“Enlighten us, Dad, yeah,” I say, folding my arms over my chest. “Tell her who the Red Tribunal are. You’ve only warned me about their power but you’ve never explained the extent of their reach or who runs it. Livvie deserves to hear the truth, too.”
Livvie hitches the hem of her dress and glides closer. “Is Red Tribunal a security firm? My father mentioned them to me a few weeks ago. He didn't go into detail, though. All he said was they have the power to destroy all of us overnight.”
My father clucks his tongue, letting out a hiss of frustration.
“The Red Tribunal is a classified organization that all of us are members of. Arturo is an enforcer and not the type of man who pays regular home visits. So quit asking questions.”
When he throws out that comment, his glare lands on Livvie and for some reason my hackles flare.I don’t let it show, though.
“What kind of organization?” I press. “I need more details than that.”
Arturo and my father exchange a glance, and still, Arturo doesn’t speak.
“You’ll find out soon enough, Kingston,” my father grits out. “He has a message to pass on. One you’d better pay attention to.”
Arturo steps forward and clears his throat like he’s about to read me my rights. “If this union of the Viacava and O’Callaghan families fails, so will your empires.”
“Well, that’s fucking cryptic,” I say with a sharp laugh. “You cockblocked me to repeat something we already know?”
Livvie crosses her arms, nudging her tits a little higher, not realizing how it sets my skin on fire. “There was no cockblocking needed, Kingston. That thing won’t come anywhere near me.”
“Tell that to your?—”
“This is exactly the shit we’re talking about,” my father warns, glaring at me. “Whenever you're in company, act like you’re in goddamn love.”
I scowl at Arturo. “You forced us together for business interests. Because you wanted to build a stronger empire, not knock it the fuck down. My wife and I already know why we tied the knot and what’s at stake, so why the fuck are you really here, Arturo?”
My dad’s face twists into a grimace. “You are not listening, son. This isn’t about business. It never was. The stakes are higher than either of you can imagine.”
“Great, so not only are we dealing with an assassination attempt, but we also have the weight of our families’ worldshanging around our necks like a noose and a lot of circular talk,” Livvie snaps. “No pressure, Lorenzo.”
Dad turns to Livvie.
“Learn your place, woman,” he growls.
My blood boils. “She knows her place, and it’s here, in this home that you're standing in. Show my wife some respect or use the door.”
Livvie catches my eye and a shadow moves across her tight features. Perhaps she’s shocked at how I came to her defense. Or maybe she understands I'm a quick study, and I always win the game.
“I already know my place and it’s not here,” she says. “I don’t care about the reasons we were thrown together. This won't work. I want out.”
Dad steps toward her and I can practically smell the smoke coming out of his ears. “There is noout, Olivia. Unless you have a death wish?”
I narrow my gaze when Arturo speaks next. “If you leave, you’ll be dead by morning, and then the rest of the O’Callaghans will be next. Destruction will follow. That’s what your disobedience will earn. You’ll hear from us in due course.”
7
LIVVIE
The penthouse is silent once his father and the enforcer from the Red Tribunal leave. Their warning lingers like a swirling shadow in a waking nightmare.
When the penthouse door clicks shut, Kingston doesn’t even look at me.
“I’ve got business to handle,” he says, already turning away from me. “Don’t wait up, Mrs. Viacava.”
“Believe me, I won’t,” I mutter. “There’s nothing worth waiting for.”
He disappears down the hallway without another word, the sound of his office door clicking shut like a verdict being delivered. This is the true essence of our marriage.
