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“I told you all that I didn’t like him much”

“Yes,” Caleb said “But we thought that came later Why did you marry him?”

“Because I was forced to”

Aleki’s insides were being torn apart

Fuck All this time he’d loved her and hated her in al a life of fear Just to keep him safe

Didn’t she understand that was his job?

He’d accepted her rejection so easily He hadn’t fought for her

“Aleki, why don’t you put her down,” Caleb suggested

He didn’t want to He wanted to keep her in his arms forever But it wasn’t just him and her now He kne Caleb felt about her Even Wolfe was fucking obsessed with her This was Vivi She was different She always had been

She was theirs

And now that they had her back, nothing would take her froain

He set her reluctantly down on the bed, knowing he couldn’t be selfish with her In Escana, polyamory was the norm, not the exception But this sort of relationship didn’t allow for irl

“Your father forced you to marry him?” Caleb asked once she was settled

“William was the assistant district attorney at the time I came home for the holidays and he asked et me away from the house and my father But his touchto

do with hiot about him Then my father decided to run for Governor With William on his ticket as Lieutenant Governor”