Tattered obsession tatte.., p.35
Tattered Obsession (Tattered Obsession Series), page 35
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. "If you fall in line.”
My dad chuckles. "You really think you're in a position to give orders?”
"I know I 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.”
"Then why are you here?" I demand, stepping forward, unable to contain myself any longer. "To posture and make threats? To convince yourself you have some claim to this city? To me? You're delusional." I jerk my head back at Theo, Tristan, Liam, and the other assembled men. "And you're outnumbered. So why are you here, sweetheart?" My tone oozes derision.
A shark-like grin spreads across Lucas's face, and I realize too late that it's not directed at me. I might as well not even exist, because my husband's attention is all on my father and Victor. "Why am I here?" he asks distantly. "I guess you could say I'm here with a question.”
"What question is that?" Victor asks, examining his fingernails as if he’s bored by his son’s theatrics.
"Whether you'd be willing to go out peacefully," Lucas replies, and the vague alarm in the back of my mind is now ringing at full fucking volume. "And it looks like I have my answer.”
My hand flies out to grab Theo's arm, panic surging through me. Something is very, very wrong.
Victor chuckles, not even looking at Lucas. "You really think that, boy? That's how you get yourself killed." He glances up, his eyes flinty. "Now, go on. Raise your arms and fall in line, or I swear, you won't get a single fucking scrap when I—"
Those are the last words Victor Emmerico ever says.
The events unfold in slow motion before me, and I can barely hear my own shout of panic over the thundering of my heartbeat. I watch as Lucas gives a nod to one of Victor's own men—the one who moved to stand closer to him earlier. Without hesitation, the guard draws his pistol in one fluid movement, puts it to Victor's head, and pulls the trigger. Blood flies, and the leader of the Emmerico family drops to the floor, dead.
I stare in horror and shock, my eyes widening. None of the guys says anything, and even Theo, for all his composure, looks completely blindsided by what’s just happened. For a moment, nobody speaks, and then Lucas breaks the silence. "Thanks, Reggie," he says to Victor's bodyguard.
“What the fuck are you doing?” my father demands, drawing his gun and training it on Lucas.
“Taking charge,” Lucas replies, not even looking at him. “Boys,” he says, turning to the rest of his men, “I happily accept your nomination to lead the Emmerico syndicate. It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it.” He chuckles at his own joke. “As for you, Dalton,” he adds, glancing at my father, “consider this your final warning. You want peace? You’ll give me control.”
“Like hell,” my father barks, his men drawing their own guns.
“Shame,” Lucas says, shrugging his shoulders, “but no surprise, I guess.” He signals to his men, then nods to Victor’s bodyguards, who are still standing around, completely nonplussed. "Kill them all.”
In the space of a few seconds, the reading room erupts into chaos. Lucas's men move first, Victor's men already in action as all of them begin shooting indiscriminately at us and Craig's guys. They were all on his side, I realize belatedly. Victor's men were working for Lucas this whole time.
That's all I have time to process before a stray bullet whizzes past my ear, coming within centimeters of clipping me. Our men are only moments slower to react, roaring in anger as they draw their weapons. Theo moves to cover me as the first bullets from our side start flying. Tristan yells and begins to fire back from behind us as Liam pushes ahead, drawing his gun. Theo grips my wrist, pulling me down to keep me away from the shots as we rush to escape the line of fire.
Stick to the plan, I remind myself through my panic. We knew this was a possibility.
"What's the matter, Theo?" Lucas demands as we duck behind a bookshelf, crouching and trying our very best to keep low. "Afraid to fight your own battles now? Or do you just like the idea of getting away with your little bitch that much?”
He's taunting us, trying to get Theo to move. To his credit, he stays put, eyes narrowed as he glances protectively at me. I shake my head and point at the doorway, where Craig is returning fire, two of his own bodyguards at his sides. They'll let us through... I hope.
Lucas pauses to reload his gun. Stealing a peek around the shelf, I catch sight of Liam and Tristan sheltering behind an overturned table—like a repeat of the scene at the Diamond Lounge, I think bitterly. Both of them have their guns pointed at Lucas's men. They're safe and accounted for as they volley shots back, but my heart still wrenches with worry for them as I duck back behind cover.
"Tell you what, Theo," Lucas taunts as he finishes reloading his magazine, "You fucked my wife, and you tried to steal what's rightfully mine, but I might still be willing to let you live. Take a knee, and I'll throw Vivian in with the deal, too.”
