“Alexe—”
“I fucking knew it!” Alexei hisses. “Dimitri, I warnedyou not to play with fire, but you did it anyway.” He presses his fingers to his temple as he screws his eyes shut.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Alexei takes a breath, his broad shoulders heaving, before he opens his eyes and glares at me.
“It seems Massimo found out the truth about your littledealwith Zara.”
Fuck.
“Alexei—”
“Save it.” He folds his arms over his chest. “We haven’t got time to discuss this now.”
I frown at the stone-like expression on my brother’s face.
There’s something he’s not telling me.
“Spit it out.”
A deep crease forms between his dark eyebrows as he finally looks at me.
“That was Frederik on the phone. He told me Massimo is planning on torturing Zara until you agree to annul the marriage and marry Lucia instead.”
My chest feels as if it’s being cracked in two.
This is such a mess. After everything I put Zara through to try and save my own ass from marrying the mafia brat, it still wasn’t enough.
How the hell did Massimo find out the truth?
“I warned you that Massimo doesn’t take lightly to being lied to. You were wrong to call his bluff.”
“I didn’t fucking call his bluff! Fuck, this wasn’t meant to happen.”
“Regardless, we need to diffuse this before it’s too late. In the meantime, Danil, get Feliks and Anton on the phone. I want eyes on Massimo’s club just in case.”
Danil frowns. “You think Zara’s there?”
“It’s doubtful she is. It would be way too obvious. But Massimo is clever, and I want to cover our asses in case he decides to play us.”
Danil nods. “Good idea.”
I lift my eyes to look at each of my brothers. “There’s something else you need to know.” My voice cracks. “Zara’s pregnant. We’re having twins.”
Mikhail’s eyes widen. “Fuck.”
“Her body won’t handle the stress of all of this. If she loses the babies…” I rub my hands over my face as I try not to let my thoughts spiral. “She won’t ever forgive me.”
Danil rests his hand on my shoulder, but it does little to provide me comfort. “We won’t let that happen, Dimitri.”
“Alexei,please, we have to make a move before it’s too late. I can’t lose her.”
“We’ll do everything we can,brat. But you might have dug your own grave with this one.”
The flash of pity in his eyes makes my teeth grind, but he’s right.
“I’m fine with my grave, just not hers, Alexei. Please, I’ll do whatever it takes to save Zara’s life. Even if it means marrying Lucia Conti. So, I suggest you get Massimo on the phone and find out where the hell he’s keeping my wife.”