Page 75 of Shattered Altar (Makarova Bratva Duet)

She stiffens instantly, and I know she doesn’t want to have this conversation in front of Demyan or the silent soldiers in the back. But she doesn’t want to lose face, either.

“I did what I thought you wanted,” she murmurs, cheeks flaming.

“No, you were just looking for an excuse to do what you wanted,” I retort. “As I keep telling you. But if we need a third party to settle this argument, I could always bring it up to your brother. See what he thinks.”

“You wouldn’t!”

“Don’t fucking try me,” I growl.

And for a change, she follows orders.

The rest of the ride is quiet until we arrive. The meeting site is an old storage building, but the surrounding trees provide cover should it become necessary.

I’m not worried, though. I live for the chaos of battle. That’s one of the perks of being don. You get to lead the charge. You get to be right in the fucking thick of it. It’s not just a duty—it’s a privilege.

“Where is he?” Olivia asks, craning her neck to try and catch a glimpse of her brother.

“He’ll show.”

“You came with a whole entourage! He takes one look at that and he’s not going to come.”

“I came with an entourage because he most definitely will do the same.”

She frowns. “He said he wouldn’t. He said it would be just him.”

I glance at her. “He was lying.”

“My brother doesn’t lie,” she says, with so much confidence that I feel bad for the disappointment that’s inevitably coming. “He’ll keep his word. If he said he’d be here without backup, he’ll be here without backup.”

Demyan rolls his eyes. “You think far too highly of him.”

Then the car comes to a halt. Demyan and the soldiers climb out, leaving Olivia and me behind in the jeep.

She raises her eyes to meet mine. “Please don’t hurt him, Aleks.”

She’s terrified of what’s about to happen. Unfortunately for her, I’m not the reassuring type.

“I’ll send someone for you when I need you,” I say, opening my door.

“What?!” she gasps. “You’re going to leave me here?”

In response, I slam the door closed. She reaches for the handle, but nothing happens.

“Child locks?” she rages, yanking uselessly on the handle. “Are you fucking kidding me?

“You’re not leaving this vehicle until I give the say-so,” I tell her through the glass. “So until then, sit tight. It could be a while.”

“No! You can’t just leave me in here! Aleks! Aleks!”

I suppress a smile. Apparently, she doesn’t have to moan my name for me to like the sound of it on her lips.

I turn to find Demyan right in my face.

“Well, I certainly see the appeal,” he remarks.

I shove him out of my way and start walking towards the building. It’s still in use, but it’s been neglected. Demyan came down early this morning and bribed the security on duty to disappear for the day.

“We’re not gonna talk about it?”

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