Page 10 of Harboring Shantae

"Why are you smiling? Doesn't any of that concern you?"

"Nope."

"What my husband really means is, why would he be concerned when he's the one who benefits from the scenes I read?"

Panther wanted to gag. He didnotwant to know what the two of them did in the privacy of their own home. Trista had already overshared enough, but before he could voice his objection, Trista let out a little squeal.

"Oh my God, I've got it." She snapped her fingers and they all looked at her expectantly. "Instead of the arranged-marriage trope, you should flip it and make it a marriage-of-convenience one."

Now he was sure she lost her mind because Panther had no idea what the crazy woman was talking about.What the fuck was a trope?Fortunately, Trista didn't make him wait long before she continued.

"You know, the kind where the two of you"—she waved at him and Shantae—"just get married, so that way your father can't marry you off since you are already married to someone else."

There was no way he could have heard Trista correctly. Her solution to Shantae's problem was to have her marry someone else. Just like that. And not just anyone else, but him.

"I can't get married," he blurted out without even thinking.

Chapter 5

Shantaewasn'tsurewhathurt more; the small dash of hope Trista gave her right before Camron shut it down, or Camron's lack of hesitation when he answered that he couldn't marry. She knew he wasn't already married, not unless something changed in the last year. But if it did, then why wouldn't his team already know that? Camron said he wasn't as close with them as he should be, but that wasn't exactly something he would hide. Was it?

"Remember my comment about making a huge mistake?" Trista narrowed her eyes as she spoke to Camron, a look Shantae was sure meant the other woman was pissed. "This right here"—she wiggled her finger around—"is exactly what I'm talking about. Why the hell not, Panther?"

Shantae shuttered at Trista's question. She had a good idea she already knew his answer. Camron had told her about his high school sweetheart, and it didn't take a psychologist to figure out it had a lasting effect on him. He'd never talked about a serious relationship. Never spoke about wanting a wife and kids when they discussed future aspirations. It was why, when she realized she was falling in love with him, she knew she needed to cut things off.

"Trista, it's fine," she spoke up before Camron could answer, and break her heart even more. "There's no way it would work. My father is determined. He would put a stop to any plans I made."

She should never have reached out to Camron. There was nothing he could do, and it was fanciful thinking on her part. Her father would get his way. He always did. Nothing in her thirty-two years on this earth had ever shown her differently.

"So, just like that, you're going to give in? Not even bother to try and fight for what you want?"

Trista had no idea what she wanted. How could she when Shantae barely knew herself? She was confused. The only thing she was sure of was that she didn't want to marry Zion. But did that mean she wanted to force another man to marry her instead?

"You don't know my father," she answered. Her voice was so low that she doubted anyone in the room heard her.

Trista apparently did, because soon she was answering.

"I don't know him personally, but I know men like him. He's a bully, and the best way to handle bullies is to stand up to them."

Laughter bubbled up her throat and broke free before she could stop it. There was nothing funny about the conversation, but all she could do was laugh. Maybe she was finally cracking. Maybe the pressure was just too much. It was the only thing that could explain her bizarre behavior.

"So, you want me to what," she said between bursts of laughter. "Tell him no? I did that. He made the announcement anyway. Run away? Because honestly, that's probably the only thing I could do."

Feeling the need to sound so dramatic, she quickly continued on, "It's not like there is anything holding me here. This is going to sound pathetic, but my job? My parents forced me into that. This apartment. They picked it. Friends. There isn't a single person in this town that I trust."

That sounded more than pathetic. Thinking back on it, she couldn't believe the number of things she allowed her parents to control. If only she had gotten out after her grandparents died, she would never be in this mess.

Camron didn't say a word. He didn't even look at her. He looked to be lost in his own thoughts. She would love to be able to read his mind just once and hear where his thoughts took him.

"If that's what you want, then Panther and Falcon can make it happen. Protecting people is what they do for a living. They’ll get you set up and my organization will be more than happy to help. Just say the word."

It was on the tip of her tongue to agree. There was nothing about her life that she would miss. Honestly, it was a sad reality. Shantae took a minute to look at Camron. She needed to speak to him first. There was no way she could take this choice out of his hands. The last woman who did that broke him, and she knew what it was like to have decisions made for her.

"I want to talk to Camron about it first."

Trista and Falcon seemed to understand. She expected Trista to give her grief, but instead, the woman merely nodded and they said their goodbyes.

Of course, it was all an illusion because Trista had to have the last word.