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"You're getting warm," I confirm, "but that's not why they're here.”
"And if it isn't my darling daughter-in-law,” Victor says, crossing his arms as he starts toward me. The guys immediately tense up, and he raises a hand to calm them. "Relax. I'm not here to touch your little toy. I'm just... impressed, is all. You've certainly grown into more of a spitfire than when I last saw you, Vivian.”
"Watch your mouth," Theo hisses, stepping in front of me, but Victor merely smirks.
"What? Did I hit a nerve?" he asks, his voice hardening. "A touch too personal? Well, for what it's worth,Mrs. Emmerico,your marriage to my son was the worst business decision I've ever made… second only to your decision to get cozy with Theo and his friends here.”
He scoffs, and I grit my teeth. "We're not here to talk about me," I retort, struggling to keep my voice level. "We're here to talk about Lucas, and the damage he's causing to this city.”
"Vivian..." My father cautions, getting up from his seat. I can see the warning in his eyes, and I know what he's trying to say: I have to be diplomatic.
But to my surprise, Victor's expression hardens, and for the briefest of moments, something like regret swims in his eyes. But it's gone almost as soon as it appears, and I'm left wondering whether I'm just projecting. "Damage?" he asks, his voice growing distant. "Yes, you would know all about damage, wouldn't you?”
"What the hell is that supposed to—” Liam starts, but Tristan puts a hand on his arm and shakes his head no.
"Victor," my father says, taking charge, "you and I both know how much...frictionhas existed between our families over the years. I don't think it's unfair to say it's clouded our judgement." He takes a breath. "But my daughter is right. Lucas isn't a strategist. He shoots first and asks questions later. That might have been fine back in the days when every family was vying for their piece of the pie and it was every man for himself around here, but it's not a strategy that's conducive to the kind of lasting peace we need today.”
"Please," Victor says, shaking his head as his lip curls up into a sneer. "You're not fooling anyone with this talk of peace. What do you know about peace? You’re going to stand here and talk about the peace that the Emmericos and the Daltons made when our kids got married? The peace that's lasted for how long now?" He glances at me, his eyes burning. “Six months? Some golden age this has been.”
My cheeks burn, but I don't look away, and Tristan puts a reassuring hand on my arm.
Victor continues, undeterred. "Our so-called 'peace' was fucked from the second you two walked down the aisle. The other families were never just going to fall in line. Consolidating power only works when it's being used as a carrot to dangle in front of the other families. But running a city like London was always going to call for the stick." He makes a vague gesture around the room. "Where do you think all this came from, huh? Because it certainly wasn't playing nice.”
"You've sure changed your tune," Theo remarks coolly. "Has Lucas really gotten that deep into your head, Dad?”
"That's a question I can answer for myself," comes a new voice, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I turn just in time to see Lucas sauntering in from the entryway, half a dozen of his men in tow... and they're all armed to the teeth. "Hello, darling," he says, shooting me a predatory grin. "Glad I didn't miss the party.”
"Son," Victor says flatly, unimpressed. "You're late.”
"Am I?" my husband asks idly, his eyes still boring into me. Theo extends a protective hand out in front of me, and Liam and Tristan draw closer to my right and left. "My bad. I had a couple urgent messes to clean up. I'm sure you understand. You've got some nerve, Vivian," he adds, his eyes never leaving mine. Tristan's body is practically humming with tension beside me, but I don't even spare him a glance. I'm too focused on the man who’s now tried to kill me more than once.
"You'd think after all this time, you'd have learned your place,” Lucas continues, “but I guess some people never do." He turns to my father. "Tell you what, Andrew," he says, waltzing into our midst like he owns the place. "I'll let you off the hook for pawning your daughter off on me.”
Liam stiffens, and out of the corner of my eye I see his hand creeping toward his gun.
"Hell, I'll even let this little ‘alliance’ of yours keep puttering along when I take the city," Lucas continues, neither noticing nor caring. "Ifyou fall in line.”
My dad chuckles. "You really think you're in a position to give orders?”
"IknowI am," Lucas replies, glancing at his father. "Tell him, Dad. Tell him how you're handing the reins over to me.”
Victor narrows his eyes at him. "Mind your tone, Lucas. Last time I checked, I’m still in charge around here. Anything I give, I can take away. You'll take what I offer you, and we'll deal with your little coup later.”
"Coup d'etat?" Lucas laughs, clapping his hands together. "That's rich. The only coup I see going on is you trying to withhold what's rightfully mine. All these theatrics, all this playing me off Theo, and for what? So you can hold onto power for another few months? Another year? It's pathetic.”
Victor blanches. One of his men has come to stand beside him, his hand on his pistol. “You don't get to speak to me that way.”
“Really? You want to throw your weight around now?” Lucas's eyes have gone black, and I'm reminded of what Callie said in the hospital.
When Lucas attacked me, he got this look in his eyes. Like he wanted to hurt me. Like he was enjoying it.
My blood runs cold, the first alarm bells going off in the back of my mind. Lucas's men are moving slowly closer to us, and although they haven't drawn arms, their hands are twitching impatiently at their sides, ready at a moment's notice.
This was a bad idea,I realize.Did we really think he would be willing to negotiate?
But I don't have time to follow that train of thought, because Theo gives a cool chuckle. "Damn, Lucas. I knew you were short-sighted, but this is on another level." He crosses his arms. "You do realize everything's conditional with our old man, don't you? You realize his promises are only as good as our ability to fall in line?”
"Shut the fuck up, Theo," Lucas spits, rounding on him. "I don't need a brotherly lecture. You're lucky I don't sic my men on you on principle. And as for your so-called 'conditions',Dad," he adds, turning back to Victor, "you can shove them up your ass. I'm not here to make nice.”
