Only Yours.

1 “Please don’t make me do it, Daddy,” Whisper Doherty begged her father who sat on the other side of his huge desk. The piece was an almost-replica of the President’s Resolute Desk. The difference being that the crest of their family was embossed on the front. “I didn’t bring you here for a debate,” Cyrus Doherty stated, picking up a pen to begin writing on the page he’d been reading when she came in. “You will marry him on Friday.” “But Daddy… he’s a psychopath!” Her father didn’t even crook a brow. “By all accounts, yes,” Cyrus said, turning the paper over to write on the back. “Which is exactly why we need him. I won’t allow the Byrne family to overtake us.” Three months ago, the ranks of both the Dohertys and the Byrnes had been decimated by a shoot-out at what was supposed to be a peaceful meet. The intention was for the families to discuss territory and the increase of skirmishes between the two sides. The conversation never took place. Whisper had been at her father’s side when he got the call from her brother during the bloodbath. Listening to the horror almost moved her to tears. Being the only daughter of one of the country’s most notorious crime bosses, she wasn’t squeamish when it came to violence or depravity. She’d grown up seeing it all. Still, hearing cousins fall, her uncles, her brothers… it was stomach churning. The Dohertys lost just as many as the Byrnes, which was the only saving grace. Near to a whole generation of both families, and those loyal to them, were gone. The initial ordeal only took an hour. Neither side would let the other survivors leave. Their stubbornness, their feud, gave the cops enough time to surround the place and arrest whoever was left. Since that fated day, both sides had struggled to maintain their operations. Every wise-guy on the street was in play and enjoyed the two families vying for their loyalty. The Dohertys and Byrnes needed numbers, needed allies, or they’d be picked off and lose what market share they had left. Apparently, that was where Zaiden McDade came into the equation. The McDades were in the same business as the Dohertys and the Byrnes. They rejected their invitation to the meet, so were the only family unscathed. Now instead of three families jockeying for the top spot, the McDades had leaped to prime position, in terms of numbers on the streets and influence. Both the Byrnes and the Dohertys were guilty of trying to poach the McDades’ top guys. Their lack of success wasn’t much of a surprise given the McDades reputation. The only reason Whisper could figure that anyone would be so loyal to such a vicious family was if they were afraid for their lives. And that same vicious family was the one her father was proposing she hand herself over to. Slamming a fist to the desk, Whisper lunged over it. “He’ll beat me, Daddy,” she hissed. “He’ll beat me and r**e me. Him and all his depraved, sick brothers.” Surging to his feet, Cyrus grabbed her wrist, yanking her so far over the desk that she ended up with a knee on the surface. “You will not f**k this up, Whisper! You let the man run his house,” he snarled. “You are a Doherty. You will do what this family tells you to do. You will marry him. You will be his obedient wife!” “I won’t,” she spat. “I won’t marry him! How about that?” Bowing to get in her face, Cyrus didn’t display anything of the man who’d bounced her on his lap when she was a child. That man called her his precious princess. A lot of years had passed since then; a lot had changed. “Then you deserve everything he does to you. They have manpower. I need their manpower. Joining forces with them will put us back on top… You are the price for victory… One I’m happy to pay.” Cyrus shoved her away with so much force that she stumbled backwards. If the guest chair hadn’t been there to catch her, she’d have landed on her ass. “I am not a bargaining chip.” Sinking into his seat, he leaned back, swinging the chair side to side. His laugh warmed the air. “Sweetheart, you’re female… You’re only worth to me is what I can sell you for, who I can sell you to. You’ve been a drain on my resources since the day you were born. It’s time to pay the piper.” The laugh became a kind of disdainful smile. “Do your duty or I’ll slit your throat myself…” Picking up his pen again, he began writing. “Be at the City Clerk’s Office Friday at three… wear white.” Shooting to her feet, Whisper wanted to argue with him, wanted to point blank refuse… But considering what her life would be after disobeying her father’s orders kept her silent. Cyrus would cut her off; she’d have no access to funds. Even if scraping some cash together before fleeing was a possibility, her family couldn’t weather the embarrassment of her bolting against her father’s wishes. Whisper and her father were the only members of their immediate family left. Her brothers were gone. Well, she did have an uncle and a pair of cousins, but they’d never been closely involved in the family business. They’d never been trusted enough… necessity was in the process of changing that. If she ran, the Dohertys would be decimated. After that, her father would make it his life’s mission to track her down. As soon as he found her, he’d extract his payback in the most agonizing way possible. Whisper was a Doherty and had always been loyal to her family. Always. It was in her blood to do what was best for the family. The McDades might be despicable, but their hatred for the Dohertys was meager in comparison to their loathing for the Byrnes. Even though the idea of being betrothed to a McDade turned her stomach, she’d sacrifice anything if it meant not letting the Byrnes triumph. It was conditioning. She knew it but couldn’t fight it. Whisper, just like the Byrne and McDade children, was taught that their family was superior over the others. The exaggerated stories exchanged among their peers fed the animosity between the trio of families. The McDades could sneak in and take over while they had the numbers, but their infrastructure wasn’t as robust. This union, if she didn’t f**k it up, would see a Doherty-McDade alliance that could create a new power monolith at the top of the food chain. They’d be bigger and stronger than ever before. Wasn’t that worth her opening her legs for the scum of the earth? Storming out of her father’s echoing townhouse, Whisper missed the sound of her brothers and cousins charging the space. Once the place had been full, alive with the buzz of activity. Now it was quiet. Still. They’d cut the number of household staff. Without boots on the ground to pedal product and manage venues, the Doherty finances had taken a hit. Beyond that, with most of their loyal associates either dead or in jail, they just didn’t need to cater to as many people. Marrying Zaiden McDade would mean living in the McDade house. Her father would be alone. But only for a while. The Dohertys weren’t done yet. It was up to her to ensure there were no glitches on their return to power… That meant getting hitched to a man she’d been trained to believe was her enemy since before the word even had meaning.