He's lying, of course, and we both know it. "Fuck you," Theo growls under his breath.
Lucas cackles. "You never did know when to give up, did you? Well, it was worth a shot." He turns and fires at Liam and Tristan, and my heart stops when a bullet soars over Liam's head.
He's going scorched earth on us, I think. He'll never stop until everyone we care about is—
My thoughts skid to a halt when I realize I don't know where my father is. "Dad?" I shout, trying to look around the bookshelf again.
"We have to go, kid," Theo mutters. "Stick to the plan. First opening we get.”
As if on cue, Craig jerks his head at the doorway behind him, and I know this might be our only chance. Theo's eyes meet mine again, and he nods, his mouth set in a grim line. With a breath, we step out from behind the shelf… and right into the line of fire. Bullets ping back and forth, shattering glass and tearing through books, but I barely see them. I'm looking over my shoulder, my eyes locked on Tristan and Liam, who are holding their own.
"Go, Vivi!" Liam shouts in response. "We'll handle this son of a bitch!”
"Get somewhere safe!" Tristan adds. "We'll be right behind you!”
"Not likely," Lucas replies, advancing on them, only to be driven back by a near-hit from Liam's gun. "I'll put your little boy-toys down just like I did your father.”
I stop dead in my tracks, my blood running cold.
"Don't listen to him, kid," Theo insists, pulling at my hand. "We have to go!”
But I barely hear him, because in that instant, I see what he's talking about: my father is on the ground, blood pooling around his shoulder. "Dad!" I cry out in anguish, and my knees start to buckle until I feel Theo pull me up again.
"There's no time, kid," he growls.
That finally gets me moving again. My ears are ringing as Craig waves us through the doorway and we barrel out into the main hall, the sight of my father's motionless body filling my head. "We can't just leave him there," I manage as Theo rushes me toward the front door. "We can’t—”
"We can't help him now, Vivian," Theo says, his voice low and strained. "Not if we're dead, too.”
"Liam and Tristan—”
"They'll be fine." His silver eyes meet mine for a moment, and the look of cool composure in them is the only thing that keeps me from losing it completely. We stagger out onto the darkened lawn and make a break for the Range Rover, seemingly untouched by the chaos inside the house.
"I gotta get Dad," I hear myself say as Theo helps me into the shotgun seat, climbing into the driver's seat moments later and starting the engine. "I can't just walk away without—” I break off when I see Lucas charge out of the house, shouting something, a long rifle in his hands. He points it at us and opens fire, shattering the back window just as the car starts to move. I duck and cover, but my whole body is numb.
“Shit,” Theo is muttering, ducking his head as he speeds down the driveway. “Shit, shit, shit.”
Lucas shot him, I think, feeling like a broken record. He shot Dad. And if he got Dad, then Tristan and Liam…
I damn near have to smack myself to stop the thought from going any further, but as soon as we're down the block and out of Lucas's line of fire, I lose it. Struggling to breathe, I try to stop the sobs that keep clawing their way up my throat.
"It'll be okay, Vivian," Theo promises, but I can hear the hint of doubt in his voice. He's wound so tightly that he's trembling, the color drained from his face.
"How can you say that? He's my father!" I cry, throwing my hands up. "My father! I can't just—”
"We can't just die, either!" Theo says, his voice rising, too—not with anger, but with worry for me. “I’m not going to let you get hurt, Vivian!”
"He might be okay," I whisper as we speed away, as much to convince myself as to convince Theo. "I didn't see where it hit him. Maybe he... he..." But my voice breaks when I think of Tristan and Liam in there, still stuck in a firefight that I helped create, and the fear and grief hit me all over again.
Theo reaches for me from the driver's seat, taking my hand in his, but he doesn't say anything, and judging by the way his jaw is set, I know he's as torn up as I am. I don't know what else he’s thinking, but one thing is perfectly clear: any remaining semblance of the alliance just dissolved before our eyes. And no matter what happens next, we're all in for a world of hurt.
Chapter Forty-Seven
"You should eat something," Theo murmurs, taking my head from across the table in the kitchen of the bed and breakfast.
I just shake my head. I couldn't eat even if I wanted to. My eyes are glued to the clock above the counter, watching the seconds turn to minutes and then hours. I've lost track of time since we got back, worry and grief paralyzing me, and not even Theo's steadying presence is enough to make the lump in my throat go away.
