Page 112 of Locked in Wonderland

When I remained frozen, his fingers tightened, nails digging into my skin. “Don’t make me hit you again.”

Maybe he’d knock me unconscious.

Maybe that would be better.

Delay.

Delay.

Delay.

Or maybe it was better to get it over with.

A sound escaped around the gag. Not a word—I no longer had any of those at my disposal. Just something raw and primal, carrying everything I couldn’t say.

Movement registered through the panic.

Nico.

He crossed the room with slow, unhurried steps, stopping a few feet from Queenie and Henry, who continued chatting quietly as though their son and his new ‘dog’ had already left the room.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then Nico broke the silence.

“I resign.”

Chapter Thirty-five

“What?”

Three voices spoke in unison, each laden with the same confusion.

The fingers around my neck loosened, then fell away entirely as Kellan took several steps toward Nico.

I didn’t understand Nico’s announcement or how it could benefit me. Maybe it wasn’t supposed to. Maybe whatever was happening had nothing to do with me at all. Regardless, it had bought me a reprieve, and I intended to cling to it with both hands.

“You can’t resign,” Queenie said. “You’re… family.”

The slight hesitation before she settled on that particular word spoke volumes.

“I have a contract of employment,” Nico replied. “We drew it up when I was eighteen, remember.” His gaze shifted to Henry. “You thought it best, so I didn’t get ideas above my station.”

Henry laughed softly. “That wasn’t the reason. You’ve got things twisted.”

Nico gave a small shrug. “Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, I have a contract of employment, and this is my formal resignation.”

“Tell him he can’t resign,” Kellan said, his characteristic petulance returning.

Nico’s gaze turned cold when it settled on the other man. Not icy with hatred, just cool enough to make it clear there was no affection between them. Which blew what Kellan had claimed about their relationship in the car out of the water.

“You don’t get to decide,” Nico said. “I don’t work for you.”

Kellan opened his mouth to argue, but Queenie cut him off. “Something has obviously upset you today, darling.” A faint crease appeared between her brows as she searched for a reason. “I suggest we all take some time to relax. The case went on for a long time. I shall have to speak to Judge Wainwright and remind him that a good show needn’t become an odyssey.”

“He wasn’t there for most of it,” Kellan muttered.

The pause before Nico answered made me wonder whether this was simply a bargaining tactic. Maybe the timing was a coincidence. Maybe he really was angling for better employment terms.