Storytime with Skye

The Anti-Hero & The Florist with NYT bestselling author Aleatha Romig

Skye Warren

Join New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren each week as she crafts a new story with one of her author guests!

About Aleatha Romig:

Aleatha Romig is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana, USA. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis, USA. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she's not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns, she likes to spend her time with her friends and family, including her beloved grandchildren.

Aleatha released her first novel, CONSEQUENCES, in August of 2011. CONSEQUENCES became a bestselling series with five novels. The compelling and epic story of Anthony and Claire Rawlings has graced more than a million e-readers. Her next series, INFIDELITY (not about cheating) hit New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-seller lists. Aleatha has since released over fifty novels in multiple genres: dark romance, romantic suspense, thriller, and romantic comedy.

And if you enjoy this episode, you'll love Now and Forever by Aleatha Romig.

You can find all her books here: https://aleatharomig.com.

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Welcome to the story. It's Story Time With Skye. You can fall in the You Cry. It's story time with Skye. It's story time with Skye. Welcome to Story Time with Skye. I'm new host, New York Times bestselling author, Skye Warren. Every week I tell a brand new story based on the heroes, heroines and meet Cutes that you want to hear about. I bring on some of my favorite romance authors as guests. To help me craft a hilarious, steamy and ultimately romantic story with a guaranteed happily ever after. So poor glass of something fun. Welcome to the story. Hello everyone. I'm Skye Warren, the host of Story Time with Skye, and I'm here with my good friend of Dark Romance. Aleatha romme. Hi, Aleatha. Hi Skye. Hi everybody. How are you doing today? Doing great. All right, so in case you don't know, Aleatha Romig is a New York Times Wall Street Journal and USA Today best selling author who lives in Indiana. Before she came a full time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she's not imagining mind blowing twists and turns, she likes to spend her time with her friends and family, including her beloved grandchildren. How many grandchildren do you have? We have two. Oh my gosh. Four years old and two years old, and they are perfect in every way. You guys have spoiled them so much. We do, but they moved away. They live in Florida. Oh, that was why the Florida, yeah. Florida is a beautiful place to grow up though. Yeah. For them, they're close to Disney and they go all the time and they love it. Oh, yes. Love that for them. Okay. So what we're going to do today is tell a story. We are going to tell a story that is probably a little bit dark and twisty, because that's what we both like. And actually, Aleatha just mentioned before we hit record that we once already co wrote together. It was part of a anthology. It was like a shortish piece. What was the anthology for? It was for Queens of Darkness and Sin. Yeah, that was, yeah, the Queens of Darkness and Sin was the group, and Tales of Darkness and Sin was the anthology. Tales of Darkness and Sin, yeah. Not for sale anymore, but I, but we did that. We will basically do it again. So let's see what we can come up with here. So we have three elements, and I'm going to give you each one, and you can kind of give me a little, you know, first reaction on that. So the hero is going to be an anti hero. I love anti heroes. I feel like that's a given for us. I feel like, I feel like you could tell us something else and we would just probably turn him into a name. I think you're right. So that works out for us. So actually, it's almost like the question is, do you feel like you've ever not written an anti hero? I have because I have that, I have a sideline of lighter ones. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Excuse me. I just, my, they're my reprieve from Dark and Twisty to just write something very light and low angst. Yeah. Kind of fluffy, a beach read that you can read one day and forget if you want. It's kind of a nice palette cleanser for me. But in that, so, but if it's not in that, is that under a different name or that's the same? No, they're under my name, but they're called Aletha's lighter ones. I see. So if anything is not an Aletha's lighter one, then it's got an antihero probably. Yes. I feel like sometimes the line gets a little blurry though, right? Because it does. I think some people don't understand what an antihero is. Yeah, so maybe that's something we'll kind of like explore as we develop this character, but okay, so the heroine is a florist Have you ever written a florist before I have not I don't think you either If I definitely would have had to then like research what all the flowers mean It's interesting though because I tend to think of florists as like like they don't grow flowers, you know what I mean? They're always working cut flowers True. And so it's more about design than I think it necessarily is a love of flowers, but I don't know. See, now if I was, if I was putting a lot of work into this, we might look into some poisonous flowers and some poisonous plants. Oh my gosh. See, already I can, I love how your mind works. You know what I'm saying? I was making her very sort of like, Little innocent Sally type of vibe here over here with the point, we can still incorporate a poisonous flower hotel. Well, okay. Maybe somebody like, sends them to our shop to hurt her. And then this anti hero has to come in and save the day. Yeah, or, well, it also could be a kind of poison where, like, you know, how points that as our poisonous to pass, like, it could be something where if you don't handle it, right. It's poisonous. And so she knows. How to handle it, but something goes wrong, you know, yeah, with so many possibilities. Yeah. Okay. The last element is a meet cute or some sort of primary story element. And in this case, it's arranged marriage. Oh, okay. That's my thing right now. That is your thing right now. Yeah. You were telling me new, a new series coming out. So that would be perfect, but you can feel free to change this one and make it. Not like that one in any way. I'm doing, I'm doing all arranged marriages. So I'm working real hard to make them all different. Oh, okay. Like each, each book is an arranged marriage. I see. I see. I see. I like that. So what is the series name? Is it like, just like arranged? No, it's brutal, brutal vows. I don't know the book name. No, the book name is Now and Forever. And then book two is Till Death Do Us Part. And that one's written. And book three is Bound by a Promise. And if this goes well, I might just keep going. I have no idea how long I'll keep the world going. I love it. I think readers will love it. I would love it. It's a mafia cartel. Perfect. It's