Chapter 22: I’ll find another way.

The door closes behind me and I stand there for a second, staring at it...trying to steady my mind.

When I turn there he is.

Lysander the fucking Sanchez.

He’s Alone, no guards standing beside him, no men gathered around him, no obvious show of power.

Just him.

He’s sitting in a dark leather chair near the window, one ankle resting over his opposite knee. His sleeves are rolled to his forearms, and a glass sits loosely between his fingers.

The room is quieter than I expected, thr music from downstairs is barely audible up here, reduced to a distant thumping beneath the thick walls.

When he looks at me, there’s nothing hungry about his stare...It’s almost irritatingly calm.

"You came I see..."

I close the distance between us.

"Unfortunately I had to."

Something flickers in his eyes. I can’t tell if it’s amusement or hatred....it’s probably the latter.

He gestures toward the chair opposite him.

"Sit."

"I’d rather stand."

He shrugs.

"Suit yourself."

I fold my arms.

"I came to talk about Olivia."

His expression doesn’t change.

"I assumed."

That annoys me.

"You knew why I was coming?"

"I had an idea."

"Well, now you know."

He takes a slow sip of his drink.

I stare at him. He doesn’t rush me, doesn’t ask me to continue, he just waits.

Fine....:I’ll do it.

"My sister doesn’t want to marry you."

His eyes remain on me.

"She told you that?"

"Yes."

It’s not exactly a lie. She didn’t use those exact words, but I know my sister.

I know what she wants and she doesn’t want this.

"She shouldn’t have to marry someone she doesn’t know because our families have decided their blood feud is suddenly inconvenient."

Lysander places the glass down.

"I agree."

I blink.

That was easier than expected.

"You agree?"

"Yes."

"Then refuse her."

His expression hardens slightly.

"No."

I stare at him.

"What?"

"I said no."

My arms fall from my chest.

"Then what exactly did you agree with?"

"That she shouldn’t be forced into something she doesn’t want."

"Then why are you still going through with it?"

"Because wanting something and being able to afford it are two different things."

I don’t like that answer....Not one bit.

I step closer.

"You’re the fucking Don. Surely you can call off a marriage."

"I can."

"Then do it."

"No."

The calmness in his voice makes me want to scream and tear out my hair.

"You’re unbelievable."

"I’ve been called worse."

"I’m serious."

"So am I."

He leans forward, resting his forearms against his thighs.

"I can’t simply decide that I don’t feel like marrying Olivia and expect everyone around me to absorb the consequences."

"She’s not a business deal."

"No."

His eyes meet mine.

"She isn’t."

"Then...."

"But my people aren’t either."

That shuts me up for a moment.

He continues.

"I have men depending on me, families depending on me, businesses depending on decisions I make, people who will die if I make the wrong one."

"You think this marriage is about whether I like Olivia?"

He shakes his head.

"It isn’t."

"Then what is it about?"

" come on you’re smarter than that....its for peace."

I scoff.

"Peace."

"Yes."

He sits back.

"The war between our families has already cost enough."

"So you marry my sister and suddenly everyone forgets the last twenty years or so?"

"No."

His gaze stays fixed on mine.

"They don’t forget....thats not the point of the marriage. They stop killing each other, that’s the point."

I hate that his answer makes sense. I hate it even more because I came here prepared to argue with him, and he’s not giving me anything emotional to grab onto.

"So that’s it?"

I gesture between us.

"You’re just going to marry her because it’s convenient?"

"No."

"Then why?"

"Because refusing her would put my people at risk."

My mouth opens but nothing comes out.

He continues before I can interrupt.

"I won’t gamble with their lives simply because you asked me to."

I feel something inside me twist.

"You don’t care what happens to Olivia."

"Now why would I care about her...I don’t even know her."

"Good more reason you should refuse the marriage."

He looks at me for a long moment.

"No."

I grit my teeth.

"Why?"

"Because if I refuse, the agreement collapses."

"And?"

"And the war resumes."

"So?" I know this is incredibly selfish of me to say but anything for my sister.

His eyebrows lift slightly.

"So?"

"Yes."

"You think another war is going to be a few men shooting at each other in an alley?"

His voice finally carries some edge.

"You think it ends there?"

He stands and suddenly I remember exactly how tall he is.

He isn’t merely tall, he’s so imposing the room seems smaller with him standing.

"If this agreement collapses, every man who has lost someone to the Lucianos will have a reason to pick up a weapon again."

He takes a step closer.

"Every rival watching us will see weakness."

Another step.

"The Voldak cartel is already waiting."

My stomach tightens.

"And the Kisumu Bratva won’t sit around politely while we tear each other apart."

He stops a few feet away.

"So no, Nerissa."

My name coming from his mouth catches me off guard.

I don’t know why.

Maybe because I’m not used to hearing him say it.

"I can’t refuse Olivia."

I stare at him.

"Even if she doesn’t want you?"

His expression softens by the smallest amount.

"I don’t want a woman who doesn’t want me."

That surprises me.

"Then what the hell are we doing?"

"Surviving."

I look away because suddenly I’m not sure what to say.

I came here ready to fight, ready to make him understand that Olivia isn’t something he can simply take but he’s not talking about taking her.

He’s talking about protecting his people.

And somehow that makes this more complicated.

Something about that certainty pisses me off.

"Fine."

I grab my bag.

"Then I’ll find another way."

His gaze follows me.

"Nerissa."

I stop at the door and turn around.

"What?"

"Don’t put yourself in danger over this."

I stare at him.

A strange sensation moves through my chest.

Concern? From him?

I almost laugh.

"You don’t know me well enough to tell me what to do."

His mouth twitches.

"No."

His eyes hold mine.

"Perhaps I don’t."

I turn away before I can overthink it then I walk out.

The door closes behind me and for some reason, his last words follow me all the way down the stairs. I don’t know why they bother me.

Maybe because I know damn well I won’t listen because Olivia is my sister and if Lysander Sanchez won’t save her from this marriage...Then I’ll have to find another fucking way.