Page 74 of Queen’s Gambit

“That one is to be thrown off the property,” I growled and pointed at Lawrence. “He is never welcome here.”

Lawrence smiled as a guard grabbed him by the arm and followed the guards, dragging Christov away as he swore at me in our mother tongue.

My heart was hammering in my chest as I looked at Eddie.

“Let him go, right now.”

The two guards obeyed, and I shooed them away. My eyes roamed over Eddie’s face.

“What are we going to do,” I asked, the fear slowly creeping higher than the anger.

“Come with me,” Eddie said as he grabbed my hand.

He pointed to Marcus and Frida.

“Follow as chaperones, but keep your distance.”

They nodded without questioning, and the four of us fled as far from the ballroom as we could get. Eddie walked into an empty room and closed the door behind us. He pulled me close and held me, his body shaking as I swallowed down the sob that wanted to rip from my throat.

“I can’t believe your father looked me in the eye, shook my hand and lied to me. His word means nothing and I’m going to make sure the world knows he can’t be trusted.”

“I won’t marry, Christov.”

Eddie kissed me hard. Desperation drove us, even as our souls tumbled to the ground from the highwire we’d been walking together the last nine years. Eddie cupped my face as he broke the kiss and left me breathless.

“What if we run away together? We can live on a beach somewhere,” I said.

“You would really run away with me?”

“Of course I would,” I said, mimicking his hands and cupping his face. “You’re my home, my heart. I’d live on the streets in a box as long as it was with you. You’re the only one that I’ve ever wanted, Eddie. Last night was the first time I was able to draw an easy breath, and then it was ripped back out of my lungs just now. I want to scream and rage, and….”

My hands tightened on his jacket as he held me closer.

“You can’t run. Your father will kill us both. I’ve made friends, built up favors, and have a small army, but we’ll only last a few months, maybe a year, against him and all of his support. I just don’t understand why he’s doing this to us,” Eddie said, and I shook my head. “He agreed. I should’ve forced him to sign yesterday. I shouldn’t have left his office until it was a done deal. That was the first thing I learned from my father, and…this is all my fault. I trusted him and his word, but I know better.”

Eddie’s voice was so full of despair that it hurt as much as a physical blow. He’d always been so positive and my rock. To hear him admit defeat killed me. It really was over. We lost.

“I don’t know. Maybe Father resents me being a girl. Maybe he hates me, or maybe he just wants to prove that he’ll always be in control, I don’t know. But I don’t believe it has anything to do with you. This is all about me.”

Eddie looked to the ceiling as he bit his lip.

“I don’t know how to live without you, Ana.”

Tears streamed down my cheeks as Eddie’s eyes locked with mine.

“Meet me tonight? Come to my hotel room, and we can try and figure something out,” he said before kissing my lips softly.

“Yes, anytime and anywhere. I’ll find a way out and come to you.”

Eddie reached into his jacket and pulled out a hotel key.

“I’ll leave now so your father doesn’t throw me out,” he said, handing me the key. I nodded, closing my hand around it. “I got us the penthouse. It was supposed to be a celebration….”

I placed my finger on his lips.

“I’ll be there and we are still celebrating while we make a plan. Even if I’m forced to marry that scum, I will run. Under no circumstances will I stay with Christov forever. I won’t become the very thing I hate about this world.”

“I love you, anima mia.”