Ironcouncil, p.36
Ace of Diamonds, page 36
Ace of Diamonds
Alta Hensley
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
About Midnight Dynasty
About the Author
Copyright
Chapter One
Nick
“Please tell me you aren’t sitting outside Morelli’s house like a crazy stalker.”
I decide to not answer Harrison rather than lie by telling him I’m not crazy and that I’m not a stalker. And considering the degree of madness pumping through my veins right now, being called a crazy stalker is a compliment.
Madness is heavy. It floods my core with an intensity that is almost blinding, with bursts of red, colors reminiscent of death. Crimson, black, gray, and a bright light that beckons me to run to the only person who has the ability to not only engage the madness but also soothe it.
“This is like some sick Groundhog Day,” Harrison adds. “We’ve been here before. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to talk you off this exact ledge.”
I remain silent which I know is filling him with a mixture of rage and frustration. He’s not a man used to being ignored. I hired him for that reason alone. When Harrison demands, people listen.
Except me.
I know I should. Though I am the face of Wonderland, Harrison is the spine that keeps us upright, steady, strong on our feet. The man is my compass in a sea of turmoil, and I know I should listen, but the need to fight against all reason to have her is strong.
It’s so fucking strong.
“Nick—” He cuts himself off and then sighs. “This won’t end well. You know this, right? You keep trying to change things but only making the same damn mistakes over and over.”
“She doesn’t belong here,” I finally say, watching the caravan of cars pull up to the property and circle the driveway of the mansion.
I beat them back from Italy, but I knew I would. I had my private jet gassed and ready to go the minute Lyriope was taken from me. I know she’s in one of the cars arriving, and I itch to charge in her direction, claiming her as mine once again. But though I may be mad, I’m not a fool.
Currently, the security and surveillance on the property is weak. It’s easy to see where the cameras are—or more importantly where they aren’t. Bryant Morelli should know better. His arrogance, however, makes him feel invincible and I’m going to use this to my advantage.
Click click pop is all it’ll take to put a bullet between his eyes.
His incompetent staff wouldn’t see it coming and wouldn’t see me going.
Bye-bye, motherfucker. You may be used to dancing with the devil in your life, but you’ve never tangoed with a madman. The devil has nothing on me.
If I was in charge of keeping Lyriope safe, I’d beef up my security for sure. I already made the same mistake once—correction… twice. Harrison is correct when he says I keep making the same mistakes. This much is true.
This isn’t the first time I’ve sat in a car stalking my prey, and here I am doing it again.
This isn’t the first time I’ve let Lyriope slip between my fingers, and here I am trying to take hold again.
Round and round I go on this merry-go-round of insanity.
This time, I let Lyriope go. Even though I’ve never let anything go in my life before… especially when it’s mine.
It’s what she wanted, however. It’s what she needed. But never was I prepared to truly let her leave me forever. It’s not something I can simply stand by and allow to happen. I made a mistake and it’s one I need to rectify.
“Come home,” Harrison says softly. “At least for now. You can’t do anything solo and without a plan. You don’t need me to tell you this. Come home. Regroup. Plan.”
“There’s nothing to plan. Morelli is going to sell her off like she’s cattle, and I’m not going to allow that to happen. I’m not going to let another man, let alone a lowlife Sidorov, lay a single finger on her. I’ll chop off every digit of that entire family if I have to.”
I hear Harrison release a heavy breath. “Come home,” he repeats. “Just tonight. Give yourself a little space, a little breathing room. If after you still want to then charge the house with guns blazing, I’ll stand by your side prepared for battle. But not like this. Nick… use your head right now. Not your fucking heart.”
“She cut off my head the minute she left with Morelli,” I state, hating that the image of Lyriope walking away is seared in my memories forever. It was all I could see as I traveled home from Italy. “Off with my head as she walked out that door.”
“You need sleep. We all do.”
Sleep. I never slept until I was with Lyriope. Without her, I’ll never sleep again. I know this.
The doors of the SUVs and cars open, and I watch Lyriope exit a black sedan, following Bryant Morelli. The bastard doesn’t even turn around and offer his hand to help her out of the back seat. Either he has zero gentlemanly manners, or the man doesn’t care. My guess is both are true.
It breaks my heart to watch how Lyriope stares up at the mansion with a look of awe, possibly hope, and finally living a dream I know she’s always had. This mansion is a huge difference from the low-level, flea-infested apartments she always lived in growing up. She’s come a long way from squatting in her car. She finally gets to live the life that has always been just out of reach her entire life. She’s standing next to Bryant Morelli—her father—and about to enter the mansion she’ll be living in, even if it’s only temporary.
But I know how this story ends. Any outsider could see that this is not going to be the dream she fantasized about. Bryant is a fucking prick. His family only tolerates the patriarch because they have to. He’s an ass, and it’s only a matter of time until Lyriope learns this. And when she does, her heart is going to shatter into a million pieces and there is nothing I, or anyone, can do to stop this from happening.
