Page 51 of Immaculate Corruption (Romanoff Bratva)

“No,” I fire back. “It’s just business.”

“It’s always just business,” Ilyasov agrees. “Nothing more. Nothing less.”

* * *

Arya is showered and getting dressed when I come back up to the room.

“Good news. Ilyasov has a connection to a private jet we can take back to New York City. No more fucking driving.”

“Are we leaving right now?” she asks, buttoning her jeans and straightening her shirt.

“The plane can be ready in an hour, which is about how long it will take us to get to the airport. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can get to work.”

Arya sits on the edge of the bed. “So you talked to Ilyasov? Did he change his mind about helping?”

“No, but he found Giorgio D’Onofrio’s location. Now, I can finish the hit.”

Her face falls. Her forehead wrinkles and she looks down at her lap, her fingers tapping together nervously.

I walk over and kneel down in front of her. “Everything will be fine. It won’t be like last time. Giorgio’s staying in an abandoned casino and he’s so paranoid about being caught by the police that he doesn’t have very many people with him. He thinks he is well hidden. It’ll be easier than ever to take him out.”

She chews on her lip. “Okay, good. I’m happy for you.”

“You could have fooled me.” I grab her chin and tip her face up to mine. Her green eyes are wide and worried.

“If this is what you want, I’m happy for you,” she says. “I’m glad the trip here was worth it for you.”

I lean back, frowning at her. “Why do you keep saying it like that? ‘Foryou,whatyouwant.’ This is for us, Arya. For you and me and Lukas. It’s for all of us.”

Her lower lip catches between her teeth as she chews on it. “That’s sweet of you, but I already told you what I have planned for me and Lukas.”

Her words take me so much by surprise that I have to stand up and back away. “What do you mean? We talked last night. We solved this.”

“Dima.” Arya’s voice breaks on my name. She takes a shaking breath. “I know you believe that and I know that is what you would try to do. You’ve always done your best to take care of me and Lukas, but—”

“No.” I wave away her words. “Period. That’s it. I’ve done my best, Arya. You trust me, don’t you?”

“I trust you, but I don’t trust them.” She gestures past me towards the windows. “All those people out there who want to hurt you, who care more about money and power than they do human lives—I don’t trust them. And I never will.”

“Fuck that. We talked last night. We—”

“We said goodbye,” she finishes. “Maybe last night was the perfect way for us to end it. It’s kind of like coming full circle in a way, isn’t it?”

No. Hell no.My anger bubbles up in my chest.

“Is that all this is to you? We fucked a few times, had a kid, now we call it quits, no big deal?”

“I’m not saying it’s no big deal! I’m just saying it might be time for this to be over. Life would be easier for you if you didn’t have to worry about us.”

“Don’t pretend you’re doing me a favor,” I growl. “I’m not doing this for you? Well, you sure as fuck aren’t doing anything for me.”

“Dima, that’s not what I—”

“If last night was goodbye, then what’s your plan now?”

“I already told you,” she says quietly. “I had someone make me some fake passports. They’ll be ready to pick up today.”

I stare at her in utter disbelief. “So you think I shouldn’t get a say in whether my son is in my life or not.”

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