Page 103 of My Dark Horse Prince

That makes Danils beam. “Exactly. See?”

“I’m not lumping him into your idiotic generalization,” Adriana says. “So stop gloating and get out of here.”

“I’ve been meaning to find the time to come over and chat,” Danils says. “But you haven’t been responding to my messages or calls.”

“He calls you?” Grigoriy takes my hand again, like he might lose me if he’s not touching me.

“Get in the car, Mom,” I say. “Ignore the men.”

As if on cue, three more men climb out of Danils’s car.

“Oh, for the love.” I point. “They have nothing to do with us.”

Mom glances back at Martinš as if he’s the safest place around here.

“Tell your men to get back in their car,” Grigoriy says. “They’re making Mirdza’s mother nervous.”

“You don’t give orders,” Danils says.

“But Mirdza does,” Grigoriy surprises me by saying. “And she just told her mother not to worry about something that’s obviously worrying her.”

“So you just do as you’re told?” Danils smiles.

Grigoriy frowns.

“Looks like I’ve hit a sore spot.” Danils steps closer. “You’re some big man in Russia, but you’re in Latvia now. You’re surrounded by other big men, and you, apparently, take orders from your woman.” He arches one eyebrow in disdain.

“Your men don’t scare me, and you certainly don’t either.” Grigoriy shifts until I’m standing behind him. “But violence upsets Mirdza.”

“Oh.” Danils laughs. He uses a high voice to mock. “It upsets my girlfriend.”

“Not girlfriend,” Grigoriy says quietly. “My fiancée.”

Danils scowls. “She is not going to marry some pathetic, leashed man. Trust me. She’ll call it off.”

“You think she wants someone like you instead?” Grigoriy asks. “Her stepfather seems to think you still like her.”

“I do.” Danils puffs up his chest and looks right at me, where I’m peeking around Grigoriy’s arm. “I never stopped. But she needed to learn how to behave.”

“Doesn’t look like she did,” Grigoriy says with a smile. “I think your plan failed. If anything, she’s become less likely to let you order her around.”

“You have a girlfriend,” I point out. “You have no business even being here, so go home.”

“Brigita?” Danils laughs. “I dumped her after she fired you.”

Is that true? Did he, really?

“Come back to me, and I’ll make her give your horse back. I hear you can ride again.”

“Not really,” Grigoriy says. “She’s only been cleared to ride my horse. No others.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Danils says.

He’s right, obviously, but I can’t exactly explain.

“Your error all along was that you put strings on everything,” Grigoriy says. “If this, then this. If you don’t, then you won’t.” He snorts. “That’s not how love works.”

“You’ll let her lead you around on a leash, then?” Danils scoffs. “Like you’re her little dog?”

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