“Do I have to go there and drag your ass home?” Harrison’s words break me from my thoughts. “At least come home to sleep. Tomorrow morning we have a meeting with the owners of the warehouse for the next Wonderland. I promised them that you’d be there too. They want to meet the notorious Nick Hudson. You’re like a modern-day Gatsby.”
I smirk at his words, impressed that the man knows me so well that bringing up Wonderland is the only thing that can make me find my center, refocus, and get my shit together.
“Is that weasel Sidorov in the States yet? The one Morelli promised her hand in marriage to?” I ask.
“He is. I’ve been informed he’s scheduled to attend a dinner tonight at the Morelli mansion, so you at least have until then to lose your fucking mind. Come home for a nap at the very least. Plan your idiotic assault for the night rather than in the middle of the day. At least give me that.”
I nod, not that Harrison can see me do it. “I’ll meet you at the house in fifteen,” I finally acquiesce. “We have some work to do for Wonderland. You’re right about that.”
Harrison chuckles. “No sleep for the wicked, but I’ll work my ass off if it means you’re starting your car and heading home. See you in fifteen.”
The phone goes dead, no doubt Harrison getting off the line before I change my mind.
Lyriope has entered the house and there is nothing to stare at, obsess over, except the large door flanked by expensive statues, the seasonal flowers planted and tended by staff, and an eerie coldness that surrounds the mansion. An icy cold feeling that I’m afraid will freeze Lyriope to the bone.
But Harrison is right. I need a plan. I’ll scorch the earth before I’ll let a Sidorov have her as his wife, but I’m also a cunning son of a bitch and need to use my head.
However, the voices ricocheting off my brain are loud, and I need to silence them.
But my queen—the only woman who has the ability to soothe the chaos inside of me—is now locked in a tower out of my reach. I’m not sure the madness can dissipate without her.
My straightjacket feels tighter and tighter by the second.
Chapter Two
Lyriope
Silence.
We sat in silence for almost the entire flight from Italy to Bishop’s Landing. Or more like I stayed in silence. If Bryant spoke, it was to his men or on the phone. He sat with his laptop typing up a storm for the duration of the trip. I tried not to take it personally or read into it. I know it’s going to take time for my father and me to form a relationship. It’s going to be awkward and uncomfortable to begin with. I know this. I’m not going to fool myself into believing that we’re going to instantly become family just because we are finally in each other’s presence.
Had I hoped we would have a chance to talk on the flight? Of course. But I kept telling myself that Bryant was a busy man. A powerful man. And I ’m sure his trip to Italy has put him behind in his business matters. I can’t help but feel guilty for all the trouble I’ve caused, but maybe there will be a silver lining in all this. Maybe this was the only way for us to connect. Maybe everything happened the way it did in order for me to finally meet my father and his family.
Was I also upset that my half brother disappeared the minute I was in their custody? Yes. I wanted to meet Lucian. I had so many questions and had hoped he did as well. I had hoped that he would be curious about his long-lost sister and be as anxious to meet me as I am to meet him. But no…
The people pleaser in me wants to remain quiet. I don’t want to disturb the peace. I want Bryant to feel like I’m easy to be around, pleasant, and maybe question why he’s taken so long to get to know me in the first place. But there’s still so much to say. So much to discuss. As we get closer to the States, I feel like I have to try to have a conversation about what occurred in Italy. I can’t simply say nothing and do nothing.
“Can we discuss what happened in Italy?” I say, my voice hoarse from not speaking for so long and obviously needing to drink some water.
“What’s there to discuss?” Bryant doesn’t even look up from his phone to speak to me.
“You aren’t expecting me to marry a complete stranger, right?”
He finally looks up at me. “That was the deal.”
“But…” I open my mouth to object, but how do you argue against such a crazy idea?
“What did you expect to happen?”
“Not to have to marry someone I don’t even know,” I answer, feeling a sense of betrayal. I had trusted my father. I had felt that deep down he’d never allow this to happen. “You don’t have to allow this.”
“I gave my word,” he says.
“I thought you just did that to get me home safely.”
He smirks. “Hardly. I just want this entire mess over with quickly. So I’ll say and do whatever needs to happen to assure that outcome.”
“But—”
“Don’t look at me with those shocked eyes. You put yourself in this situation, Lyriope. Not me.”
Oddly enough, I like the way my name sounds on his tongue—even in this heated conversation. I’ve waited for so long to hear it. But—
“If the Sidorovs want your hand in marriage, then fine. It’s not like you have any better options,” he adds.
“You can’t expect me to marry a complete stranger,” I say, trying to make my voice come out with more power—power I’m not exactly feeling right now.
Bryant has a way of making me feel so small with just a few words and little actions. I feel as if my surroundings are getting larger and larger, and I’m simply shrinking in his presence. I hate the feeling. I hate that this is the way my first time alone with my father is. I hate that this is happening, and I hate that I feel like I can’t regain my size no matter how hard I’m trying to withstand him diminishing my presence.
