Page 54 of Deceitful Promises

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

“Things have changed,” he replies. “We haven’t got time for in-fighting. We need to work together now.”

“But you, here … Is it going to work? Aren’t you and Aiden going to?—”

“You like him, don’t you, Ania?” Dimitri says.

I turn away so he can’t see my expression. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yes, you do,” he replies insistently. “Something’s going on between you two.”

“This is the part where you tell me I’m too young and immature to make a decision even though Lia and Mila are young, too? Is that it?”

Dimitri swallows. “No, I get it. You’re not a kid anymore. It’s just … I worry about you. You’ve always been so sensitive.”

“Crazy, you mean.”

“I never said that.” He pauses. “We met with the man who set the car bomb. Aiden went nuts on him when he tried to threaten you. If I needed proof that Aiden wants the best for you, I’ve got it. He would’ve died in that food court for you.”

More of those warm tingles dance over me, but I do my best not to let them rule me. My body is still buzzing from last night as if it’s replaying over and over, his touch against my core, his lips on mine, the look of feral determination on his face when I said I couldn’t go all the way.

“So you’re staying here?”

Dimitri nods. “It’s the safest place in the city.”

“How are Lia and Mila doing?”

“They’re enjoying their time in one of our Mexican safe houses. Nobody can touch them there. It’s a VIP resort, the penthouse suite, with twenty of our men on staff at all times and a helicopter waiting to whisk them away on the zero-point-one percent chance somebody tries anything. But nobody will. Even the Cartel avoids those resorts.”

“Good,” I say, letting out a sigh of relief. “And Drake? I still owe him some lessons.”

“Everybody is safe. That’s why I’m here. We talked during the drive over. I think you should join them.”

“No,” I say flatly, without even thinking about it.

“Ania …”

“No,” I say again, with more certainty this time. “I belong here with my brothers, my mom, and …” I swallow, then say it, the thing I’ve been trying to avoid since this started. “… and Aiden.”

Dimitri sighs. “You’re smitten, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know what I am, but it’s notsmitten.”

After a pause, he says, “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Where is everybody?” I ask.

“Mikhail has set himself up in one of the studies. Molly is with Henry. I think Aiden went to the gym.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Work on establishing a surveillance network with Theodore.”

“Crazy to think yesterday the lodge burned down. Now we’re on the same team.”

“I saw what I saw,” Dimitri says fiercely. “A man who would do anything to protect my baby sister. I can’t keep hating the bastard after that.”

“Maybe I’ll get a quick workout in, too,” I murmur, thinking of seeing Aiden—my protector.

---