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My blood runs cold. The guy who’s been skulking around the building. It has to be. “You’ve had one of your goons spying on me?” I demand.
“I told you to lie low and stay out of trouble,” Lucas growls. “You never listen, do you?”
“I’m still waiting for an answer,” I snap, glancing at Theo for support. He stares back at me with a mixture of dominance and concern, and the contrast stirs something in my gut. “I thought that was the whole reason you sent Theo here.”
“And that wasn’t enough, was it?” Lucas fires back. “What have you been doing all day out of the apartment, Vivian? I swear, if you’ve been flapping your gums, I’ll—”
Anger surges through me. My eyes find Theo’s; he nods once, and that’s all the encouragement I need. “I’m not a damn rat, Lucas, so you can forget it. And if you have to know, I’ve been working all day.” I realize my palms have gone clammy, even though I’m gripping my phone tightly enough to break it in half.
“Working?”
“I got the Sterling job.”
There. It’s out.
Lucas goes silent for a long beat. “You... you did what?” His words are strained with rage.
Theo has moved beside me, his head low as he listens to the exchange, and I can sense his tension.
“I got the job,” I repeat. “This will benefit both our families, Lucas. The art scene is tied to our business. And I’m not about to let this opportunity go.”
There’s a long pause. “You’re pushing your luck, Vivian,” Lucas snarls finally. “Do you have any idea who you’re talking to? I’m your fucking husband and you’re mine. You can’t do whatever the fuck you like when I’m not there!”
“I do,” I tightly reply, refusing to apologize, but I can’t keep the tremor out of my voice. “And I don’t care. I’m good at what I do, and I’m going to make sure it pays off. You’ll see.” I swallow hard and breathe out, “Besides, it’s not like I don’t know what I’m getting into.”
“Oh, believe me, Vivian, you havenoideawhat you’re getting into,” Lucas growls, and the implication is crystal clear. “You’re not a bargaining chip anymore, Vivian. This deal doesn’t depend on you anymore, and if you think you can hide behind your father forever, you’re sorely—”
That’s when Theo, who has up until now been silent, finally steps in. “You don’t get to talk to her like that,” he says, and even though his voice is level, he’s visibly boiling with rage. The look in his eyes calls to mind the way he looked when he almost killed that guy at the bar, and his tone is steely and commanding.
“Theo?” Lucas sounds taken aback. “You’ve been listening in?”
“The call was on speaker,” Theo states coolly, “and you’re fucking lucky you and I are on the same side, or I’d be making a call of my own right now. Do you hear me?”
There’s a pause, and then Lucas snorts. “You think you pull the strings around here, Theo? You’re not in charge. Dad is and either way, she is my wife. I can speak to her however the fuck I like.”
“He won’t be forever,” Theo states. “And if I ever hear you threaten your wife like that again, it won’t matterwho’sin charge. I’ll make it my business to deal with you. Do you understand?”
Lucas barks out a laugh. “Awfully smug for someone who just got back into Dad’s good graces, Theo. You’re not the one who’s gotten his hands dirty for years for this family. Best remember that, or things may not turn out in your favor.”
“I can live with that,” Theo growls. “Vivian is your wife, not your puppet, and I can tell you right now you won’t be so lucky in the future if you threaten her again.”
“Theo.” I put my hand on his arm, and he looks down at me with a frown. There’s concern in his eyes, but also rage.
A tense moment passes, and then Lucas growls, “Shit, fine. Whatever you say,brother.Do whatever the fuck you want, Vivian. Just don’t come crawling to me when it blows up in your face.” And with that, he hangs up the call.
Time seems to stretch into infinity as I stand there staring at my phone, and my hand crackles with electricity where it’s touching Theo’s arm. He’s not looking at me.
“Hey,” I murmur. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” Theo growls, his eyes still downcast. “He shouldn’t talk to you like that.”
“I know.” I rub the back of my neck. “But there’s nothing we can do, is there?”
Theo doesn’t reply, straightening up, his jaw muscles flexing.
I’m sorry,” I offer. “I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s not your fault.” He cuts me off. “Lucas was being a prick. And it had nothing to do with you.”
