Victoria gave a mockingugh. "No wonder Tiana''s into you! You really are a smooth-talking, cunning little thing. Tell me, did she give herself to you yet?"


    Andrew frowned. "Mrs. Peck, what exactly are you implying?"


    Victoria smirked. "Exactly what it sounds like. Has that bitch Tiana been keeping you as her little boy toy? All that talk about treating you like a beloved son-inw -I don''t buy it for a second. Knowing her and how shameless she is, I''d bet anything she made you her personal ything."


    Andrew''s face darkened. "Mrs. Peck, I suggest you watch what you say. Mrs. Rhodes is my mother-inw-nothing more, nothing less. And let''s be clear, I''m not some ything you women can toy with on a whim.


    "I don''t care if it''s my mother-inw or you, if either of you push me too far, I''ll push right back. I don''t care if you''re older or a woman."


    Victoria froze for a second. The sudden burst of defiance and raw presence in Andrew reminded her of someone from long ago, someone she had loved yet hated.


    Her expression softened as she waved a hand. "That was out of line. I take it back. Andrew, since Tiana''s now officially your mother-inw... I actually have a proposition for you. Something worth thinking about."


    Andrew snorted. "Go on. I''m listening."


    Victoria smiled. It was a rare, glowing smile that melted her frost into something dangerously soft and alluring.


    She said, "Be my malepanion and serve me! From now on, I''ll give you my full support to be the King of Gabo Creek!"


    She chuckled. "You probably don''t understand what King of Gabo Creek means! As the name suggests, you''d rule over all of Gabo Creek province, in open public and also its underworld, as the sole king!"


    Andrew looked at this woman in disbelief.


    Victoria smiled proudly and said with confidence, "What? Don''t you believe in my abilities? With the Peck family as a stepping stone, plus mybat power, your intelligence, and current foundation, we could sweep away the Three Titans and overpower Governor McCormick!"


    She added, "And you? You''d rule Gabo Creek like a goddamn king."


    Andrew rubbed his temple. "Okay, wait. Hold up. My head''s spinning. This whole King of Gabo Creek thing? I''m not interested. What I do want to know is... What the hell did you just say before that?"


    Victoria exhaled slowly, her breath


    like perfume, and shed him a sultry smile: "I said I want you to be my malepanion. Powerful men have mistresses and women all over their arms. Powerful women? We get the same thing.


    "A man keeping a woman is normal. But a woman keeping a man? That''s just bnce. And I, Victoria Sanchez, am the most dominant woman in all of Gabo Creek, maybe even southern Holtrien.


    "You''re young, brilliant, and easy on


    the eyes. More importantly, you remind me of someone I once knew, and that makes you very, very appealing to me. So be mine. Let me


    1.n


    enjoy you, give you the world and


    watch as everyone around you


    burns with envy."


    Andrew blurted out, "Does Mr. Peck Senior know you''re this unhinged? Won''t he divorce you or kill you for this?"


    Victoria snorted. "Calvin? Please. If I told him to lick my toes, he''d do it without a second thought. And maybe Tiana didn''t tell you this, but I''m the reason the Peck family holds power in Blumedale today.


    "When I was young, I didn''t marry into the Peck family. Calvin married into my family—the Sanchez family. That''s how this empire was built."


    Andrew felt a chill crawl down his spine.


    So the entire Peck family had been built by this woman, and their ''patriarch'' was just a glorified house husband?


    He stared at Victoria, realizing that this woman was absolutely unhinged and terrifying.