Page 84 of Vitaly

“What does he want?” Vitaly demands, shifting in front of me. I don’t imagine the act is even conscious.

I think it’s sweet that Vitaly wants to shield me from the inevitable. My heart warms at the protectiveness I see flaring, and I have no doubt he’d fight for me right now.

But it isn’t time. We aren’t ready, our men aren’t positioned, nothing has been put into place. Nikita would win.

“It’s fine.” I place my hand on Vitaly’s arm. When he looks at me, I try to smile. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

Vitaly shakes his head, but the sound of a gun cocking pulls his attention to Alik. I don’t even turn my head. I could see that coming a mile away.

“It’sfine,” I reiterate, cupping his face and drawing his narrowed eyes to me. “I’ll meet you back at the house.”

He looks reluctant to let me go, but I pull away anyway and follow Alik to his car. We drive in silence for the entirety of the ride, my bitter resentment filling up the car. He just sits in it, his face stoic as he drives.

When he parks the car, I put my hand on the door. He grabs my arm to stop me from opening it.

“Just do what he wants,” Alik says, as if I have any other option. I glare at him for a moment, part of me wanting to climb out to get as far from him as possible, the other part wanting to spit in his face.

“How long did you wait to callDaddyafter getting your ass kicked? Thirty seconds, or did you give it a full minute of thought?”

Alik doesn’t answer, but his frown returns, and it sends a shiver down my spine. Whatever is about to happen is bad.

Instead of answering, he climbs out of the car and walks around to my side before ushering me into the warehouse. I catch the eyes of a few people who don’t smile or nod. They drop their gazes as I pass like my misfortune could potentially rub off on them. It makes my heart quicken, beating violently in my chest the entire walk to Nikita’s office.

Then, when we step through the door and I see who’s waiting, it stops.

My father and two brothers, Leo and Luka, sit in chairs across from Roman while Nikita is propped against his desk. I scan my family before locking eyes with Nikita. He frowns. Butit’s not an Alik frown. There’s nothing remorseful about this one. It’s only meant to amuse himself, as if he actually is a human being capable of feeling disappointment he doesn’t express as anger.

Nikita knows.

One look into the dark eyes I’ve stared into for years, and I’m certain of it. What I don’t know is what he’ll do about it.

Why is my family here?

“Come in, Mila.” Nikita crooks his hand to beckon me forth. Alik shoves my back when I don’t budge, sending me stumbling a few steps while darting my eyes over my family.

They appear unharmed, but only Luka looks directly at me. My father’s cold eyes stare straight ahead, and Leo looks at his lap, his face twisted with what looks like worry. I’ve never been close with either of my older brothers, but if I had to choose one I connected with more, it would be Leo. Luka… It’s difficult to connect with Luka.

I search my brother’s eyes now for some clue as to what Nikita has planned, but they’re blank. Like he’s bored.

Nikita pushes off the desk and walks to the empty seat by Roman, his hand splayed toward it. “Sit, ????.”

My shoulders squared, I walk to the chair but pause when his hand slides over my back in a caress. When he stops, I sit.

He limps back to the desk then sighs. “We have a problem… Your loyalty has been called into question, my beautiful girl.”

My beautiful girl.

I close my eyes and breathe for a moment. It isn’t a good sign that he’s talking like this, playing with me like this. He isn’t about to shoot me in the head. He’d be much colder.

He’s about to be cruel.

“My loyalty has always been toyou, Pakhan. I’ve only done what you’ve asked of me.”

“I asked you to fuck my nephew?”

I flinch at the bite in his tone but hold my ground. “Yes, Pakhan. You told me to ‘acquaint myself with him’ and to do ‘whatever necessary to earn his trust.’”

Nikita crosses his arms over his chest as he lets out a low hum and relaxes against the desk. He takes his time before responding. Like he’s truly considering that. Like he didn’t know he was setting me up for failure when he gave me my mission.

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