Page 124 of Cruel Promise

“How are you going to do that? By offering to be partners again?”

“If that’s what it takes.” I hate the idea of working with people who piss me off, especially ones I can’t trust. But I can’t stop thinking of Ava and her innocent eyes. She has hope I can be a better man. She has hope I can trust again.

I have to do this for her.

A flash of guilt enters me. I’m still lying to her about her mother. Camille is alive, and Ava deserves to know. I just can’tseem to get the words out. I know the moment I tell her that she’ll want to return to her mother and never see me again.

And I’m not ready to face that yet. It’s selfish, but that’s who I am.

Right on cue, Dimitri comes strolling over with two women on each arm. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “Nik. Maxim. What do I owe the pleasure?”

“This is a warning, Dimitri,” I say over the loud music. “No more fights. No more trying to kill each other.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound fun.” He looks at the two women, giving them his charming smile. They flutter their eyes and practically melt into his arms. “What do you say girls? Should I be a good boy?”

“Not at all,” one of them says, running her hand up and down his arm. “We like you bad.”

Dimitri flashes me his signature grin. “See? They like me bad. So, sorry. No can do. You made a fool of me in my own club. I can’t stand for that. So, I’ll attack again when you least expect it, and that’s that.”

I open my jacket to reveal my gun. “Or could I just shoot you right in the head right now.”

The two women tense and exchanged worried glances.

Dimitri just laughs. “Too many witnesses. Even you wouldn’t be able to survive that, Nik. No. If you’re going to kill me, you’ll have to do somewhere else.”

Maxim stands up straighter, clearing his throat. “Dimitri, I won’t stand for war. I’m siding with Nikolai. Stand down, and there doesn’t need to be any more bloodshed.”

“Well, isn’t this a surprise. You two joining forces. I wouldn’t believe it, but it’s staring at me in my own face. I know you boys think I should feel threatened, but I’m not. I’m just getting started.” He whistles as he walks away with the two women.

Maxim raises an eyebrow. “So?”

“So, we drag Dimitri out back and beat the shit out of him until he complies. And if he doesn’t, we kill him.”

Maxim grabs my shoulder, stopping me from leaving. “No more bloodshed, Nikolai.”

“How else will Dimitri learn?”

“This is a stupid idea,” he mutters, letting me go.

I walk right over to Dimitri, who’s dancing on the main floor with the women, and grab his arm, throwing him around so I can punch him square in the fucking face.

His guards are on me immediately, but I grab my gun and raise it. People scream and run for the door.

“Everybody out!” I shout, firing off two bullets into the ceiling. That causes the music to turn off and everyone to run for the emergency exits. Dimitri stares back at me, a savage grin on his face.

Maxim remains at my side. His wariness is palpable.

The only other people who remain are Dimitri’s guards. Three of them surround their boss. They’ll be easy to kill.

“What are you doing, Nik?” Dimitri asks.

“Teaching you a lesson. You fucked up when you put my wife in a dangerous position. Did you ever find out who drugged her?”

Dimitri shrugs. “It’s a club. I can’t control what people do here.”

“You fucking bastard,” Maxim breathes out. “People could get hurt, and you don’t care.”

“I seem to recall you torturing Nik, or am I mistaken.”

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