ryder was there immediately with his arms around me and Jaxon was right behind him asking what happened.
But I couldn't form words yet because my mind was still processing everything Dante just told me and everything it meant for my future.
Why would my father do such things to me without even telling me? What was I going to do?