Page 8 of The Impossible

“Your grandmother and I were not fortunate enough to marry for love, but we were lucky enough to fall in love with one another. As you are aware, many people with our background don’t marry for anything less than status and power. That is how it has always been and will always be. My father brokered my marriage, as I brokered your father’s marriage, and your father brokered yours.”

“Say what now?” I looked from Pop to my father who looked like he wanted to disappear at this very moment.

“Over the years you’ve been allowed to live life at your every whim and have remained whimsical with little to no input from us. Now it’s time you give back.”

I tilted my head to the side, mentally mulling over his words. “Give back?”

“Yes, give back.”

“By marrying a man I don’t even know?” I asked, tilting my head forward and to the side so I could hear this better.

My grandfather laughed. “You know him, sweetheart. You’ve known him your whole life. Don’t act clueless, Patience.”

“Excuse me?” I had always known how controlling my grandfather was, but I had never fully experienced it. Not until now.

There was a ring at the door, which had my grandfather excusing himself to see who it was. A brief silence filled the room before my father spoke again.

“I brokered your marriage with another family years ago, before I knew where we would stand as of this day.” My father looked at me like he was pleading.

“So what does that mean?”

“It was simply a failsafe. I had no intention of you ever having to marry him, but he requested and is not backing down, and with the state our family is in, it has to happen.”

“What do you mean the state of the family?” I asked, confusion filling my being. I wasn’t around much, so this was all news to me.

My father shook his head. “Nothing for you to worry about. Me brokering your marriage all those years ago will be what saves us. Aren’t you glad he requested you and not your sister? That would be a nightmare.” He shook his head like this was sweat off his back.

“Who requested? I cannot believe this… and you.” My throat was dry and my head felt like it was spinning.

“Because I needed to ensure our family didn’t decline. Aligning our family with a family of equal or more power would keep us afloat. All of these decisions and thoughts were happening years ago, so I did what I believed was needed. You should be glad that you’re able to save this family.”

“Oh god, I think I’m gonna be sick.” My dramatic ass hugged myself, walking back and forth with all types of thoughts running rampant in my mind.

“I know it’s a lot, but believe me, this is better than the sacrifices we’d have to make had I not.”

“And what does that mean? What sacrifices?” I looked at him for answers he obviously didn’t have, because he wasn’t making the decisions.

He dragged his hands down his face, irritated. “Sacrifices we don’t have to talk about. He wants you and you’re going to marry him. Bottom line, Patience.” He raised his voice with that last statement.

I just stood there, bothered by the look in his eyes. He was acting like I was being so exhausting, when he had literally just thrown this marriage on me. This was why I didn’t come here, why I stayed away from them.

“Who the hell was this he?” Who had so much power that they could force the hand of Titus O’Leary?

My father looked up from the drink he’d just made, eyes locking on mine before he spoke.

“Hondo Carter.”

At that moment I wanted to pass the hell out because what the hell did he mean? Shit, I knew what this meant, but really? It meant that the man who had bullied his way into my day Friday had plans of doing more than kidnapping my day. He wanted my life.

“Well, son, you have impeccable time.” My grandfather led someone into the room and a part of me already knew who it was.

Why is he here?

I was literally screaming in my head when I locked eyes with none other than Hondo. The entire room shifted, and if I could teleport, I’d be anywhere but here.

I glared at him while amusement filled his features. He now knew that I knew and he was elated, I could tell that much. While I felt like a bag had been thrown over my head and the person holding it was tightening it around my neck, he looked to be in complete bliss.

I glanced from Hondo to my father whose expression heavily contrasted that of Hondo’s and my grandfather’s. My father looked like he wanted to disappear, like the drink in his hand would be the first of many this morning. He looked weak, like a kid who made a bet he lost without the necessary things to pay up… and oh had he lost… me.