Page 102 of The Worst Pucking Deal

“Stop!” Remus shouts. I want to cheer as he strides into the room. “If you touch him, I’ll have you executed for treason. Sawyer is here as my guest and is under my protection.”

One of the men clears his throat. “Forgive me, Don. But it sounds like you’re saying we, the Senate, can’t touch him even though we summoned him?”

“I won’t forgive you, Aldo. But you are right, that’s exactly what I said,” Remus retorts.

While Remus debates with the Senate, I whisper, “Are you okay?” hoping Sy hears me. But he doesn’t react at all, still refusing to even look at me.

I know in my heart that once we’re out of here, my marriage is over. Sy will want a divorce, and I can’t even say I blame him. The things I’ve said and done are horrible. He deserves so much better than me.

“As for my conversation with Lucia, I’m not going to defend myself,” Remus says, gaining my attention. “The terms of her deal with Romulus Russo were that she could gain her freedom completely by getting married. It never specified it had to be a love match or any length of time. Does anyone here dispute those facts?”

Some say no, and others don’t answer at all.

I’m surprised when Remus reaches for his white mask and in one fell swoop removes it, exposing his face. But the biggest surprise is that all the members of the Senate follow his example. One by one, they take off their gold masks.

“What the fuck is going on?” Fabian shouts, echoing my own thoughts.

These aren’t the Senate, it can’t be. I recognize at least half as guards, and the other half… well I don’t know them. But it definitely isn’t the Senate.

“So good of you to show up, Fabian,” Remus smiles. “Tracking you down has been harder than I’d like to admit. But I knew you couldn’t resist the chance to summon me like you had the right.”

“But I…” Fabian stumbles over his words, looking around with a wild, unhinged look in his eyes.

“I what?” Remus asks casually like they’re discussing the weather. “That sentence can end in many different ways. If you meant to say I’m the one who organized all of this, you’re right. I’m also the one who leaked Lucia’s whereabouts last year, knowing you would follow the breadcrumbs I planted for you.”

“You what?” I interject, looking between my cousin and husband. “You’re the one who told Fabian where I was?”

Remus doesn’t spare me a glance. “I know you were behind the attack on someone I love dearly, and I couldn’t let that go unpunished. So I’m the one who sowed the seeds about bringing Lucia home.”

“You infiltrated the Senate?” Fabian roars.

My cousin shrugs. “The Senate is mine and I can do with it what I goddamn please. That includes using whispers to remind everyone about the deal Lucia made with my dad all those years ago.”

“You made a mockery of everything,” Fabian spits, pointing an accusatory finger at our Don.

Shaking his head, Remus takes a step toward him. “No. I’m the one who eradicated the Senate. I knew it was corrupt when I took over, so I cleaned my house. I just never saw the need to explain any of that to you.”

Fabian backs away from Remus. His eyes are wild, reminding me of a cornered animal. Knowing just how unpredictable he is, I don’t dare take my eyes off of him. Not even for a second. I track his every movement; from the way he weirdly shakes his arm to the way he moves closer to Sy.

I narrow my eyes, wondering what he’s up to. But the second I realize it, it’s too late. The knife is already in Fabian’s hand as he whirls around, holding the weapon high and bringing it down in a stabbing motion.

A scream is torn from me as I realize what’s going to happen, and then I lunge. Using all my strength, I push Sy out of the way. Then a pain unlike any other makes my vision waver as black spots dance at the edge of my…

Thoughts become hard. I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. Only a sickening gurgle. I think I hear a roar, but I’m quickly losing my grip on reality, so maybe it’s only in my head.

Lucia

As I slowly drift back to consciousness, the world around me feels hazy and surreal. I blink a few times, trying to clear the fog from my mind, and find myself surrounded by bright, swirling colors that dance and twirl in the air. It’s mesmerizing, and I can’t help but giggle softly at the sight.

“My sweet bunny.”

That voice… I know it… I think. Yes. It’s deep red. Wait, how can a voice have a color? Frowning, I try to put the two together, but I can’t. I know it doesn’t fit, but that’s what it is.

“What are you mumbling about?” he asks. “Don’t you know who I am, baby?”

Of course I know who he is. He’s red. The… why am I thinking about blood? Blood and something good, something safe. Is red safe? No, red means danger. Yet I don’t feel scared, I feel very much at peace.

I scrunch up my nose, hating how impersonal and sterile it smells around me. The burn annoys my nostrils, and I feel like I’m going to sneeze. But I can’t do that. The colors will disappear if I do, and I feel like I need them.

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