Page 26 of Sinful Lies

DIMITRI

It’s beena week since Zara and I decided to get married. Which means, it's been a week since Alexei asked me to marry the daughter of a rival mafia Don, and I told him to get fucked.

I’ve put this conversation with my brother off for long enough. So, as much as I would like to do literally anything else, I make the trip out to Forest Hills on Monday morning to sit down with Alexei in his office to talk through our options.

I find my brother sitting behind the large mahogany desk, looking just as pissed off as he did on Saturday at the engagement party.

He glances up at me as I close the door, and he leans back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest.

The room is cast in darkness, and Alexei looks as if he’s been locked away in here all night.

I glance at the desk and notice a half-empty bottle of vodka. “Long night?”

“I thought you might not show.” The muscle in his jaw flexes as he stares at me.

“You’ve trained me to come when I’m called.” I head straight for the bar cart.

It’s barely eight in the morning but from the look on my brother’s face, it’s clear I’m going to need something to take the edge off.

“Don’t make me out to be the bad guy here.”

“When you make accusations that question the authenticity of my relationship with my fiancée, I’m going to get pissed off, Alexei.” I pour myself a scotch.

“And I’m going to get pissed off when you decide that your priority is no longer this family.”

I huff a laugh.

“You sound just like Papochka, you know that? Sitting at his desk, telling us what it means to be a Koslov. It’s impressive, really.”

Alexei is silent, and I know I’ve touched a nerve.

I look him in the eye. “Zara is my family. She comes first. I would have thought that you of all people would understand that.”

Alexei rubs his hand over his jaw, the beginnings of a shadow starting to form.

“Believe me, I do.”

I throw my head back and down my drink before turning to face my brother again. “How much of a fallout is this going to cause?”

Alexei shrugs. “It’s hard to tell.”

“You have told Massimo that I’m not marrying his daughter, right?”

“I’ve not said anything to him, yet.”

“For fuck’s sake, Alexei!”

“He’s going to be pissed as hell when he learns of your engagement to Zara, and I think our best bet is to play innocent and let the news reach him organically.”

“Why not just tell him now and get it over with?” I scoff. “Gives him more time to find another match.”

“Because telling him now will only arouse suspicion. Your relationship with Zara came out of nowhere, Dimitri. Forgive me if we’re all a littleskeptical.”

Despite him offering to pay for our wedding, I know it was only a tactic to try and get Zara to crumble and admit the truth. It’s clear she’s struggling with the guilt, especially after telling her parents yesterday, so the last thing she needs is my brother breathing down her neck.

The sooner all of this wedding stuff is behind us, the better, which is exactly why we decided on the drive back to the city last night to get married as soon as possible.

“Well, it’s going to be even more suspicious when he learns that we’re actually married.”

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