“I will not!” My father sidesteps to block their view of me.
Tyson takes the steps to close the small space between them and leans in, whispering in my father’s ear. His eyes are on mine and even if he were screaming, I wouldn’t be able to hear him over the pounding in my chest and the blood rushing in my ears. Sweat instantly beads across my forehead, and I’m having trouble catching my breath at the sight of him. Suddenly, the dress is too tight. The expensive material an anchor, pulling me down into a bottomless sea.
My father grabs my mother’s hand and pulls her from the room, leaving me. My brother goes to step out, but Ryat grabs his suit jacket, yanking him back into the room. “You may stay.”
“Get the fuck out!” my brother yells at him. “Or I’ll call security.”
“Go ahead.” Tyson shrugs. “I replaced your guards with my own.”
I raise my sweaty hands. “What … what are you doing here?” Luke would never invite them to our wedding. He hates Tyson, not sure how he feels about Ryat, though. But I can almost guarantee he’s not a fan due to the fact that he’s his best friend. It’s that guilty by association thing.
“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 is it?” 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 to stand 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 crisp white button-up.
“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, forcing him to kneel. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a pocketknife and flips it open. The sound of the click making my breath catch, before holding 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. He stands in the daylight, not caring who the fuck sees him. “What do you want, you fucking bastard?” I demand. My body twisting 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 was just 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 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 will kill him right here in front of me. I don’t know Ryat personally, but enough to know that he’s not the joking kind. He’s here for Tyson and will do whatever he tells him to 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 Lord’s 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. Gently caressing 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 my 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.