Family Ties and Shadows of Power

"She knows, and she agreed. It's not a big deal."

"It's a huge deal. She's twenty-two years old. He's what? Thirty something, and hell, he killed our brother."

"Allegedly."

"Allegedly, right. He did it. You know he did. I heard you and Dad that night. You yourself said he killed Cole right before Dad had to talk you out of going after him because of it."

"There's no proof, unlike the proof we have that Cole shot Dax in the head over an argument that had nothing to do with him."

"I don't care." I threw my hands up. "Jona is not marrying him. Why would you even want that?"

"Because we need to show an alliance with our families or we'll lose everything we've worked so hard to build. If we can't stand together, then it becomes a majority against one. We'll be the ones, Cress. Do you know what that means?"

"I don't care what it means. I care about our baby sister being tied to that family, and you should too."

"I have it covered. Jona will not be at risk. She'll be well taken care of, and the marriage will show that our families are once again a united front."

I laughed arrogantly. "This is not some mafia movie, Christian. This is real life."

He crossed the room and got in my face. "Thisisreal life. A very privileged life. One that you've lived with for years without truly knowing how it works. You don't have to understand it, but you will respect that your privilege and mine have been granted because of this real-life shit. Our family is a key factor in businesses being controlled, presidents being elected, and lives being spared. We play a large part in guaranteeing that the evils of the world are kept to a minimum. The balance of good and evil You can't have one without the other."

"What does that even mean?"

"It means there are drugs being sold all over the world. There are women and children being taken from families and sold to horrible people who don't give a damn about their lives or innocence. Governors, senators, hell even the President of the United States play a role in who has the right to buy and sell whatever they want. Our influence ensures that the power isn't tilted in one direction or the other. It's impossible to end those things in their entirety, but we can control them to a certain degree. Men of power make decisions about how things operate. Those men are given power by families like ours to control their presence in offices, in politics, and in business. We are the balance, Cress. The puppet masters pulled the strings. We control what men gain. Can you imagine what would happen if power existed solely for men who had no ethics or morals? Is it all good? No, fuck no, because it's impossible to live in a perfect world. We have to give a little, turn our heads in some instances, and overlook others, but in the end, the balance exists. Without it, the bad outweighs the good, and if that happens, our sister, you, and so many other innocent women and children suffer grave consequences. The streets are flooded with enough drugs to kill small nations. The rich continue to add to their portfolios, and the less fortunate grow in numbers. The banks no longer see us. Businesses for our people are nonexistent. There is no voice for our people. We fall under their control. Thisis necessary. Jona is doing her part. You do yours. Stay the fuck out of it."

I didn't know all the rules, but I did know that my family was connected. Law enforcement, political figures, corporations, and shell companies, all of which were backed by our money. Favors exchanged hands to put people in positions of power. I never understood all the reasons behind what was happening, but I did understand that my family played a role in the political game of chess that was happening around the world. It was necessary. I still didn't approve.

"Right, because she wants to please you and Dad so badly that she'll do anything you say."

"You'd do well to learn from her. Like it or not, it's happening. I've asked you here because I need you to understand that not approving won't change a damn thing. You need not try to convince Jona to fight this, not that I feel like she will."

"What did you promise her?"

"Nothing…" He shrugged. "She made the decision on her own. Like I said, she understands her role as a member of this family."

"And I don't?"

"You've never had one, Cress. You never wanted it, so we never forced you. You're living your dream. I respect the freedom you demanded. You need to respect what that freedom means to everyone else in this family."

Me following my love for dance meant that Jona had stepped into the role that should have naturally been mine.

"I don't want this for her," I said quietly.

"Are you willing to take her place?"

No.

When I didn't respond, he nodded. "That's what I thought. She'll be fine. It's a marriage of convenience. That's all. Jona is not being forced into anything she doesn't agree with."

"She's agreeing because you asked. You shouldn't have asked her."

"It's not like I had a choice. We do what we must for family, Cress. That's how things work in our world."

He walked over to me, placed a kiss on my forehead, and left the office.

My sister was marrying the man who had killed our brother, and there wasn't anything I could do about it.

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