Page 121 of Immaculate Corruption (Romanoff Bratva)

Her nostrils flare and her chest heaves as she stares at me. “Exceptions that don’t hurt you. Exceptions that punish other innocent people. That’s disgusting, Dima.”

“Sit down.” I point to the chair across from my desk. “Sit down and we’ll talk.”

Arya shakes her head. “I don’t want to sit down. You Romanoffs are all the fucking same. You only care about yourselves and what’s best for you. Fuck everyone else.”

Finally, the thin hold I have on my self-control snaps. I jump to my feet again and this time, my chair clatters to the ground behind me. “Are you out of your fucking mind? How can you say that after everything I’ve done to help you? Do you think it was in my benefit to hunt you down at Taras Kreshnik’s house and set you free? I saved your fucking life.”

She gasps. “You blame me for having to look for Lukas? And here I thought you loved him.”

“That isn’t what I meant, goddammit!” My jaw is clenched so hard I feel like my teeth will crack. “Even when it’s almost cost me everything, I chose to take care of you. To protect you. To protect ourson. I’m not the same as my brother.”

“Aren’t you? I don’t see a difference. You’re willing to destroy anyone and anything in your effort to reclaim your Bratva. Sounds like Ilyasov to me.”

“Ilyasov is willing to risk his own family. I’d never do that.”

“How the fuck do I know that?!” Arya screams. “You know what I went through after Brigitte sold me like fucking cattle. And you know what Rose went through. You know how much that fucked me up, but you still agreed to these Trials knowing what you would have to do. Knowing you’d have to hurt people. It’s… it’s disgusting.Youare disgusting.”

“Thanks for telling me what you really think of me,” I snarl. “If I ever get a comment box in my office, you’ll be the first person I call to drop your thoughts.”

Her eyes narrow to slits. “Don’t make fun of me.”

“Don’t come into my office and call me disgusting. Don’t stand in my house and insult me.”

She leans away from me, eyebrow raised. “Your house, huh? I suppose it isyour house, isn’t it?”

“Last time I checked, yes.”

“Maybe I’ll just take Lukas and leave then. Find my own place. I never wanted him to grow up in this environment, anyway.”

“Leave if you want.” I wave a hand towards the door. “But if you think I’m going to let you take my son out of this house, you’re wrong. If you kidnap him, I’ll have the force of my Bratva on you in an instant. You won’t even make it off the property.”

Arya is looking at me like she doesn’t know me. Like we’ve never met.

And I can’t help but hear my father’s voice over and over again in my head.

Love is a weapon.

Love is a weapon.

Love is a weapon.

He was dead fucking right. And right now, it’s slicing me wide open.

Without another word, Arya storms out of my office, slamming the door behind her.

And I’m left here. The last of my world crumbling to pieces—just when I thought it was almost back together.

44

Dima

A Few Hours Later

When Arya leaves, I start to drink.

And drink.

And drink.

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