Page 55 of Dancing With Distraction

“What if you don’t come home?” she asks, worry lacing her features. “What if your father does something terrible?”

“Nothing bad will happen, I promise.” I place a light kiss against her forehead, hating that I have to leave her alone after what she’s been through.

“Can Marshall come in to hang out?” she asks.

I smirk, pinching her nipple. “No. He’s not a toy. Do not distract him with your beauty. He’s here to do a job and protect what’s mine.”

The bar is busy as I push through the crowd and head straight for my office. Vivian spots me and rushes behind like a lapdog.

“I’ve been trying to call you all day,” she snaps, slamming my office door.

“Sit down,” I tell her. “I need to tell you something.” She eyes me with suspicion and lowers into the chair. “We’re not going to marry.” She frowns. “I’m calling it off.”

“You can’t,” she whispers.

“I am. This is me calling it off.”

“But my father . . . your father . . .”

“I don’t care,” I snap. “I don’t want this, and I will not spend my life being miserable just to appease them.”

“This is because of her, isn’t it?” she rages, standing. “You’ve let a piece of arse tear apart what we had.”

I grab her by the throat. “She is not just a piece of arse,” I roar.

Vivian smiles, her red lips curling in disdain. “Oh my god, you really have fallen for her.” She sneers. “She’s a nobody, Dmitry. What can she give you?”

I release her, shoving her away. “She gives me plenty,” I hiss. “Stay away from her, Vivian. You lay one finger on her, I’ll end your entire family.”

She scowls. “Yes, Sir,” she spits, marching from the office and slamming the door again.

A second later, my father comes in. “Vivian is upset,” he barks.

I roll my eyes. “And we can’t have that.”

“What did you do?”

I sit in my chair. “I ended it.”

He narrows his eyes. “You did what?”

“You were wrong before,” I tell him. “I can take over what I want by killing everyone who gets in my way.” I fix him with a cold stare, and his expression falters. “I won’t be honouring your agreement with Ronnie Fraser,” I add firmly.

“What are you talking about?” he growls, his face red with anger. “Of course, you will.”

I shake my head. “No. It’s your agreement, you marry the irritating bitch.”

“Dmitry,” he barks, slamming his hands on the desk and fixing me with a deadly glare. Nik steps into the office, filling the doorway with his large frame. My father glances back and forth between us. “You think your guard dog bothers me,” he yells, “when I have five of my own right outside?”

“You don’t,” I tell him. “Not anymore.”

He frowns. “What?”

“I had them,” I pause like I’m thinking, “relocated. I’ll provide men to escort you back home.”

“I don’t understand what’s going on,” he snaps.

“Simple,” I say, arching my fingers against my chin. “I will take over Ronnie’s businesses. In fact, I’ve already set the wheels in motion. He’s currently running around trying to figure out where his shipment has disappeared to.”

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