Page 70 of Filthy Savage

“Now, now, we all need to relax.” Konstantin adjusts his tie, a sinister expression in his eyes. “We wouldn’t want to start something that would end this beautiful relationship we have.”

My palm falls on Cillian’s shoulder, attempting to calm him the hell down before he starts a fight with the Russians that we absolutely do not need.

“We’ll talk about this another day,” Tynan says to Konstantin while approaching each Marinov and shaking their hands.

“I look forward to it. Have a wonderful day, gentlemen.” He nods a farewell to me and Cillian, and they’re all finally out of the room.

Once I shut the door, I face my brother. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”

His fingers flex, anger weaving through his irises as he connects his eyes with mine. “I’m the only sane one around here. After what they did to our mother, I willnevertie myself to that family.”

“You need to understand…” Tynan returns to his seat. “You don’t have a choice. We need this to happen. We need an alliance with them so what happened with Mom never happens again.”

Cillian snickers. “You’re nuts if you think I’ll go through with it.”

“All you’ve gotta tell him is you want Dinara, and he’ll make it happen.” My smirk only infuriates him. “You know you still want her.”

“I don’t,” he snaps. “I don’t want any one of them. Understand?”

“So you’re okay going to their club, but marriage is off the table?” Tynan shakes his head.

“That’s right.” He drops two fists across Tynan’s desk as he leans in, his rage consuming him. “Marrying into their family means we’re connected for life. If we have children, that’s even worse. Don’t you fucking get it? How the hell do you think Mom would feel knowing her grandchild is someone related to the motherfucker who burned her alive?”

Tynan closes his eyes for a moment before he slants forward, meeting Cillian with an equally deadly stare. “She’d understand. She was resilient. Strong. You need to see the bigger picture.”

“Fuck you, man. I told you my decision. Find someone else in the family. A distant cousin. I don’t give a fuck who it is. But not me.”

He straightens his back and turns toward the door.

As he starts for the exit, Tynan says, “You can’t escape this, Cillian. It’s gonna happen.”

“Yeah, watch me.”

Then he’s out the door, muttering a curse as he disappears from view.

“Talk to him,” Tynan tells me. “Make him understand.”

“Come on. You know him. He’s stubborn.”

Hard laughter slips free. “Aren’t we all?”

CHAPTER 19

AMARA

“Mommy! Water, please!”Fia calls from her little table, while I rush around the kitchen trying to find my phone.

Where the hell is the sitter?! I’m gonna be late for work.

“Mommy!” she screams.

I huff out a breath, brows furrowing with a smile at my sweet girl, her black strands curling at her ears. She’s so beautiful.

“Okay, one second, baby.” I grab her water bottle from the fridge, handing it to her.

She sips happily, swinging her little feet.

I wish I could afford preschool, but I can’t right now. The sitter I found in the area is a lot cheaper, and Fia loves her.

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