perfect. So okay, we're gonna stretch you to be like, Another one or it could be like a seed of an idea and you'll love it so much. It'll end up being like book seven or something. Okay. I'll give you a shout out in the, in the, um, okay. All right. What do we want to do? Where do we want to start with this? The, where do you start when you're writing these arranged marriages? Do you sort of start with the setup? I usually start with the one. Well, actually both times in my two that I've written so far with the woman finding out that she's going to be married. Because she doesn't have any say in the planning or anything. They just kind of, usually her father says, Hey, you know, by the way, we've worked this out and you're getting married in two months or three months to a person you've never met. Okay. I like this. I love this. And I want a twist where it's not her father who tells her I want it to be him. Okay. Because I think a lot of times I don't, I don't, I haven't read those stories, but like a lot of times with an arranged marriage. The heroine is still maybe either in her family home or connected to her parents and that's why, you know, sort of like under their control still. Right. She wouldn't even necessarily, if that were the case, she wouldn't even be a florist. Right. Because that would be a weird profession for, like. A mafia daughter, it's possible, but so I wonder if she sort of broke with her family. And has been living independently and is a florist. And thinks that's all behind her. And then, and this is something up your alley, there's a family debt or something that needs to be paid and he's going to pay it. And one day she's sitting there arranging her flowers and the door opens and in, and it's like beautiful, pale greenery all around. And in walks like completely clad in black with a dark vibe. This guy who's like, We're going to be married and she's like, absolutely not who are you? I know. Who are you? I don't even know who you are. Right. Yes. I think, Hmm. So it could be that there is a debt and that it was arranged. He's like, basically like I bought you, she's going to hate that. Right. I mean, that's a, that's a little, on my side, that's a little Tony ish, you know, he paid off her debt. And was like, okay, now you owe me. So I think their first interaction, I do want that scene to be like, sort of, I mean, delicious and a tiny bit long. Like, I don't want to rush it. I want them to really, for her to argue with him, to stand up to him. Like I left that life. You can't do this. This, this is the year, whatever, 2024, this is we're past the Barbie movie. Like men cannot just do that, you know? And he's going to be like. No, everything's the same as the ancient days, you know, at least in the underworld, you may have thought you ran away from it with all of these pretty flowers. He's going to mock the flowers. He's going to like rip a pedal off or something. She's going to hate that. She's going to stand up to him. He might back her up against like a profusion of flowers, a sort of shelf. I like it. I like it, but he doesn't, he doesn't kiss her. And if anything, he, he might touch her, just like, Her face, you know, and just kind of like assessing what he now knows he's going to own. I like that. Like he also like reaches up and sort of like touches a leaf and then like touches her face. And then like, it's just, she's just a beautiful thing. Yes. Like, he's like, you know, this, this could work out, this could work out okay. And she's like, no, it's not working out. Don't touch me. Get away from me. So then the question is, how does this scene end? He's obviously come in with this intention to tell her, what is he saying? Is he saying, maybe he's telling her like, this is the time and the place. And she's like, I'm not going to be there. And he's like, yes, you will. And he leaves. And then what she's going to, or, or he can tell her it's going to happen. And that's it. And he could hand her the invitation to their wedding and it's already printed and there it is time and place and he will see her there. Well, yeah, I love that. And also, I always wonder how this is possible when it but I like the idea of it. You know, he's he's crowding her. He's sort of touching her. He's overwhelming her senses. She's clustered and then he walks out and she looks down and he has slipped on like a heavy engagement ring. Well, that would be, I mean, she'd have to be pretty flustered not to realize that suckers on there. I know. I'm like, well, maybe it could be a little big. Listen, mine comes on sometimes. Oh yeah. Okay. Well, he, you know, he could, he could take her hand, right. You know, as they're talking and she's, you know, like already told him not to touch her, but he, so he like kind of backs up, gives her a little bit of space, but he reaches for her hand and he's talking to her and she's so intent on looking at him because he's got Such intense stare and this, you know, this aura about him that she's just looking at him and when he lets go of her hand. Yes, there's a ring. Yes, I love that. I think it works. Honestly, like, I think I'm willing to suspend my disbelief in this moment, though, if you wanted to go a little more practical, 1 thing he could do is slip it into her pocket and she only discovers it when he's gone. Then what she would do, like, here's the thing, she'd be like, of course I don't wanna put it on.'cause I, I'm not agreeing to marry this guy. But also, how do you store a ring that's obviously worth a zillion dollars? Right. Right. So she on a different finger, she'd be like, I can't leave it in my pocket. That just feels wrong. It feels like it's gonna go in the wash or something. You know,. Okay, Uhhuh. So she's like, not gonna put it on the right finger, but then eventually he could put it on the right finger, you know? Yeah. Yeah. She is left with the ring. She's left with the ring that she does not want and she's stuck with and he's gone and she's got to hold on to it. But now what does she do? So I wonder if she has, she have like a friend that she talks to, or maybe like a cousin that's still connected to the family, like for one connection she can reach out to? Yes. Or I mean, it could be, yeah, I think, yeah, I like, I like a female better. I was thinking if it could be a male friend, but now I think I like a female better, a cousin would probably be good because if the, if she is connected to the mafia or whatever group we're putting them in, she will need somebody, you know, even though maybe she and her cousin aren't supposed to be still talking, but they do, they have, they've never, you know, they've been, they've been best friends since they were little girls. So even though, what is her name? Alicia, Alicia. Okay. Even though this is the heroine, right? Okay. So even though Alicia has left the family and the family has kind of disowned her because she didn't want to have anything to do with them. She's still been in contact with her cousin because they've been close