“Ryat.” Tyson snaps his fingers at his best friend, who reaches into his tux and pulls out a folded piece of paper. He slaps it to my brother’s chest.
Letting out a huff, my brother opens it up and his eyes scan the paper, his body stiffening, and my breathing picks up. “What?” I ask nervously, my sweaty hand gripping the pearls around my neck.
“No,” he growls, shaking his head quickly.
“What is it?” I step forward and Tyson moves in front of me, his large frame towering over mine. I try to step away, but the glass is at my back again.
My brother’s face pales, and he whispers, “You are to marry Tyson.”
“Wh-at?” My legs threaten to buckle, my heart stopping altogether. “No. There must be—”
Tyson’s hand wraps around my neck, and he pins me to the cold glass. My hands shoot up, my nails digging into the sleeve of his black tux. I try to kick him away, but he’s standing on the skirt of the dress, restricting my movements.
“Laikyn!” My brother drops the paper and runs for me, but Ryat grabs his hair, yanking him back while kicking the back of his knees and forcing him to kneel. Reaching into his pocket, Ryat pulls out a pocketknife and flips it open. The sound of the click makes my breath catch before he holds it to my brother’s throat.
“No!” I shout at Ryat, and my eyes find Tyson’s blue ones. They’re cold. I’m not even sure if the man feels anything. He’s as bad as they come in the Lords. Most of the Lords are placed strategically out into the world to fit in while they take what they want. But not Tyson. No, he openly runs the underworld for them. “What do you want, you fucking bastard?” I demand. My body twists under his grip.
“Just you. Forever,” he answers simply.
My teeth grind and I lift my chin. “You sick fuck! You really think I’ll marry you?” He’s the reason my sister is dead. All Lords are evil, but something about him has always been off. “Over my dead body.”
A smile spreads across his face, telling me he expected this. He knows how I feel about him and that I’d never willingly give myself to him. I’d marry Luke a thousand times over before giving myself to Tyson. “Either your brother walks you down the aisle and gives you away to me, or Ryat slits his throat, and he hands you over to me himself with Miller’s blood on them.”
“Don’t do it,” my brother growls at me, and Ryat yanks his head back, forcing him to look up at the ceiling. Bringing the blade across his neck, he pushes the tip into my brother’s skin as if he’s about to slice it open.
“Don’t,” I cry out, knowing that he’ll kill him right here in front of me. I don’t know Ryat personally, but I know enough to know that he’s not the joking kind. He’s here for Tyson and will do whatever he tells him just to prove a point. I wasn’t able to save my sister, but I’ll do anything to save my brother. “I’ll … do it.” My chest tightens on the words, making it hard to get them out. I just signed my death warrant. But I will not lie down and give him the satisfaction of accepting it. He may run the Lords’ hell, but I will make sure I burn it down with me.
“That’s a good girl,” Tyson praises, running his free hand down the side of my face. He gently caresses me as if he thinks it’ll give me some sort of security. It’s all a fucking lie. I know how the Lords work. I’ve seen my father manipulate my mother over the years. But she allowed it. I, however, won’t. “Ryat, let our guests know we’ll be ready in ten minutes.” He steps away, releasing me, and I rub my sore neck where the pearls were digging into my sensitive skin.
Ryat exits the room, dragging my brother with him and leaving me alone with the monster who ruined my life.
SEVEN
TYSON
Iforgot what actual power felt like. It’s been a long time since I’ve used it for my own benefit. I hide in Blackout like a bat to a cave. I prefer the neon lights and pounding music to fresh air and sunlight.
But this? This is refreshing. Although I didn’t think it would be all that hard.
I walk over to the bag that Ryat dropped when we entered. Watching her rub her neck, I see her eyes dart to the stained glass window and then the door. She wants to run. To get as far away from me as possible. “This is going to happen,” I say, unzipping the bag and pulling out what I need her to see. “And just in case you think you have an exit in mind, let this be a reminder.” I drop the stuff to the floor and her eyes widen when she sees what I have.
“Ty—”
I step back into her, making her inhale sharply. “You’ve got two choices here, Lake.” Her pretty tear-filled blue eyes search mine. “You either willingly walk down that aisle to me, or you crawl on your hands and knees with a collar around your neck while I drag you by a leash.”
Her bottom lip trembles at my words as reality starts to set in. “Please,” she begs softly, her bare shoulders shaking.
“Ah, begging me already?” It’s like fucking music to my ears. If only her father was in here to witness it. I knew it wouldn’t take much. She’s not as strong as them, but that’s not her fault. It’s a product of her parents. Laikyn has no clue she’s been conditioned to be obedient. To beg for the simplest things in life.
Reaching up, I cup her face, and her lips part. I run my thumb over the nude-colored lipstick. “Don’t underestimate my ability to humiliate you, darling. It will happen. But right now, I’m giving you the choice of it being another time in the privacy ofourhome, or in front of everyone you love.”
A tear falls free of her black-painted bottom lashes. I catch it with my knuckles before it runs down her face, wiping it away. “Don’t cry, Lake. You’ll ruin your makeup. I’ll do that later.”
It’s been three years since I’ve seen her, and she looks nothing like she used to. She once had dark hair, now it’s bleach-blond. She has it pulled into a tight bun at the nape of her neck, showcasing her Barbie-doll face, pouty lips, and bright blue eyes. Her wedding gown is strapless and dips down between her breasts into what gives the illusion of a heart. My eyes drop to look, and I can tell she’s had her tits done.
That’s Luke’s doing. The Lord knows what he likes, and he had time to transform his future wife into exactly that. She’s been groomed to perfection just how he wants her. I wouldn’t say I don’t like it, but it’s not what I would choose for her. Not like it matters. Laikyn Grace Minson is nothing more than a doll to be played with. A toy to be used and put on display for the world to see.
“I do have a gift for you,” I tell her, stepping away, and I hear her take in a deep breath now that I’ve put some space between us.
