Page 59 of The Dark Side

Love,his father said, like it's a realistic goal in their world.

For Alexei, he was allowed to be picky and wait around for it because he was no longer heir to their father's empire.

Katia whispered, hiding her teasing smile,"He does seem smitten with our teacher, doesn't he?"

Adrik glared at her from across the table, and she hid a giggle behind her hand.

Alexei glanced at them angrily."I'm just trying to make her feel welcome."

Yakov scoffed, taking a sip of his coffee."Even Alexei wouldn't be dumb enough to go for an American."

The insult was straightforward, and the warning was blatant. Adrik felt guilty for bringing it up. He didn't like his father taking potshots at his brother. Despite being younger, Adrik protected Alexei against his father since they were kids. Alexei had a softer heart than most, and it always irked his father.

"But you're right,"Yakov said, decided, setting down his mug."We must introduce him to someone."

"What?"Alexei straightened.

"Katia, you know some women. Bring them."

"Of course,"Katia smiled lovingly to hide her humor.

Alexei sneered."I'm good meeting girls on my own."

"It's just for options, son,"Yakov assured."I want more grandchildren. God knows your sisters are working hard, and Katia and Adrik are doing their part. You have to pull your weight at some point."

Another jab agitated Alexei. He excused himself abruptly, and Jolie, having no idea what was going on, looked after him in bewilderment.

"He's fine," Katia reassured Jolie. "What kind of dress are you thinking of?"

Adrik moved to follow his brother, but his father stopped him.

"You haven't finished your breakfast."

"I'm not hungry."

Yakov looked up at him."I haven't finished mine."

Clenching his teeth, Adrik plopped back down and concentrated on his cell phone. It was this controlling attitude that Adrik had followed his whole life that had him bucking in his restraints. He was tired of being leashed. He was so close to the finish line. Only two more years till his father claimed he would retire, and Adrik would take over the company. Two more years to follow every rule and unspoken law, and then he was free.

If I kill him, I could be free tomorrow.

It's a distant, unthinkable thought, yet it waved in the back of his mind like a white flag on a body-filled field.

Killing parents was against the Mafia code, and he'd be shunned. But if he could make it look like someone else did it, he could get away with it. The problem was trusting someone with such a task. Failure couldn't be an option, because the ramifications would be too terrifying to think of. Who had enough confidence to believe they could kill a king?

As soon as Yakov took the last bite of his toast, Adrik excused himself from the table.

He found Alexei in the gym at the punching bag. His hands were wrapped in thick tape, and he was railing on the bag with his right arm, keeping his left back. His injured arm was healing but couldn't withstand punching just yet. The person holding the bag was struggling to keep it still. When Alexei took a small break, Adrik dismissed the help and took hold of it.

Alexei paused at the sight of him. He rubbed the sweat from his brow and adjusted the tape. The words in Alexei's mind weren't something he could share, but he struggled to keep them to himself. There was a dark place inside him Alexei was worried that Adrik wouldn't approve of. He hit the bag once, twice before he huffed,"I don't know how much longer I can put up with him."

"I know."

"He acts like I'm choosing to be alone when he forced me to shove Melissa out of my life."

Adrik kept quiet. He hadn't known about what happened between him and Melissa. Alexei had been infatuated with the anime oddball for years, and then suddenly, she was gone. Alexei said he broke up with her and got drunk for a few days before he went back to work. That was the extent of the conversation.

But as Adrik thought about it, after Melissa was gone, two months later, Alexei gave up his seat as heir.

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