forever. Yeah. And all the time contact because of, like, the dangers associated with, but they, they still love each other. They keep in touch. Right? Yeah, you're right. Not all the time because somebody would figure that out. But once they still have an ability to contact each other. Right? Which is out. And I kind of have this vision of her dad as being Obviously, well, essentially, I have this vision of him being dead, but before that, I have this vision of him being obviously not a good guy overall and wanting her to be a good daughter, fall in line, you know, do whatever he said. But I almost wonder if there was a part of him that was good enough to let her go. What I'm saying, because if. If she's like, I'm through with you because you don't, you know, depending on how exactly their family is structured, you usually can't like walk away. Necessarily. She knows a lot of secrets. Like, this is not something that dad wants and he's the boss. And so I wonder if like, even though she had to stand up to him and it was really hard if part of him, like, let her do it. But the thing is, if he's passed away, then it means that that one is that thing that kept her safe all along. Yeah. He's gone now because he was, he was the one that was her buffer. And so now when, now that he's gone, he had the power to drag her back, but he didn't use it. I like that. Whoever has taken control, maybe, maybe it even looks like an accident, but it's suspected murder or something like that. But the person who's now taken control is much worse. And he's like, I'm not going to let a pawn sit over there if I can use it. Right. Yeah. I was thinking maybe. Okay, so the father could have been killed, but maybe he was killed because he had some kind of. A gambling debt, or a maybe they were already struggling. They were already struggling, and something has gone wrong and they can't pay it back. And so it's kind of like. It could also actually go back to, like, sort of his kind of goodness. Like he's like, I'm willing to be evil up to a point and there's certain things I won't do. And those things could make us money, but I'm unwilling to do them. And the guy who takes over is like, it's because he's weak. Yeah. Well, I mean, the guy who takes over would either be like his singularity or be like a, maybe a brother or, you know, which would be her uncle who might, she might not like. And he might not like her. He might resent the fact that she walked away, right? He could have been telling his brother all along. She's making a fool of you. Yeah, like, almost it would be like, to him, to someone truly evil, it would be like. I will use her, but I'd rather her be dead than nothing. You know what I mean? Like, she can't just she can't just be out there on her own thinking that she got away from us. Yeah, so maybe he gets this guy and. I think this is not a random guy, like in the, you know what I mean? Like he's something special. He's some sort of linchpin. Right. Well, he has power on his own and then to connect him to the family will give the family more power. And he has money because he's able to pay off their debt, that debt. Right. Right. Part of me was wondering if it was kind of like a thing of he's wanted her for a while and this was his opening, but the trick is she doesn't know who he is. We kind of set that up. So. Right, but, but if she was involved with the family up until say, she was about 18. I mean, he could have seen her like in great big family gatherings or great big gatherings, and he could have been aware of her, right? And she was like, maybe. Knows in a book or a nose in a vase of flowers and not trying to actually mingle or, or live in that world. So he could have seen her from afar and plus, yeah, a few years have passed. So maybe he's. Sort of like bulks out in that time and like right become hot Of course very hot very hot because we don't write um anti heroes who are five foot Or in 300 pounds, he's definitely tall and handsome, dark and muscular is he's been watching her for a while. I always enjoy that like a longing situation. Watching for his opening, maybe even thinking it would never happen, but then when he sees the opening taking it. Yeah, I was thinking if we could go back again to the beginning, I would, which I don't know if that's possible. I don't know your rules, but if we could go back to the beginning, you know, maybe they're the 1st encounter with him. He just comes into the shop and she's just kind of blown away with how handsome he is. And how intense he is, but he, he talks to her about, you know, flowers or something. So when he comes back in the next time, she's like, you know, where the flowers. Okay. And he's like, well, I wasn't really here for flowers. I was here. And yes, absolutely. I want him to absolutely do that. I want him to come in and still look completely out of place. And her to be intimidated, but like put on her shop face, you know, I want him to ask about the flowers just to get her talking. He doesn't care, but she cares about the flowers and he cares about what she cares about. And then I want her to assume that someone this handsome and this hot and this like obviously rich. Is like coming and asking for flowers that he's obviously sort of asking for some sort of wife or girlfriend situation, right? I feel like would naturally have these questions that she would ask, like, well, what does she have a favorite flower or something like that, you know, and she can almost blush because it can feel like she's. Because she's feeling the attraction to him. And so it can almost feel like she is, you know, that thing you do where you're like, Oh, are you with someone? Even though she's trying to stay professional, he could say, you know, I don't know if she has a favorite flower. Do you, what flowers do you like? You know, she might like the same kind, but he never should say a, she, he should just say what kind of flower, you know, um, I don't know what her favorite flower is. What's your favorite flower. I was actually going to have him say he was like sending it to his mother's grave or something. Cause that would be kind of sweet, but I actually love yours. Better because he can just, yeah, he's just turning it on her. Like, what are your favorite flowers? Absolutely. And then if we want to get really creepy when she goes home that night, the flowers are in her house. Yep. Of course they are. They're in her house. They're not outside. They're not waiting on the door door. Door stop. They're actually in her house. Yes, just like on the on the dining room table because I also like the idea that he was sort of watching her from afar because that's how longing works. You know, you would just go check on her. I think I feel like his reasoning for not doing anything all this time was because he actually recognizes that it's good that she got out. She clearly wants out. She got out and that's the best thing for her. So he's not going to mess with that. And um, But only then when this new guy takes over and it's clear