Queen of Hearts (Wonderland 2)

“I don’t want you to,” she counters. She glances around the room. “This isn’t worth dying over. Please. I could never live with myself if something happens to you.”

“You don’t have to go with him,” I say.

She nods. “It’s time. It’s time I stop running, stop hiding, and stop denying who I am.” She looks over her shoulder at Bryant who is clearly getting impatient. “I’m ready.”

“Don’t you dare for one second allow that man or any of the Morellis to make you feel lesser than the queen you are,” I say, realizing that I’m about to lose this woman.

“The girl you met at the Morelli party would not have been ready to do this. But the woman I am now—because of you—is.”

“You are ready,” I agree. “But this is going to be on your terms. I’m not going to stand here and allow you to walk out of this room with him unless it’s your choice. You get to decide your fate. No one else in this room.” I raise my voice so all can hear. “No one fucking owns you.”

“This is my choice,” she says softly. She smiles. “We can’t stay in Tuscany drinking wine and eating pasta every day for the rest of our lives.”

“Why the fuck not?” I give a smile even though my heart is splintering into a million pieces.

“Thank you, Nick. I mean it. If it weren’t for you—” She swallows hard, tears filling her eyes. “I’ll forever be in your debt.”

“Shh,” I interrupt. I consider leaning forward and kissing her, but the last thing I want to do is give these assholes a show. I don’t want to reveal all my cards, and I don’t want to expose just how much my heart is breaking. “You paid your debt in full.”

Blinking back her tears, she turns and walks toward Bryant. She doesn’t look back at me, and it’s a good thing. I’m teetering on rushing toward her and declaring war on every fucking man in this room. I feel helpless, trapped by the circumstances, and more homicidal than a damn serial killer. I can’t let her go, and yet… I’m standing here watching her go.

Bryant places his hand on her back and leads her out of the room. He then turns to me and says, “You stay the fuck away from her. Do you hear me? Our past friendship is the only reason you’re still alive. But that relationship is done. Do you understand? I see you even step foot on my property, and you’re a dead man.”

Knowing I have to regain my composure, I lean against my cane, raise my lip in a half smile and a half snarl. With as much swagger as I can give, I say, “No need for unpleasantries, kind sir.” I pick up my cane and walk toward my men, knowing every eye in the room—other than Lyriope who won’t look back at me—is watching. “Don’t worry, Bryant. No hard feelings. I’ll still extend an invite to Wonderland to you.”

I inhale deeply, refusing to unleash the beast that is dangerously close to the bars of the cage. I wait for Bryant’s entourage to leave before I turn to face the Sidorovs.

“What the fuck? So my money isn’t good enough for you,” I seethe between clenched teeth. “I’m not a Morelli or a Constantine, so—”

“You arrogant fuck,” the older Sidorov brother says, his Russian accent making me want to shred the tongue in his mouth. “This isn’t about money. We have our own fucking money.”

He watches Lyriope and Bryant leave the room, smirks, then turns without another word and leaves with his men.

Harrison approaches me which is the equivalent of standing before a firing squad.

I turn all my fury on him and shove him hard. “What the fuck happened? I told you I outbid everyone. I told you that money was no object. I told you to fucking make it happen! I pay you to make things happen!”

Harrison’s jaw tightens, but he keeps his cool even though I shoved him hard enough to lose his balance and cause him to stagger backwards.

“I just spoke to one of the younger Sidorov brothers as you were talking to Lyriope,” he says evenly. “And what you just heard is true. It’s not about the money. Never was in this case.”

“Then what? Are the Sidorovs afraid of Bryant?”

Harrison shakes his head. “They asked Lyriope’s father for her hand in marriage.”

“Marriage? They want to marry Lyriope?” The absurdity of this information isn’t fully setting in. The Sidorovs are all old enough to be her own father.

“They have a nephew who is growing in the ranks,” Harrison says. “They want a union with the Morelli family.”

“They want to sit at the big boy’s table,” I murmur. “Tired of just being loan sharks and thugs.”

“Joining the families by marriage does that,” Harrison says.

“And what does Bryant get out of the union with the Sidorovs?” I ask, knowing there has to be more to Bryant’s plan.

Harrison shrugs, pauses as he tries to come up with an answer. “Man power? The Sidorovs have an army of ruthless killers at their disposal. Maybe he has a bigger plan in using them to his advantage. But I agree with you. There has to be something Bryant feels he’s getting out of this that will benefit him in the future. He seems to care too much about Lyriope and where she ends up. It’s not fatherly love. And him agreeing to the marriage…”

The idea of Lyriope marrying anyone but… me… makes me sick. I’d destroy the world before I’d see that day. Guns blazing, daggers being thrown, battle cry on the way to war, this day will not see light!

“Fuck that,” I boom. “No fucking way am I going to let that happen.” I storm out of the room with Harrison by my side. “We leave for Bishop’s Landing tonight.”

“You can’t just muscle your way in and stop this,” Harrison warns. “You know this. You can’t go to war with the Morellis and the Sidorovs. You’ll get yourself killed.”

“I know one thing. One thing only. Lyriope belongs with me. Me and only me.”

***