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But Theo isn’t having it. “I told you not to touch her,” he says, staring his brother down, his hands curled into fists at his sides.
“Fuck you,” Lucas rasps. “She’s married to me.” His eyes shift between the two of us, and then he laughs as he spits blood onto the floor. “You got a thing for her, Theo? Is that it? Oh, this is fuckingrich.” He straightens up, his lips curling in a snarl. “You think Dad’s going to think this is funny? We might have been taught to share as kids, but she is fucking mine.”
“Dad’s concern is this alliance,” Theo growls. “That goes out the window if you piss off the Daltons. I’m being smart about this, Lucas. That’s something you could stand to learn sooner or later.”
“Sure. The prodigal son wants to lecture me about smart business decisions,” Lucas says derisively. “Fuck you, Theo. You want to get in the way of this? I’ll take it up with Dad.”
“You do that,” Theo tells him. “In the meantime, keep your hands off her.”
Lucas looks from Theo to me, clearly debating whether to push it further, but after a moment, he shakes his head and turns to the door. “I’ll be in touch, Vivian,” he says, his voice cold and empty. “I guess we’ll see just how much of a linchpin you really turn out to be.”
“Lucas...!” I start to call after him, but he ignores me, slamming the door behind him.
I’m left standing there with Theo, watching him wipe the blood off his knuckles. He’s not looking at me, and his expression is impossible to read.
For a moment I’m too stunned to say anything, but finally I manage, “What the fuck just happened?”
“I told you, kid,” Theo says, his tone low and deliberate, “I’m not going to let him hurt you. I’m not going to letanyonehurt you.” Theo stares me down. "You think I was just going to sit there and watch my brother put his hands all over you like that? I don’t give a shit if he is your husband.”
Then he’s heading for the door, leaving his bags behind, and I don’t even have time to protest, because the next thing I know, he’s gone, too.
Listless and confused, I drift back to my room and collapse on the bed, and as I struggle to fall asleep, I can’t stop looking at the painting he bought for me all those weeks ago.
ChapterTwelve
“What do youmean, they’re having second thoughts?” I demand.
The look on my face must betray my disbelief, because Violet throws her arms out in frustration. “That’s what Mom said!” she protests. “You think I’m lying?”
“I didn’t say that,” I say, rubbing my forehead as I stare out at the river. She came all the way into the city to meet with me, and even though I appreciate her keeping me in the loop, I can’t keep the agitation out of my voice.
My sister sighs. “Look, all I know is what I overheard. Mom and Dad were acting like it was some huge emergency. Something about trouble with the Emmerico’s.” She turns to me, shielding her eyes from the sunlight, and even though we’re walking alongside the river in perfectly temperate weather, a chill still goes down my spine. “You didn’t do something to piss them off, did you, Vivian?”
My heart skips a beat, and I look away. “I thought finalizing the alliance was the whole reason I married Lucas in the first place,” I say, not answering her question.
“It was,” Violet agrees, “which is why Mom and Dad were freaking out. Victor Emmerico’s gotten cagey all of a sudden, and they don’t know why.”
“Shit.” I shake my head. “This isn’t good.”
“No, it’s not,” my sister agrees, “and by the sounds of it, it’s going to get worse.”
I look away, afraid to respond. It’s only been a couple of days, but that doesn’t matter. This is Lucas’s doing; it has to be. Why else would they suddenly be having second thoughts about our families joining forces? I didn’t think my husband’s voice held that much sway, but what the hell do I know? Nothing, apparently. I’m just an idiot who’s in way over her head.
“Vivian...” Violet puts a hand on my arm. “Is there something you’re not telling me? Something about you and Lucas?”
“No,” I respond carefully. “I mean, I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Maybe?” She tilts her head to the side. “This doesn’t have anything to do with that brother of his, does it? The one who’s been staying with you?”
“No,” I reply automatically, but once the question is out in the open, it’s impossible to shake. I haven’t seen or heard from Theo since the fight, and the idea that his protecting me may have caused the Emmerico’s’ sudden change of heart is too frightening to ignore. And I’ve been in the middle of it since day one.
“What is it, Vivian?” Violet asks.
“Nothing,” I reply, and I wish it were the truth.
* * *
It takes some digging,and more than a few questions to various Emmerico operatives, but I manage to track down the location of Theo’s central London apartment. It’s a luxury building like Lucas’s, but it’s not one of the loud and ostentatious ones. Theo’s building is quiet, elegant, and anonymous. The perfect place for the real power players to rule from the shadows.