that he's going to sell her to some right and, or, you know, she'll have to get drawn into the life somehow that he kind of steps in and he's like, no, I'm, I'm going to be the one. Right. So, I mean, she doesn't know it, but he's saving her from a worse event. Yes. And it has to be marriage in that way too, because if it's temporary, if it's anything temporary, then. That's not really going to keep her safe, right? It has to be the full thing. So, okay. Okay. So then he comes back does the marriage thing. She's, she's going to be freaked out as soon as he walks in the second time, because she's like, how did you get into my house? And he's like, regardless of that, we're getting married. Whoa, let's move past that. So now they're in the place where she's thoroughly freaked out. She calls her cousins, like what's going on. The cousin updates her, you know, maybe she didn't even know her dad died. Maybe she's like, oh my God. Um, cause the cousin is just like, everything is. In, you know, it's like, it's not safe for anyone. People are getting asked left and right. Like, that's sort of why she didn't call her and let her know. And so the heroin can feel bad for her dad, actually, because I think he would, like, even if he wasn't a good guy, like, maybe he even sort of like backhanded her from time to time, but it's still like. It's still your father. He's still let you go. And it's still like, so I wonder if she would, you know what she would do. She would take flowers to his grave. Apparently, I really needed a grave to be in this situation. You know, I like that. And she's going to take flowers to his grave. And of course, he's going to be watching. He might not come out, but he's going to be watching her. Because she's really pretty much in danger at this point. So he's going to either be watching her or having his men watch her. Yeah, I think it's going to be the kind of thing where you get to see her like go up and have like that sort of complex relationship conversation with her dad of like, you know, you weren't good father, but I love you. And I think maybe in your own way, you loved me and, and obviously she picked the flowers, especially for him. Like they're not random flowers. And she leaves them there and then as she turns, he's just like in the distance, like leaning against a tree and you know, she's has conflicting feelings and so she confronts him and it is again, like, listen, my father, let me go. And regardless, if anyone was going to arrange a marriage for me, it would have been him and my whoever is taken over. Now, my uncle has no right to do this. You have no right to do this. It's not happening. I think at that point, you know, he, he might, I don't know if I want him to sort of like angry kiss her or just like see that she's so shaken by the, by the grave thing that he actually just like hugs her, even though it's weird for him, but like he, part of him recognizes that's what she needs. Right. Cause she's all by herself. She's all alone. And she just found out her dad died. Yeah. I mean, I feel like she would actively just like be trembling, you know what I mean? And be upset and be telling him no. But probably crying at the same time and some like merging like as she is telling him, you don't control my life. You aren't allowed to be here. I have left you like part of what she's saying, like, she's almost having that moment facing her dad, but facing him like he represents what her dad represented like, right? Yeah, I like that. Yeah, I like that a lot. Mm hmm. I think it's not an angry kiss. I think it's more like either a hug or a More gentle kiss that just throws her totally off the kilter because that's not what she was expecting Nor what she wanted but like it's this big tough person big tough guy that you know gives off this dangerous aura And yet at that moment, he's gentle Yeah, I agree. I agree. Start gentle. I do think it should start to like the passion should escalate on both sides. I think with him, it's just natural again. He's always wanted her with her. I think her defenses would normally be higher, but because of this, you know, everything that's happened, her defenses are down. And I think that by doing that, by acting inconsistent with who she believes he is, that puts her defenses down. It also makes her, um, more vulnerable to be open to maybe this guy's okay and I might like him a little bit, or at least I'm attracted to him and I can admit that. Versus, I feel like if he came at her super strong in that situation, It would just push him farther away, right? Okay. So they have this moment of passion, mutual passion. She probably tears herself away and says, you know, I lost my head. It didn't mean anything. And he's like, he's got to probably like, call her Cara, just like, you know, my heart. And I think it, I love when there's a nickname like that, when. The heroine assumes it's kind of mocking and we're just like so hollow, but like only later and the reader knows that actually he means it. Because he has been longing for her this whole time. Mm hmm. So, yeah. Okay, so then, they, maybe he escorts her home, and then what? Are we getting to the wedding? Or do we have something else happen before then? I think, maybe, instead of escorting her home, because her uncle is so dangerous, he wants to take her someplace where she'll be safe until the wedding. Mm. And kind of get her off the radar. I like it combined. I want to do, I want to do, what if he takes her home? He thinks she's safe. Cause she's under watch, you know, he's watching his, his people are watching. If she's like, okay, listen, I'm obviously in over my head. How could I have given in and kiss this guy? And regardless, he doesn't seem to be giving up. And so she packs her bag, sneaks out and hits the road somehow. He obviously realizes. catches up to her. I don't even know if we want to go so far as to have them sort of be in danger by her uncle's people or not. And he just kept this up to her and is like, you cannot go up. Like it's not safe for you. And she's like, that's very convenient for you to say, because you're trying to marry forcefully to marry you. And he's like, regardless, you cannot be trusted, so I'm going to put you in this safe house. And she's like, you mean prison? Right. And, you know. Mm hmm. Get a little bit of forced proximity there. Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yes. Mm hmm. I like a little forced proximity. But I also think it would be almost good to have the force proximity for just a little bit, and then he disappears for a little, so that she's kind of, I mean, she's being taken care of, she's fine, but now she's like, I'm by myself, and I, you know, kind of like him, and, but I don't like him, I hate him, and, but at least he's somebody, and now I'm all by myself, and so. When she gets word that the wedding is happening this afternoon, and when they walk, she walks down that aisle and sees him, there's like a feeling of there. Yeah. Okay. He's there. And that makes me feel safer again or something to that effect. Yeah, I think the thing is, I still feel like she's maybe at the point where she would say no at the aisle, like, at the aisle, like, like what is going to compel her to say I do. At that point, do you think she would say it just based on maybe she'd be more likely to say it if she actually did get in trouble when she was when she, when she ran away? Yeah. Yeah, he could convince her like, this is actually going to keep you safe and she may realize, okay, maybe it will tell herself something like, it doesn't have to be a real marriage. Like, it doesn't have to mean anything. It doesn't have to last forever. It can just get through this rough spot. You take care of the bad guys and then I can go back on my own. Okay. I like that. Maybe she even tries to make him a deal like that. Yeah. Yeah. She could definitely be thinking it. She could also tell him that, but I don't, I mean, I don't know if he would agree. He doesn't have to agree. She just has to think he agreed. Hmm. I mean, there's also the kind of thing that you can do where you're kind of like, sometimes the hero will be like, I won't touch you unless you ask me to, and then like, they're going to arrange it. So she asks him to, you know, yeah, I mean, that's, that's in my second book. Yeah. You know, it's just because you assume, I don't know. I mean, I've read mafia books that go both directions where basically they force themselves on them at the wedding night and then other ones where they don't, but I kind of fall for the ones that don't. Like, it's like, She gets to have some say so in what's going on. Even if she has no say so in the wedding, she had no say so in a lot of this stuff, but she gets to have some. What if he sort of makes it, what if the deal is I'll go this far, but not that far. Okay. I like it. So that way we kind of get, she kind of thinks to herself, okay, fair enough. And I don't have to even enjoy it whenever we do. Right. But of course she's going to, of course she does. And then sort of like, ironically, she's just. Wishing that they didn't have the agreement. You know what I mean? Like wishing that they could finish all go all the way. But he is like, I'm not going to, because that's our deal. Right. And he's waited for her this long. I mean, he's been in love with her for a long time. So making her squirm a little bit, that direction would be enjoyable for him. Yes. And like you said, like, I mean, he's a patient guy. He can be patient. He can be, he can be ruthless too. Yes. Yes. So he's going to do the thing where he's like, okay, the deal is I'm not going to have sex with you, but I'm going to kiss you. And she's like, I don't know, I'd rather it was nothing, but fine. I'll make the deal. And then, you know, after the wedding, when she's still in the wedding dress. He's like, I'm going to, I didn't say where I was going to kiss you. And then like, I like that. I very much need them to still be completely in wedding gear, you know, for this, for this situation. I like it. I mean, presumably we're talking very small affair wedding, like maybe his closest people are there almost more as witnesses than as like a celebration, but they could also still follow the, you know, I want I'm like picturing. I don't know what you're picturing. I'm picturing like. And I know, like, you have done this, but like, you know, like, in a state out. That because he's obviously wealthy, you know, and how some of states even have private chapels. Okay. Uh huh. I think a private chapel, cause if she was, I mean, I like garden weddings, but if she's in danger, I don't think he'd want her outside where, you know, even with his men around, he would want to make sure that there wasn't somebody trying to, because maybe he offered to do this, but the uncle has somebody else. He wants her to, right. And so he's got to get her to marry, you know, this guy who has, doesn't have a name, has to get Alicia to marry him. Before her uncle gets to her and has her marry somebody else agree, or it could even be that guy. Like, what if it's not the uncle, but it is. Just a sort of business partner or 2nd in command who wants to marry her to solidify his position. Like, he's taken over. But, you know, not everyone's happy about it. He's taken over, but if he were to marry the old boss's daughter. Like solid, right? Yeah. Okay. So maybe this, the old boss and our anti hero have been business partners in the past and our anti hero knows what a dirtbag he is. Yeah, or they don't have to be partners, but they've done business together before. I mean, they've been involved in deals or whatever family like the hero Could be family with the dirtbag new new boss Okay. Yeah, because that would that's going to make a lot of tension because and so he tells you know in when it's the men's pov He tells him that he's going to marry me The daughter and that's going to solidify everything for him. Um, and he's going to have everything now that our anti hero is like, Oh hell no, you're not. But he doesn't tell him that he just is like, no, I'm going to make a move and he makes his move. And so I want like the wedding to also have, I wanted to have flowers. And I want her to be like, I recognize something about these flowers for her to realize this was made by my like bestie slash florist who works with me at the shop and you know, and so like he, so even though this feels like a very rushed and almost fake wedding, like that he actually puts thought into it. Yeah, I think I like that. Yeah. Okay. So then he like pushes up the puffy skirts of her wedding dress and this is her where she did not say he couldn't then leaves her that way, like stated, but you know, where she's still feeling like, oh, I now I kind of wish we were having sex, but also feel like conflicted about that. Right? Like, I shouldn't. Whatever. Right. But then I want it to be a little beauty and the beast. Like I wanted to be like, don't go into the West wing. And so where is she going to go looking at night when he's asleep? He's going to go, she's going to go to the West wing or wherever. So he's going to, so he's going to put her in a different bedroom. I think he might put her in a different bedroom. Well, I think he definitely would before the wedding. Cause I like him being a little old, old fashioned that way after the wedding, in a way it makes sense that they still would be separate because it's like not fully married, right? They have this pissing agreement. Right. Even if he is there, he could just be asleep, right? And so she, I think just like a study makes sense. At one point early, she could be like, I'm a prisoner here. He's like, the grounds are huge. You can go anywhere you want, except my study. And so obviously that's where she wants to go. And so she waits till he's asleep and maybe it sort of disarms her that she. That he was so kind, you know, like, you know, she had this impression of him that he would not follow the deal or that he would, and she's like, he seems almost honorable. I'm