Page 69 of Shatter Me

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” he says slowly. “About my family. Things I’ve kept from you deliberately.”

“What kind of things?”

He runs a hand through his hair, further disheveling it. “The kind that makes that article the least of our problems.”

“Stop speaking in riddles.”

“The Ivanovs...” He pauses, choosing his words carefully. “We’re not just businessmen. The empire wasn’t built on stock trades and real estate.”

My stomach churns as I had thought as much, but never had it confirmed. After all, they’re constantly surrounded by lawyers cleaning up their messes. Not to mention the security details are extreme even for billionaires, the careful scanning of rooms, and the way people seem to shrink away when the brothers enter a space.

“What are you saying?”

“The Ivanov empire is bratva.” Dmitri’s words hang in the air between us. “I run the legitimate front as CEO, but at our core, we’re organized crime. Russian mafia.”

My mind spins, trying to process this. The perfectly tailored suits, the business meetings, the philanthropic donations—all a facade. I knew he was a ruthless and dangerous businessman, the kind that could pay off anyone he wanted. But a mobster? I had considered it, but hoped I was wrong.

Why the fuck didn’t Sofia tell me?

“Two weeks ago, we entered a war with the Lebedev family.” His fingers dance on my cheek, but I flinch away. “And now that article has painted a target on your back.”

“A war?” My voice sounds strange to my own ears. “Like... actual violence?”

“Yes.” His bluntness makes me shiver. “Igor Lebedev has already lost several properties. He’ll retaliate soon.”

The cafe gossip, the charity galas, and the museum politics all seem absurdly trivial now. I’ve been playing at sophistication while swimming with sharks.

“That’s why you were so insistent about privacy.” It’s not a question, but he nods anyway.

“Being publicly linked to me puts you in danger. Igor Lebedev will see you as leverage.” Dmitri’s hand clenches into a fist on his thigh. “He’s already had people watching the museum.”

I dismissed both the strange man I noticed last week by the Egyptian wing and the car that seemed to follow me home yesterday as paranoia.

“Why tell me now?” I ask, though I already know the answer.

“Because that article stripped away any protection anonymity gave you.” His arctic blue eyes meet mine. “You need to understand what you’re involved in. What I really am.”

“You kept this from me.” My voice is tinged with anger and hurt. “This whole time, you could have told me, but you didn’t.”

“It was for your safety.” Dmitri’s jaw tightens. “I simply omitted certain truths.”

“Oh, that’s rich.” I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “Because ‘I run a criminal empire’ isn’t something worth mentioning before sleeping with someone? Or perhaps making me aware of the risks I was getting involved in by being with you.”

“Would you have given me a chance if I had?”

His question hangs between us. The worst part is I don’t know the answer.

“Take me home,” I say finally.

“That’s not possible.” His fingers drum against his thigh. “You won’t be safe there.”

“I need time to think.” I wrap my arms around myself, creating distance between us. “Put guards on my door if you want, but I need to be alone.”

Dmitri looks completely lost for the first time since I’ve known him. His perfect composure cracks, revealing something vulnerable underneath. He runs both hands through his hair, destroying its careful styling.

“Tash...” His voice breaks on my name.

“Please.” I return his stare. “If any of this was real, give me this.”

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