Chapter 16: Fuck my luck

"Watch your tone."

"Fuck my tone."

A man beside her speaks warningly.

"Nerissa."

She turns toward him.

"Do something!"

He looks at her, then away.

She shakes her head.

"Don’t."

She turns back.

"Don’t tell me there’s nothing you can do."

He says nothing.

Nerissa looks at the man across the table again.

"You can’t force her to marry someone she doesn’t want."

"I can."

The answer is final.

"She’s your niece!."

"And you’re both Lucianos."

His voice hardens.

"Which means you both have responsibilities to this family."

Nerissa laughs bitterly.

"Responsibilities?"

She gestures around the room.

"Is that what we’re calling this now?"

"The war between our families has cost us hundreds of lives nd you think sacrificing her fixes that?"

"It prevents more deaths."

"You don’t know that."

"I know exactly what happens if this agreement fails."

His gaze moves toward us.

"They know it too."

That’s a veiled threat and usually I don’t do well to threats but he’s right....,I know exactly what happens.

Nerissa’s eyes suddenly land on me.

"You."

I meet her gaze.

"You’re okay with this?"

I remain still.

"It’s an arrangement."

"An arrangement?"

Her voice trembles with disbelief.

"That’s what you’re calling it?"

I look towards my supposed bride thn back at Nerissa.

"It ends the war."

"It ruins her life!."

"That’s not my intention."

She scoffs.

"Intentions don’t mean shit when you don’t give someone a choice."

I say nothing.

She doesn’t know what this war has cost me, dhe doesn’t know why I’m willing to do this.

All she sees is the Sanchez name.

The enemy.

She takes another step toward me.

"I think you’ll find....."

"I think you’ll find yourself, Lysander, with a knife in your throat if you come anywhere fucking near my sister."

The room goes dead silent.

Jeremiah shifts beside me bt I don’t move ready to move or kill anyone if the need comes to.

I simply stare at her.

My Riot.

"Nerissa," the man hisses quietly.

"Enough!."

She turns toward him.

"No."

His eyes widen slightly.

"No?"

She points toward her sister.

"You just told her she’s marrying a man from the family we’ve spent our entire lives fighting."

Nerissa’s chest rises and falls rapidly then she reaches for her sister’s hand.

"Come on."

The other woman looks at her.

"Rissa..."

"Come on."

She pulls gently and her sister stands.

The man doesn’t stop them immediately as Nerissa turns toward the door.

"Where are you going?"

She glances over her shoulder.

"Anywhere that isn’t here."

"Nerissa."

His voice is dangerously quiet.

She stops.

"Sit down."

She stares at him.

"No."

"You will not walk out of this room."

"Watch me."

She takes her sister’s hand tighter.

The man beside her rises.

I watch him look between Nerissa and the Don.

His expression is apologetic as Nerissa pulls her sister toward the door.

Before walking through it, she turns back one last time. Her eyes find the man who just decided her sister’s future.

Then they find me.

"Find another way."

The man says nothing.

Nerissa turns.

"Come on."

They walk out, th heavy doors slamming behind them.

I remain seated.

My eyes stay on the doors.

Riot.

Nerissa.

The woman I went back looking for, the woman I never found nd now that I’ve finally found her....She’s not the woman I’m supposed to marry.

I lean back slowly.

Fuck my luck.

I can’t even have one good thing for myself.

Powerful as I am, I can’t bend mafia laws...my bride, Olivia is it? Mt bride is the first born girl. By our laws she has to be claimed before the younger siblings. I don’t know why we are still upholding to such laws when we are in the 21st century.

Just fuck my luck.