Page 48 of Brutal Promise

I hug Alena. We promise to see each other soon. Over her shoulder, I see two suspicious men on the opposite street corner. I’ve been trying to be more vigilant about my surroundings since the shooting.

“And be better with answering a text,” she yells as she climbs into the SUV.

“Dmitry, are those your men over there?”

“No,” he replies, his tone sharp and annoyed as he slides his arm protectively around my waist.

I don’t know where they came from, and I haven’t seen any suspicious cars parked on the street. Anton gathers my loot, and we follow him to the private elevator.

Once we’re inside the condo, I take off my shoes and head to the bedroom to change into loungewear. Dmitry stands outside the closet where I’m dressing.

“How was your day?”

“Good. Yours?”

“Interesting. This place is Kirill’s safe house. No one knows about it, so why is someone standing across the street watching this building?”

I lean against the doorjamb of the closet and face him. Damn, he looks good in anything he wears, and I swear he has his suits and shirts made by hand.

“And?” I ask, not following the point he’s trying to make.

“I’m using a laptop from the Sidovo Bratva. Kirill got it for me so I can access their records for an issue I’m helping him figure out.”

“A big thing, right?” I sense the level of concern and urgency.

“Yes, and I found the issue last night. Now someone knows about us, you, and where we are.”

“Fuck.” It’s as if the air has stifled my lungs instead of feeding them.

“Yes.” His face is focused and calculating. “I’ll find a way to divert them, but it’s also why we should be at the MET. You’ll need a dress. It’s—”

I cut him off. “I know what it is.” My heart leaps at wearing a one-of-a-kind dress. But where do celebrities get dresses for the event?

“Great. We don’t have much time to prepare for it.” He walks to his nightstand, where his gun rests, and picks up a dark gray ring box.

Nervously, I wait for him to return.

“This is your ring. Never take it off. I have a tracking chip in it if something should happen to you.”

The thought of being abducted makes me nauseous. He said there’s a calm before the storm. I saw the men outside. This isn’t a practice drill.

“I have my own laptop now, one that can’t be hacked, and your chip will ping to my phone and watch. Never take this ring off.”

I notice he is indeed wearing a new watch. Wow, he’s not fucking around.

He opens a box with the initials HW and pulls out what looks like a three-carat diamond.

“Part of the package deal,” he says as he slides it on my ring finger.

Tears well in my eyes. I blink them back. This isn’t how I imagined my engagement. I deserve love, and this is not a love match. I want a man I love, a house with a white picket fence, and beautiful babies to love with all my heart. I want the entire package.

His hands are gentle as he brings my fingers to his lips and kisses the ring. “I promise to put your life before my own.” He releases my hand, letting it fall to my side. And without another word, he turns and leaves.

Alone and in shock, I lift my hand to the late afternoon light. The ring feels heavy. The setting is made of platinum. It’s exquisite, with sapphire baguettes on both sides of the square-cut diamond. Dmitry strikes again, knowing what I like. The ring couldn’t be more to my taste if I drew it myself.

The HW initials must stand for Harry Winston. I cannot imagine what this ring cost. A tear drops from each eye, and I wipe them away with the back of my hand. I guess this means there will be no further negotiations. Alena did say men set the pace and lead the way, just like on the dance floor.

I pull myself together and go searching for Dmitry. I follow the TV sounds and find him watching the news with a pensive look and a rock glass of scotch in his hand.

---