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Harrison approaches me and pats my back. “Go get yourself some pussy if that’s what you need. Bryant Morelli is going to come after her. Soon. And you know it. So whatever plan you had for her, or you, or whatever… It’s time to modify it. And fast.”
Without saying another word, I march upstairs to find Lyriope. Harrison’s right with all of his advice as always, but I hate hearing it. I pride myself in being respected in our fucked-up world we lead. I like knowing all, and I like watching from afar. I usually try to keep myself at arm’s reach of the major dirty dealings, and I have a way of keeping myself clean even in the filthiest messes. But not this time. I walked right into the tar pit of fucked-up situations.
Lucian Morelli was pissed at me. He respected our longtime friendship and allowed me the opportunity to meet with everyone at Wonderland to try to figure out the entire situation. It actually would have been easier if Lyriope was just in danger with the Sidorovs because I was actually considering killing off the major players of that family in order to keep Lyriope safe. But now knowing that she was merely being used as a pawn in the ongoing Morelli and Constantine war… well… the smart thing would be to bow out gracefully of this situation.
I should have handed Lyriope to Leo and Tiernan tonight. Would I have pissed off the Constantines? Yes. I most certainly would have pissed off Gio Ralston. There was no real winning tonight. But what I really did was piss off Bryant Morelli. He’ll retaliate regardless of my friendship with Lucian. The question is if I’m prepared to handle whatever he throws my way.
And Lyriope… what the fuck will he do with his bastard daughter?
I know she won’t be welcomed in that fucked up family. No way will they open their arms and suddenly invite her to family dinners and parties. She won’t get the fairy tale ending in this. If anything… Lyriope may be safer being handed over to the Constantines. I seriously doubt they’d kill her. She’s too valuable to have as a pawn to fuck with Bryant. Who knows what their master plan is, but the Constantines are fucking smart. They’d know exactly how to utilize Lyriope.
I stop on the landing and pull out my phone. I need to check on her brother Dylan as well. It’s only a matter of time until everyone hunts the young man down too.
“Where is he?” I say the minute my man who is in charge of protecting Dylan picks up.
“We transported him to Monaco as you requested earlier today. We’re keeping him busy. He’s a quick learner and has a real skill when it comes to the books and numbers. I think he’ll make an excellent addition to your team when his training is completed.”
“Good. Up security,” I say, hanging up the phone as I reach Lyriope’s bedroom door.
My fucking leg is throbbing, but I refuse to take any pain pills until this mess is cleared up. I need to be sharp when it comes to figuring out what is best for Lyriope. She deserves to be safe, but I’m not sure what that looks like right now. I’m not so arrogant to believe I can keep her tucked away in my house like it’s some impenetrable fortress. News is spreading fast about her, and other parties may throw their hat in the ring and try to get a hold of her themselves. People know that the Morelli family would pay a high ransom for one of their own. And Bryant… well, he’s going to have to figure out how to save face in all this. He’s not one to be at anyone’s mercy.
Including me.
I’m also not foolish enough to take the man on.
But Lyriope… I’m not prepared to simply hand her over either. It also isn’t helping that I can’t remember the last time I slept. My vision is getting blurry, and my thoughts are harder to keep controlled. I’m not at my best right now, and I fucking know it.
“Lyriope?” I say as I open her bedroom door. She’s not inside the room, but the sound of running water in the bathroom reveals where she is. I walk over to the bathroom door and knock.
“I’m taking a bath,” she calls out as she stops the water.
“It’s me.”
“I meant what I said at Wonderland,” she spits out from the other side of the door. “You can go fuck yourself.”
I take a calming breath, trying to remember the sage advice of Harrison. Anyone would be pissed if they were in her shoes.
“We need to talk,” I say as I inhale deeply and release slowly. I’m not good with… groveling.
“You embarrassed me!” she shouts. “You acted like I wasn’t even a human being. You made me feel like a whore.”
