I’m not sure.
There’s a part of me that wants to run for the hills.
Instead of telling Demitri the truth, I whisper, “We’re good.”
DEMITRI
The way Ariana looked at me after the shootout is gone, and the hesitation is back. It feels like I’m taking one step forward and two steps back with her.
When we come down the stairs, Alexei’s standing by the front door, staring outside. He glances over his shoulder, and seeing Ariana, he turns around and walks toward her. “Let’s talk.”
We head into the living room, and I stand to the side while they both sit down.
Alexei leans forward, and resting his forearms on his thighs, he presses the tips of his fingers together, and then he locks eyes with Ariana. She’s tense as fuck, her features tight.
Ariana’s the first to talk. “Demitri already explained everything to me.”
“I don’t want to talk about business,” Alexei says.
“Then what?” she asks.
“Us.” He gestures between the two of them. “You and me.” Leaning back, Alexei rests one arm on the back of the couch. “As I’ve said before, I’ll only get involved if you hurt Demitri. What I mean by that is if you betray him.” His fingers flex, and he tilts his head. “But you and me, we’re not at war for him. If I give you advice or try to steer you in the right direction, and you attack me for it, it places Demitri in an impossible situation.”
“I wasn’t the one who attacked first,” Ariana says, her defenses going up at the speed of fucking light.
Alexei shakes his head. “Ariana, if I attacked, you wouldn’t be breathing right now. I totally understand you’re still getting to know us, so I’m going to spell it out for you.”
She crosses her legs and lifts her chin.
I quickly jump into the conversation, explaining, “What Alexei’s trying to say is you each play an important but different role in my life. When it comes to business, as the head, he makes the decisions, but he’s not going to get involved in our relationship.”
Alexei brings a hand to his face, and rubbing his jaw, he says, “I don’t waste time with people who mean nothing to me, and I’ve never explained myself to anyone before. If you and Demitri become an item, you’ll be the most important woman in my life, next to my own wife, should I ever take one. That means, right now, you’re the most powerful woman in the fucking world. For you to do that position justice, I will train you because whatever you do is a reflection on me.”
He gives her a moment for the words to sink in, then continues, “I can count on my fingers how many allies I have. The rest of the fucking world is my enemy. To survive, I’ve become the most feared man. Everything I do is a strategic move to ensure I remain at the top of the food chain.” He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, “But I get that you don’t know me, and with time that will be rectified. I’ll learn what triggers your temper, and you’ll do the same with me, just like you and Demitri are getting to know each other.”
There’s a moment’s silence between them, then Ariana asks, “Can I be honest with you without you ripping my head off?”
Alexei nods. “Of course.”
“You made me feel threatened. Like you said, I’m just starting to learn how everything works, so can you take it down a notch? If you give any random person on the street the look you gave me, they’d be scared shitless.”
Ariana looks down at her hands, and then her shoulders slump. I move toward her, but Alexei shakes his head as he gets up, wanting to be the one to comfort her.
Knowing this is a bonding moment for them, I pause and watch as he sits down next to her, placing his arm around her shoulders.
Pressing a kiss to the side of Ariana’s head, he says, “I’ll take it down a notch on one condition.”
Ariana glances up at him. “What?”
“You work on becoming stronger. Never be afraid to stand up for yourself. Never back down in the face of danger. The harder the blows come, the more you have to fight back.”
“I will.” Ariana glances down, and when she brings her eyes back to Alexei’s, there’s a vulnerable expression that rips at my heart. “I really want to be friends with you.”
Alexei gives her a playful look which is rare as fuck. “Think of me as an older brother.”
Ariana’s chin begins to quiver. “The last one I had is trying to kill me.”
Alexei pulls her into a hug and then murmurs, “As long as you’re loyal to me, I’ll never betray you like that.” He rubs a hand over her back, then asks, “So there are no more misunderstandings?”