Page 79

"No." Valentino pointed toward the door. "There will be no arranged marriages in the Lupetto clan."

"He's a sixteen-year-old kid," I said.

"I don't give a fuck if he's six."

"That would be considerably more concerning."

Valentino ignored me. "My sister isn't a bargaining chip."

Beatrice looked between us. "What just happened?"

"Nothing, piccolina," Valentino said. "Go upstairs and do your homework."

"You want me to do the books or my homework?"

"Homework first."

Beatrice huffed and turned on her heels, but not before trying to steal a glance out the door at where Magnus and Ivar had disappeared.

After she was gone, Valentino turned to Vidar. "My father treated every relationship like a fucking business deal. Look where that almost got us. Me and your wife would've ended up in an unhappy marriage."

Vidar's expression sobered.

Dante Lupetto had seen marriage, mating, women, children—everything—as another piece on the board. Another way to gain territory or power. Technically, our parents saw it the same way. It just worked out for each of us because our parents’ home was filled with love. But the Blackwood house was also filled with wolves who did not stop until they got what they wanted. If Ivar's wolf liked that girl, she wouldn't stand a chance.

"We came to discuss a different matter," said Vidar.

Valentino shook his head and motioned toward the office. "Come on."

We followed. The office was quieter than the gym, but I could still hear gloves striking flesh through the wall. The place looked like a boxing gym and a corporate office had gotten into a fight, and neither had won. Framed photographs of fighters covered one wall, championship belts and gloves displayed between them. Motivational posters shouted shit about discipline, pain, and getting back up. The other side was all business—filing cabinets, a printer, security monitors, and a massive desk buried beneath contracts, invoices, and fight schedules.

Vidar didn't waste time. "We've got a problem with our northern route."

Valentino went behind his desk. "What does your cargo have to do with my gym?"

"State troopers stopped three of our shipments."

"I thought you were on the Lobo trucks now."

"How did you get that information?"

Valentino just raised a brow. "And the Lobo trucks?"

"Went straight through."

"So Sorsha just handed the cops your shipment?"

"That's what it looks like," Vidar said.

"Why would she do that?"

I had been content to let Vidar explain. Now was a good time to act like the unthinking brute. Kept the heat off my wife.

"You don't think she did," Valentino worked it out aloud. "You think it's a setup. That still begs the question: what do you want from my family?"

"There are cops sneaking around your gym," Vidar said.

"I pay good money to have cops protecting my family's interests."