My father’s eyes darken, his jawline stiffens, and he leans forward with his arms resting on his knees. His laser focus on me sends a shiver down my spine. “That is exactly what I expect. I also expect for this conversation to be over. You made your bed. Now fucking lie in it.”
My father returns his attention back to his phone. I know immediately that the conversation is over unless I want a fight—which I don’t. Any further attempt at a discussion is futile.
Silence is all I got.
The worst part of the silence is that I had absolutely nothing to distract me from my thoughts of Nick. Remembering the way he looked at me as I said goodbye. His words, his body so close to mine as I fought the urge to throw myself at him and to beg for him to take me back to El Boro where we were happy.
God, we were so happy.
Nick would have fought for me if I allowed it.
He would have died trying which I couldn’t see happen.
I couldn’t risk his life for a fantasy. For a fairy tale that has to come to an end. Nick offered me a Wonderland that only existed for a short time.
Bright. Vibrant. Sparks of complete passion and joy.
But fleeting…
No. It was time to begin the next chapter in my life. That chapter is over and on to the next one.
As we enter the Morelli mansion, I can’t help but feel as if it’s the first time I’m seeing it. Even though I’ve been here before—in secret—I’ve never entered the front doors as me.
Lyriope Morelli.
“Where’s Sarah?” Bryant asks the butler standing in the foyer greeting us.
“She’s out running errands. She should be arriving shortly, sir.”
Bryant nods, audibly breathes out his nose, rubs his hand on the back of his neck, and frowns. He then looks at a small-statured woman wearing a uniform that makes her look older than I believe her to be at the edge of the grand spiral staircase. “This is Lyriope. She’ll be staying here for a short time. Please get her settled in.”
And just like that, I’m being dismissed. But there’s still so much to discuss. So much to plan. We haven’t come to a solution about my future, and there is so much to talk about. It’s like Bryant has completely moved on from what just occurred in Italy. As if it’s simply a blip in his schedule and back to business as usual. Except there is nothing usual about this. I was kidnapped, multiple times, and auctioned to the highest bidder. I was hunted down and now in a position to be married off to a complete stranger. And the worst part is that Bryant seems completely unfazed by this. He doesn’t seem to care.
I’ve always been curious about how the first time I’d ever meet my father would be. Dylan and I have both talked about what this day would be like—mine were always a fairy tale, and Dylan’s always rooted in reality—but nowhere in our visions did it involve me being cast off to the staff as if I’m nobody of importance. I didn’t expect to feel discarded like trash. I didn’t expect to feel so abandoned and alone. I had fantasized… I had hoped…
He moves to leave, but I quickly interject, “What about Dylan? Should we bring Dylan to stay here as well?”
I’d love to have my brother here with me as support. Maybe he could help talk some reason into Bryant. He could help me figure out this nightmare. Dylan has always hated his bloodline, but maybe if he had this opening to get to know his father and the rest of the family just as much as me, things could be different.
My father spins on his feet so he’s staring directly in my eyes. “There’s no we. Get that through your head.” He breaks eye contact and glances at the phone in his hand as if searching for anything more important than his daughter standing in front of him. “Your brother is fine.”
I notice that he doesn’t call Dylan by name.
“But if the Constantines wanted me, and others wanted—”
“The Constantines have moved on to other matters. More important matters that don’t involve my past mistakes. Nick Hudson is off licking his wounds in his Wonderland somewhere. The Sidorovs are getting what they want”—his eyes flick toward me—“and all will be good. Besides, Dylan has not only Nick’s men watching over him, but apparently my foolish niece sent a man, as well. If Nick and Sasha thought I wouldn’t find out…” He chuckles to himself as he begins texting someone.
“I just thought that since I’m here, and you and I are getting a chance to get to know each other, that Dylan would like the opportunity to as well.”
Bryant stops texting, lifts his eyes to me and smirks. “We are not getting to know each other. You are here to complete a business deal. Don’t mistake this for something it isn’t.”
His words punch at my gut, but I try to shake them off. It’s been a long trip, and I’m sure Bryant is just tired and cranky. I know that the way I ended up in the foyer of the Morelli mansion isn’t ideal, but surely he—
“I have work to do. Mrs. Lawson will show you to one of the guest rooms you can stay in while you’re here. I have a dinner arranged with the Sidorovs tonight, so be ready. I also have Sarah getting you some appropriate clothing. It’s been a long trip, so if you’re hungry before dinner, the chef in the kitchen can prepare something.”
The thought of seeing the Sidorovs again so quickly after I was kidnapped, tortured, and sold to the highest bidder like a piece of meat makes me sick. Bile forms in the back of my throat and my knees become weak. I want to be strong. I want to do what is expected of me as the newest member of the Morelli family. I want to impress my father with my courage, but I need the time to get the grit needed. Tonight is too soon. It’s too soon to wash the memories out of my mind.
