“You didn’t think so last night.”
She stiffens instantly, and I know she doesn’t want to have this conversation in front of Demyan or the silent soldiers in the back. But she doesn’t want to lose face, either.
“I did what I thought you wanted,” she murmurs, cheeks flaming.
“No, you were just looking for an excuse to do what you wanted,” I retort. “As I keep telling you. But if we need a third party to settle this argument, I could always bring it up to your brother. See what he thinks.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“Don’t fucking try me,” I growl.
And for a change, she follows orders.
The rest of the ride is quiet until we arrive. The meeting site is an old storage building, but the surrounding trees provide cover should it become necessary.
I’m not worried, though. I live for the chaos of battle. That’s one of the perks of being don. You get to lead the charge. You get to be right in the fucking thick of it. It’s not just a duty—it’s a privilege.
“Where is he?” Olivia asks, craning her neck to try and catch a glimpse of her brother.
“He’ll show.”
“You came with a whole entourage! He takes one look at that and he’s not going to come.”
“I came with an entourage because he most definitely will do the same.”
She frowns. “He said he wouldn’t. He said it would be just him.”
I glance at her. “He was lying.”
“My brother doesn’t lie,” she says, with so much confidence that I feel bad for the disappointment that’s inevitably coming. “He’ll keep his word. If he said he’d be here without backup, he’ll be here without backup.”
Demyan rolls his eyes. “You think far too highly of him.”
Then the car comes to a halt. Demyan and the soldiers climb out, leaving Olivia and me behind in the jeep.
She raises her eyes to meet mine. “Please don’t hurt him, Aleks.”
She’s terrified of what’s about to happen. Unfortunately for her, I’m not the reassuring type.
“I’ll send someone for you when I need you,” I say, opening my door.
“What?!” she gasps. “You’re going to leave me here?”
In response, I slam the door closed. She reaches for the handle, but nothing happens.
“Child locks?” she rages, yanking uselessly on the handle. “Are you fucking kidding me?
“You’re not leaving this vehicle until I give the say-so,” I tell her through the glass. “So until then, sit tight. It could be a while.”
“No! You can’t just leave me in here! Aleks! Aleks!”
I suppress a smile. Apparently, she doesn’t have to moan my name for me to like the sound of it on her lips.
I turn to find Demyan right in my face.
“Well, I certainly see the appeal,” he remarks.
I shove him out of my way and start walking towards the building. It’s still in use, but it’s been neglected. Demyan came down early this morning and bribed the security on duty to disappear for the day.
“We’re not gonna talk about it?”
“Talk about what?” I ask impatiently as he falls into step beside me.
“The fact that you apparently fucked her a second time last night.”
Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to bring that up in front of Demyan. I give him a careless shrug. “I was horny. She was around.”
Demyan cackles. “Who are you trying to bullshit? You forget I’ve known you for a long time, brother. You’ve never buried your cock in any woman you didn’t like just because you were horny. Discerning to a fault, in my experience.”
“She’s not unattractive.”
“She’s fucking beautiful,” he corrects. “Just the type you like.”
I frown. “She’s nothing like the type of woman I go for.”
“That’s because you go for the type of woman that you can discard like a used napkin. This one has staying power.”
“Will you stop?” I snap as I push through the open doors. “Aren’t you supposed to be running communications? Fuck off and do your job.”
There are boxes stacked everywhere. Nothing is organized. I turn and gesture to the six men trailing behind us. “Push the boxes aside and open up those windows. Clear some space in the middle for our little tête-à-tête.”
They set to work immediately after chorusing, “Yes, sir” in unison.
I turn back to Demyan. “What’s his ETA?”
“Approximately thirteen minutes,” he says. “He’s early.”
“I wouldn’t have expected any less.”
My men labor to do as I instructed while I walk around the space, giving the location a quick scan. In the corner of my eye, I can see Demyan watching me. He’s not done with this conversation. Stubborn son of a bitch.
“Jesus,” I say, rolling my eyes at him. “Drop it. You’re reading too much into this.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t think so. When’s the last time you fucked the same woman twice?”
“Allaynah.”
He scoffs. “She doesn’t count.”
“Why?”
“Because I—you know damn well why, you bastard.”
I laugh. “Stop trying to create a narrative that doesn’t exist.”
“Okay, I’m gonna pretend I believe you, if only because arguing with you is like arguing with a brick wall on both emotional and intellectual levels. But just for the record, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“You were on board this morning,” I point out.
“Sure, but that’s before I knew you fucked her again! And before I saw her,” he says. “This girl will complicate things if you go through with the backup plan.”
“Maybe I won’t need to.”
Demyan shakes his head in dismay like I’m stupid. “You and I both know you will.”
“It’s too late now. I’ve made my decision. Everything’s been set in motion.”
He sighs. “I’m guessing she doesn’t know what she’s in for today if things go south.”
“Of course not.”
“She’ll fight you.”
“Good,” I smirk. “I like her fight. It’s very entertaining.”
“See?” Demyan says. “Dangerous.”
“Miranda really did a number on you.”
The smile drops dead on his face. “This has nothing to do with Miranda.”
“The fuck it doesn’t. You loved the woman and she left you,” I snap. I know I’m being hard on him, but he can take it. “So you decide to be down on all women because you anticipate the heartbreak they’re going to leave in their wake.”
“Way to make me sound like a pussy. Have you been watching Dr. Phil again?”
I smile. “Am I wrong?”
“Fine, maybe I’m bitter. But it’s only because I changed who I was for her. I was loyal to her the entire time, and it still wasn’t enough.” He grimaces. “My point is, that girl in there? She’s no different from Miranda. She’s a normal girl who is used to a normal life. She’s never going to be content with our world.”