Page 1 of Dmitri

Chapter 1

Daelyn

Murder is wrong. I’d never survive prison. I need to take care of Addie.

I remind myself of these three simple facts while I stare at the asshole sitting on my front stoop. “What are you doing here, Ace?”

“Watching the sunset.”

My little sister is sitting next to him, her smile way too similar to the one I used to wear at her age, and I don’t like it. My stomach twists. “Get inside, Addie.”

“Relax, Dae. I’m not going to bite her.” Ace stares down at Addie with a flirtatious smile. “Unless she wants me to.”

Addie’s smile gets bigger.

I drop my grocery bags on the sidewalk and take a step forward. “Addie. Get inside.Now.”

“Why? It’s not like Ace is a stranger.” She has the nerve to roll her eyes.

My sister is the most defiant sixteen-year-old I’ve ever known. She’s worse than I was at her age. I’m sure a lot of it is my fault, because she doesn’t ever have to suffer consequences for her actions. I usually like that she’s not intimidated by anyone, including me, but right now, I hate it. Especially when she digs down and doesn’t do what I ask in times like this.

“Hey.” Ace gently rests his finger under her chin and makes her look at him. “I really appreciate you keeping me company out here today. How about next time I come, I bring you a present?”

Addie arches her brow. “What kind of present?”

“Be a good girl and go inside, then you’ll find out.” He has the audacity to stare at her mouth.

I stomp forward, grab him by the collar of his shirt, and rip him back from her, breaking the spell between them. Addie glowers at me for a hot second before storming towards our front door, the chains on her Doc Martens clinking as she goes, and then she slams the door shut.

Ace laughs and shakes his head. “She’s such a spicy black cat.”

“Stay the fuck away from her, Ace. She’s off limits and you know it.”

“Says who?”

“Saysme. She’s sixteen.” Which he’s well aware of. Ace has been coming around for a couple years now. He’s twenty, the youngest member of the crew I’m involved with, and is great at being bad. Just Addie’s type, I fear.

“She’s legal,” he counters. “Finally.” When my hands ball into fists, his smile morphs into a sneer. “Don’t eventhinkof swinging, Dae. You’ll regret it.”

He’s right. But it could be worth the price I’d pay just to feel the brief satisfaction of knocking his teeth out. Letting out an exasperated breath, I relax my stance a fraction. “Why are you here?”

He pulls out a vape and takes a pull, letting orange cream scented smoke billow around us. I hope he didn’t vape around Addie.

All humor and sarcasm is gone from him when he says, “Kaleb wants to talk with you.”

Fuck. Not again.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I grind my molars together. I can’t say no. “When?”

“Now.” He stands and pulls his keys out his pocket.

Double fuck.

Ace glances at the groceries scattered all over the front walkway. “Pick your shit up off the ground first. I’ll wait.”

Shame heats my face as I pluck the apples that fell out and stuff them back in one of my reusable bags. “Just give me five minutes.”

“Two.” Ace takes another puff of his vape. “I’ve been here a while already, and I got shit to do.”

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