“And that’s where you’re wrong. We are engaged, and we will be married.”

My tone left no room for argument, but that had never stopped Kayla before, and didn’t stop her now.

“Look, you’re very good at what you do. You can make him see reason,” she said.

The hint of desperation in her tone did something to me that I didn’t like one bit.

So I ignored it.

“Kayla, you seem not to be following, so let me make this plain.. You and I are engaged and will be married. If we’re not, you’re as good as dead. And me too probably,” I said.

“Unlikely,” she said.

I studied her. “You think he wouldn’t kill you?” I asked.

“Well obviously, he’d have no trouble doing that,” she said, her matter-of-factness both amusing and depressing. “But you…”

“Yes, I am his son, but more important than that is his name, his word. If he thinks I’ve done anything to violate that, all bets are off. Enough that I wouldn’t try to test it. He may not kill me, but he may. Or try something worse,” I said.

She didn’t miss my implication. “Davit?” she whispered.

That got more of a reaction out of her than anything, which only underscored how much she cared about my brother and his family.

And how little she cared about me.

“I wouldn’t want to say so for sure, but in my father’s twisted mind…”

“You have to walk me through this logic,” she said.

She’d been sitting on the small sofa but stood.

“There’s no logic. I’m the eldest. I have run the family, and I am most likely to be able to continue the legacy. Davit, while nice to have around, isn’t it that in my father’s eyes. So, I could see him splitting the difference for lack of a better word.”

“We can’t let that happen,” she whispered.

I looked at her, still saw some resistance and reluctance in her eyes, but not enough.

“No, we can’t. And I won’t. And I won’t let you either,” I said, my voice taking on an edge.

I stepped closer to her, then closer still.

“You don’t want this for yourself. You’ve made that clear. So think of it however you want, but that life you dreamed of with Todd, your white picket fence, your dog… All that shit is gone,” I said.

I didn’t mention the kids I knew she wanted, wouldn’t even allow my mind to put the thought of Kayla bearing someone else’s children in my head.

“How do you know I want a dog?” she said.

I smiled, but the humor left as quickly as it had come.