a little confused about how to feel about him. What if I go check the study and when she does. What if she finds what she thinks to be proof that he, like, was the one who did the hit on the father? Oh, so he's not in there asleep? So she's just in there like she's snooping around? He's asleep. So he's either in his own bedroom asleep or he could even be in their shared bed asleep and she's snooping. Okay. He goes down to the study and sees something that's presumably bad. Or, ooh, ah. It could even be that actually in addition because extra bad, but no, I think not that, you know what I want her to find. I love your, I want her to find like a stalker shine, you know? Oh, yeah, because he has been watching her. Yeah. So like a stalker. Rep bookie or a box full of pictures of her right? Like, she goes up to his desk. It's like, clearly a desk that's in use. You know, there's, there's some papers on it. She looks through it. It's just like business stuff. She looks through some of the drawers. It's like, it's like files. There's 1 drawer that's locked. And so, obviously, that seems like the special drawer. She, like, Jimmy's it open and what is inside just some, like, doodads from, like, her life. Like, maybe she had an official coming out and there's, like, an invitation from that and, like, a Polaroid of her with her, you know, friends or something that, you know, gets printed out in a strip and just things he has been able to collect through the years. Mm hmm. I like it a lot. And is he going to catch her snooping? I think he has to. I think so too. And I think he's going to be mad. Yeah. Which is good. Cause that's a really strong emotion. Yeah. And, um, then she's going to be mad too. Cause she's like, you know, why do you have all this stuff? This doesn't make any sense. Why do you have it? And their anger turns to some passion. I think it does. You know, Because I think she's obviously going to be freaked out. She's obviously going to be a little angry and freaked out as well. But I think there's, there's some part of her that has to recognize this as a form of power because she's been feeling very powerless. And And if he, and if he is strongly attracted to her, that does give her power. And I think, well, I think she'll confront him even with the question. I was like, okay, you know, first being forced, just accuse him. Like, why are you doing that? That's creepy. Okay. So one of those is dated back from, you know, maybe I was like 17 or 18 and now I'm, you know, like 24. I mean, for. A man bent on, you know, he could even to sort of disguise his feelings. He could be like, yeah, that's, that's why I bought you. And, you know, she could be like, well, it took you a lot of years actually. And realize that, that it is more of a longing situation than it is like an ownership situation. And that could really like unleash. Unleash all the emotions and then unleash all the passion. Yes. I like that. And I mean, and also that protective alpha part that he's been watching her all this time. And even while her father was alive, recognize that she wasn't totally safe. And he, and he's been keeping an eye on, I almost think it could be that night, or it could be a series of nights, almost like this sort of. It's a honeymoon phase where it's revealed over these moments as they have what could be really hot and even kinky sex that That he, you know, she could say, why did you wait so long? And he could say, he wanted to get out and I was glad that you did, you know? Right. No, I like that. Uh huh. I think that's, yes. And, but I do think it's better maybe not to have it all explosive in one night. Like you said, have it go over like multiple nights and, and days because then like in the days when he's gone doing stuff and she's kind of alone, it gives her time to think about what she's found. And what, what does it mean? Yeah, I agree. And I think if this is a family home, she could snoop a little bit more, not so much like in his study, but just like uncover some things from sort of like his family and that makes her understand him better. Right. So we have that happening, but then we can also have the increasing dread if during the days what part of what he's doing is. Sort of preparing an attack against his own uncle, like the current bad boss, like, if part of what he's doing is defending or attacking, so it can increase the dread that maybe they're not fully safe, you know. Right. But it also, like you said, could, um, she might find things that makes her wonder if he's being truthful or if he's really working with the uncle or, I mean, there could just be the different kind of clues that we know as the readers, because we know he loves her and he's trying to protect her. But maybe she finds things that are like, but wait a minute, are they doing this together? What's happening? Why, why are they doing this together? Right over here, maybe, maybe even as he plots against him, he is also still staying in contact because he doesn't want the guy to know yet that he's like, completely against him. Right. Even over here, like a conversation where it sounds like they're. In league together and she's like, but wait, you know, maybe she even gets a call into the cousin and the cousin of like, everyone's thinking murder. You know, they weren't sure before, but now it seems really clear. And she's like, okay, so if this guy is in league with his uncle, did he also kill my father? And how do I even feel about that too? I mean. Again, it's like a love Kate situation with her father, but it does mean that she wouldn't trust him if he, well, or she's, I mean, she wants to trust him, but she is unsure if she can. And so she keeps kind of, every time she thinks she's going to give into her feelings, she ends up, you know, backing off a little bit because she's just too unsure. Yeah. But then something's going to have to happen. That's going to make it all real clear where he's against the It's for her. I think one, I think there's going to be sort of a seeming emergency. He's going to get called away from the estate. Rush, rush, rush, you know, danger. He's got the people to protect her. So, so he's thinking she's pretty safe, even if he doesn't like to leave her. And so he leaves and, but the person he put in charge is actually on the turn and he has portrayed them and he allows. The uncle to come in and the uncle meets with her, but instead of appearing outwardly, like the worst villain ever. At first I want him to just sort of be like, you know, you have it all wrong here. It's exactly the opposite of what, of what he said. I was trying to say, you should get to stay and be a florist. And he came in and helped kill your father just so he could have you and paints this picture that is like scary enough that. It's not that she, you know, because by now she's got this really strong feelings for him. So she's just very confused and it's not like she believes the uncle completely. She knows he's kind of a scumbag, but it also sounds kind of plausible too, right? If he's been wanting her and the dad's been blocking him and he's had, and he's been watching her for all this time, right? Like there are some things adding up and it makes her afraid enough. That she leaves with the uncle, I don't know if she would leave or just sort of like try to run away or, but in some way she would, she would make a move to protect herself that ultimately would put her in danger, but we would understand it because she's obviously being used, you know, and by somebody. And she doesn't quite know who, right. She doesn't know who to trust. Could she call her cousin? Yeah, that makes sense. I almost was saying what if her cousin betrayed her, but I feel like that's too mean. I don't want to do that. Yeah. But her cousin doesn't have to betray her knowingly. Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Cause the cousin is part of the world, right? The cousin is in league with the uncle, even, you know, not again, not the uncle has is having her phone tapped and she doesn't know. Yeah. And so the cousin agrees to come and get her because she, the cousin doesn't think she's safe with our anti hero. And so the cousin comes to get her or they arrange a rendezvous point or something, but then the cousin isn't there. Yeah. Or, or the, or the, the uncle got there first and the cousin is like, I'm so sorry. I didn't know, but they're both, you know, sort of being held at gunpoint. They don't have a choice anymore. And I think the hero has to rush and I really, and there's going to be a standoff and there's going to be a villain monologue. And then I really think, like, it could be that I think it could become some kind of situation where the uncle who was the second in command kept waiting for the dad to die and kept thinking that he would, he would get to be that, have that power and the, our hero went a different route and just made a lot of money. And so the uncle is sort of like ashamed that his sort of nephew has outperformed him. And they kind of this bitterness sort of plays out and then even if it was in a slightly different way that they succeeded and so there's a shootout and I and he has to, I think, take a bullet for her or or in some way endanger himself in order to save her because. It's the only way that we can see that, like, it's love and not possession. Mm hmm. I like it. Mm hmm. I was also gonna say, during that villain monologue, does he admit to being the one who killed the dad? And who hears it? Only our anti hero, or does she hear it too? Oh, that's a good point. I think this is the final standoff. The uncle's probably about to die, so he's gotta, he's gotta spill the beans. So that way, That way she can be really sure of him going forward. But I think when they're explaining their bitterness, I think the uncle could let it spill. And plus at that point, I think the uncle believes he has all the cards. Like he has caught the girls, he maybe he has more men and the hero has shown up like just himself and he's so he can say, yeah, I did all that, you know, yeah, it could also be, you know what, thanks for marrying her because now when I claim her, she's going to have all your money too. Yeah. Yeah. So I think, yeah, he throws himself at the heat at the bad guy, because he's like, I'm going to stop him, even if it means I die. That's fine. Mm hmm. He's safe. And she's going to be horrified, but I also think, oh, instead of maybe after rushing after, instead of rushing after them, it could have been a thing where he said, meet me and then the hero, but meet me alone. And the hero comes presumably alone, but then he has friends. And they all sort of swarm in and sort of take over, but the hero is already shot. So, and so, but his, his friends or his guys, his men come in and take care of the scene, but he's still shot. He's still injured and we don't know if he's lives or dies. Are we cliffhanging this? Yep. I'll see you again in about three months. Okay. Oh, my God. I really want like, If we had like subtitles, I want that to be like evil author laugh that we just did. Are we going to cliffhanger this and then like evil author laugh? Uh, no, but I think, I think it's important for the reader to not know, um, if he lives or dies and also for our heroine not to know if he lives or dies. And then to, you know, have that little bit of suspense before we find out that he makes it. Yeah, I also think, yeah, I think it also would be nice. If she fully maybe in the process of, um, you know, getting him up to the room and, and dealing with his wounds, if she sort of like takes charge a little bit, like I am the lady of this manor kind of thing, he'd been sort of a prisoner. And then even when she wasn't maybe sort of like rejecting of this status and she's like, no, take him to our room, like the room that I haven't been sleeping in, but now it's our room. Right. Yeah, no, I like that too. And, and. They might, you know, I mean, something to the effect of, you know, whoever his main guy is, would be like, well, he's going to watch, he's like. I'm his wife. I'm, this is so and so. I'm the one who says what we're doing. And this is what we're doing. And if he's not able to say, tell you what to do, I'm speaking for him. Yeah. And the, and the guy appreciates it because he knows that our anti hero really does love her. And he sees that as a positive in their relationship too. Yeah. And I also think stepping into her power a little bit, because like she rejected that lifestyle, like the mafia lifestyle, but. Maybe it's still in her a little bit. You know what I mean? Maybe the life of a quiet shopkeeper, even though she loves flowers and loves arranging them, maybe that wasn't as fulfilling. As she thought it would be. Yeah, but she almost feels like it's her only choice if she doesn't want a life of like, Violence and danger or whatever. So now just back to beginning, she's this quiet shopkeeper. Is she like in like a witness protection thing or is she going by her own name? I think she was going by her own name. Cause I think, I think the dad let her go. Okay. Yeah. And now I almost think what's going to happen. is exactly what the uncle wanted, what the uncle wanted to marry her, to solidify his place at the head of this new, of this organization. And I think the hero is now gonna be the head of the organization because he, he's married to her, right? And, and, and because he is powerful and wealthy and, and, mm-Hmm. because he says so. And also like he is, he would in a way sort of be the uncle's. He, so he, he really is perfectly primed to take this position. I think it's a good example of an anti-hero, which is kind of like a question that we posed at the beginning because. Because a regular hero, I think in a way he could have been a regular hero up until this point in a way, you know, some people would still call him an anti hero, but I think that almost the difference to me between if he were a regular hero, he'd be like, all right, babe, love you, you can own your flower shop forever, and I'm