"Have you heard anything?" I ask in a soft voice, my eyes not leaving the clock.
Theo glances at his phone and shakes his head. "It's only been a few hours," he replies. "They knew this was the meeting point. They'll be here.”
"How do you know?" I whisper, turning to him as more tears well up in my eyes. "They could still be in Craig's house right now. Dad could still be there. They..." I trail off, unable to let myself finish. I'm ready to jump out of my skin. I can't stand not knowing, and I can't stand being stuck here doing nothing.
"Vivian," Theo says, leaning his head forward and brushing my hair with his lips, "I've known Liam and Tristan for years. They're not going to let a few stray bullets get the better of them.”
"My father did," I reply, and now the tears start in earnest, flowing down my cheeks in big, heavy drops.
"This isn't your fault," he says fiercely, wrapping his arms around me. "None of this is your fault.”
"I should have—”
"You couldn't have known," he cuts me off. "They'll be here. They'll be okay.”
I allow him to hold me, my mind going to my mother, and Violet, and then, inevitably, back to the guys. How did we not predict this? How did I not predict this? I've seen what Lucas is capable of, I've been on the receiving end of it, and that wasn't enough to make me rethink it. Now everyone I love is in danger, and some of them might already be dead.
Eventually, though, it becomes too much to bear, and I try to get up from my seat. "I have to figure out what's happening," I say, half to myself. "I can't just sit here stewing, not with everyone still—"
But Theo's arms tighten around me, keeping me firmly in place. "You're not going anywhere, kid," he tells me, gently but firmly. "It's too dangerous out there.”
"I can't just sit around," I protest, fighting against his arms, but he holds fast.
"I spoke to Mark," he says.
That makes me freeze. "When?" I ask, craning my head to look up at him.
"A few minutes ago, when I stepped outside," Theo replies, his tone slow and deliberate. "It's chaos out there. Word's spreading fast about what happened, and there's no getting ahead of it. By morning, every family in the city will know that Lucas has taken over.”
"And my family?" I whisper, hardly daring to ask. "My mom and my sister?”
"I've got eyes on the house," Theo replies. "No one's getting in there without my go-ahead. It will do, for now, but our numbers won't last for long.”
"What do you mean?”
"Lucas had my father's men in his pocket," Theo replies, his gray eyes steely. "If he can get the other dons to swear fealty to him, he'll have more resources than he knows what to do with. And I think we can both predict he won't take kindly to defectors.”
Slowly I raise my gaze to meet his, and I don’t like what I see in those silver orbs. “You’re saying people will start leaving?”
“Without the syndicate to hold them together, absolutely,” Theo replies. “I’d be surprised if they haven’t started already.”
I sink lower, feeling my composure collapsing. “And they’ll come for my family,” I say.
Theo doesn’t reply, but his silence says more than enough.
“What about Liam and Tristan?”
“They’ll be here,” he reiterates. “We have to stick to the plan.” He doesn’t bother to add that, if something’s happened to them, there is no more plan. And if that’s the case, then we’re screwed already.
Theo keeps an eye on me as the hours slip away, no doubt wondering if I’ll try something stupid, and if he weren’t here to stop me, I probably would. Liam and Tristan are on my mind, along with all the things I haven’t had a chance to say to them, things I always thought I would have time for later. It’s funny how it takes your loved ones being in mortal danger to make you realize how much you love them in the first place.
Theo must understand this, because he doesn’t try to make me go to bed; I doubt he’ll be able to sleep much, either. I keep listening for distant gunshots, the screeching of car tires, screams of pain from the fighting, and even though the night is quiet, that somehow only makes it worse.
A text from Craig alerts me that he’s okay as I’m sitting in the fireplace room with a blanket wrapped around me and Theo stroking my hair: You really do bring trouble wherever you go, Emmerico.
I can’t even bring myself to laugh at his cantankerousness; I’m too busy firing off a string of frantic texts asking what became of the guys. I clutch my phone to my chest, my throat thick with worry, and when the reply comes—I don’t have anything on them. That bastard husband of yours ran me out of my own home—my heart sinks. Lucas really is going scorched-earth on the city’s underground, and without Victor to keep him in line, it won’t be long before there’s blood on the streets.
