Page 26 of Dancing With Delusion

“Now, now,” says Vivian, patting his hand. “Let’s not get upset. We came here for a reason.”

“Yes,” I agree, “let’s bring me up to speed on why you’ve been hanging around London instead of returning to Russia and getting your own bratva in order.”

“Vivian and I have decided to go into business together,” my father announces like it’s some great idea.

I brace my hands on the desk. “Excuse me?”

“I’ve decided to keep the businesses my father left me, and Vladimir is going to help me.”

“You’ve sold them to my father?”

“Half of each,” she says with a nod. “We’re fifty-fifty partners.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “So, you approached my father to buy half your businesses instead of me?”

“I didn’t think you’d want to go into a partnership with me,” she says innocently.

“This makes no sense,” I snap, glaring back and forth between the two. “How will you run things from Russia?”

“I’ll be around a lot more.” His words have my heart hammering in my chest. “And if you’re so annoyed about the whole thing, I’m happy to bring you in on a third.”

“I’m annoyed you’d both be meeting behind my back, plotting to go into business together. I feel like this is some kind of ambush.”

“It’s business, Dmitry,” my father soothes.

I glare at Vivian. “Wait outside.”

She scoffs. “You’re not the boss of me anymore.”

“Really?” I growl and see her falter.

My father places his hand over hers. The cold bastard has never showed an ounce of affection for anyone, and now, he’s being touchy-feely with my ex-fiancée. “It’s fine, Vivian. Let him get this off his chest so we can move forward.” She leaves, and I try to remain calm.

“What’s in this for you?” I ask.

“Apart from the money I can make, nothing.”

“We agreed I’d run London and you would run Russia. It’s worked well, so why are you changing it?”

“Dmitry, you’re being paranoid. I checked over the books and it made sense. She wanted to sell them to some rich bastard in Florida.”

“And you should have let her. You can’t just buy into London and expect me not to react. You didn’t even speak to me about it.”

He stands. “You’re forgetting who I am, syn. You might think you run this place, but it’s under my watchful eye. We will have dinner this evening and you will be there. Let’s discuss it like adults.”

He stomps out, slamming the door behind him. I turn to Nik. “He’s going to try and take it all, isn’t he?”

Nik shrugs, but his face tells me he agrees.

I’m drying off after a shower when Victoria comes in and drops onto the bed. I’d checked the cameras and saw she was reading in the living room. I’m in no mood to speak to her after earlier, and knowing I now have to have dinner with the pair of them is not helping.

“You said you’d come and find me.”

“You have a safe word with Marshall?” I spit, grabbing a shirt from the wardrobe.

She eyes me for a moment. “Yes.”

“Are you going to explain, Victoria, or should I ask him? Because last time, that didn’t go so well.”

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