going to be a billionaire, and we never have to touch this world again. That would be like the actions of a regular hero. Which is that even if we have darkness in our past, like we have now abandoned that, versus I think an antihero is going to say, I'm now the leader of this organization, you are my queen, essentially, and you can do whatever you want with flowers, I literally don't care, um, you know, but this is the situation and, you know, and I think, We can find some, like, like, honor and respect in that he is going to not do the evil things that even the dad or dad wouldn't do, and maybe he'll even be even better than that. So, like, He will be a responsible steward of the cartel, you might say. Yeah, I think, though, to be in that position, you still have to be willing to go on the dark side for the business side of it. Exactly. Exactly. He definitely, like, it's like, he learns, he knows how to separate them too. His life with her and hit their life as a whole, but she also isn't afraid of that life anymore. She's now been, like you said, she's decided, okay, I'm here, I'm going to be part of it. And I will be the queen. Yeah. I think, I think part of that line is sort of like this gratuitous violence versus this. Listen, I make fair deals. And as long as you hold up your end of the bargain, no one gets hurt. I'm not trying to hurt anyone. You know what I mean? That's not my, I'm just trying to do business. But also, you will not cheat me and live. So. I think that's part of the appeal of antiheroes. Is that they have this edge to them and what makes them even better in my opinion is when they have this edge, but yet they can drop that edge in a way when they're with their special someone, they still obviously they're attractive and sexy and all that part, but she's not afraid of him like the men would be afraid of him. I'm like, he, she knows he would go. He'd take a bullet for her. You know, he'd, he'd do anything. So, I mean, that's what makes the anti hero so, I guess, appealing. Yeah. Okay. So the question is, he's taking over. She's, you know, potentially doing whatever she wants with flowers. She maybe has a flower shop, but like, it's her, it's her friend, Flores, who did her wedding flowers that runs it. But what should the epilogue be? I guess it depends on how much of the side story we have with other people too, because I mean, like, what was her relationship with her mom? Like, did her mom know this was all going to happen? Is her mom still alive? You know, so part of the epilogue could be that she re engages, they re engage with her family in a good way so that she's not, I don't want to say ostracized, but she's not outside looking in anymore. She's actually at the top and they, as the couple, welcome her family in and her family welcomes them in. You know, so that that could be part of the epilogue. They're all happy. Love that. I really do. Because yeah, I think, I think it's a hard thing, you know, to cut off your family at all. But specifically in this sort of scenario where it kind of felt like she was missing a limb this whole time, you know, right. Because she didn't, cause she grew up with this close family, but then she left it and her dad let her. And, you know, those past feelings are, are gone or, you know, are buried or whatever, but still, she still loves her family. So the epilogue could be the coming together of the, of the family. I don't necessarily think it needs to be a baby. I mean, I do a lot of babies, so I know I'm not against babies. It just seems like sometimes, sometimes, I mean, honestly, you've got this power couple, let them be a power couple for a while, right? She can't quite be this sort of like. Authority queen with babies. I mean, I guess arguably you can, but you're very distracted by babies. So yeah, you let them sort of rule for a little while. And I mean, they could even have that discussion, you know, yes, we one day would love to have children, but right now let's concentrate on us and this company, the empire, maybe set up the cousin a little, you know, because, you know, there might be somebody that, um, maybe one of the guys that works for our guy. Or somebody, you know, somebody. Yeah, he's like, yeah, yeah, I enjoy that. And so the very, very last question. Well, actually, 2nd to last is what would the title be? Oh, goodness, gracious. What would the title be? I did think of a title. It was easier because I stole it from actually a book. That's like, 1 of my favorite dark romances, but I think it would be fine because. That is a historical and it's to have and to hold. Okay. I like that. She actually has a whole series like that. It's like to love and to cherish, but to have and to hold, I think to love and to cherish is not a dark romance, which is so funny. And to have and to hold is a very dark romance. I like to have, to have and to hold because like I, my new series, I mean, I've been, I was looking for, I had one that was. Something I can't remember what it was anymore, but I ended up not using it. But by the time when I every time I said it out loud, I felt like I was doing the days of our lives Entry with you know, like sans through the hourglass. So are the days of our lives So i'm like this is not working for me I'm, writing like 15 Arrange marriages you're gonna have to use to have until really it's just I honestly I think I may so if I do I just want to let you know that thank you very much for the idea But I do like it to have and to hold I like it happen to hold and then so if readers enjoyed to have and to hold. What book of yours should they read first? Uh, my new, my new one coming out May May 13th. It's probably be passed by the time you hear this. It is now and forever. Yeah, it's a standalone that's perfect timing. And like you said, I think I talked over you, but it's a standalone. So no cliffhanger. Don't worry. Our evil laugh only lasted for a hot 30 seconds and you get your with now and forever. And we will put. The links in the show notes. So you can just, you're listening, just click down and you'll be able to find that book easily and give it a read. So I hope you guys enjoy that. And thank you so much, Aleatha. This was really fun. It was fun. Skye. Thank you. Good to see you. Thank you so much for listening to story time with Skye. I hope you enjoyed the story we crafted this week. Please subscribe so you don't miss a new episode and leave a review so that other listeners can find our show. We always put links for any books we discuss as well as books by the guest author in the show notes. So, You can definitely find something new to read. And if you want to help choose our romance adventure, be sure to join our Facebook group, Storytime with Skye. That's where we gather suggestions and poll our readers, just like you, to find out what our next story Will be. Thank you for being part of the story. Welcome to the story. It's story time with Skye. You can fall in love and laugh until you cry. It's story time with Skye. It's story time with Skye.