Chapter 18

Iwake a few hours later, leaning up and looking down at my Mila. She's lying on her side, her knees pulled to her chest, her hair messy across her face. She looks so peaceful as she rolls over, pulling the blanket around her. I stand up and adjust the blanket, pulling it over her shoulders. She smiles sleepily, and I lean down, kissing her on the cheek.

I have to be careful. Even an innocent kiss like this could lead to places I must avoid. I sense that Mila won't want to go all the way until this is over. Hell, if a man ever needed more motivation, I've got it.

Leaving the bedroom, I find the closest bathroom and splash water on my face. Then I change and go into the kitchen. It's late afternoon. Yuri stands in a puddle of light, cleaning the kitchen counter.

"Master Sokolov," he says when I walk in.

I grin. He's always called me that. Dimitri is now sir since he's acting leader and will soon be the official Pahkan of the Sokolov Bratva. "Is my brother home?"

Yuri hesitates, then says, "Yes … in the other house."

I smirk. "Don't worry, Yuri. I think we all know something's going on between those two."

"He asked me to pass along a message," Yuri says, "but also to give him some time … in the other house."

"Okay."

"He asked you to keep your phone on so he can talk with you when he's done in case he can't find you."

When he's done … It's not like I have to use much imagination to figure out what they're doing over there.

"Thanks, Yuri," I say.

After checking on Mila again, still sleeping peacefully, I go to the gym and put in one hell of a workout. I lift the weights, trying not to think about the man currently in our underground prison or the fact that, soon, if this goes wrong, we'll be in a full-fledged war. With each rep, with each animal grunt, it's like I can see Nikolai hitting his daughter, my woman, and see him torturing his own family.

I roar on the last rep of the hour-long session, straining. Behind me, I hear footsteps.

"Leave it," I grunt when Dimitri leans over me, clearly meaning to spot the weight.

My vision blurs as I push, my veins bulging as I grind my teeth and let out a trembling, groaning noise. Finally, I sit up, my chest feeling like it might explode.

"Five-fifty?" Dimitri says, studying the plates. "How many reps was that?"

"I don't know. I stopped counting after ten."

Standing up, I rotate my arms and jab the air a few times, loosening my joints.

"What got into you?" Dimitri asks.

I shake my head and try to smirk, but it's difficult when I'm so hyped up, so ready for a fight. "Don't be jealous just because a nerd can lift more than you."

Dimitri laughs, but he's looking at me strangely. "I'm sorry you had to handle that bastard. I didn't want you to get back into the life."

I almost tell him the truth. Not only did I want to handle the prick, but I needed to. Nobody gets to make my girl afraid ever.

"I need to tell you something as second-in-command. However, before I do, I need you to swear you'll never repeat it."

"Swear … how?"

"The Bratva way," he says. "With blood. I need to know you won't tell anybody else. I don't want you caught off guard."

"Tell me then."

Dimitri sighs, shaking his head. "I need you to swear first." When I don't reply, he goes on, "I know this is a dick move, but we're talking about the future of our family here."

"Fine, fuck it."

Leaving the room, I rush down the hallway, stopping at one study with its tall bookshelves, ornate desk, and sharp letter opener on the side. Before Dimitri can say anything, I make a small cut across my forearm, holding his gaze.

"I swear, brother, I won't repeat a word. Now get on with it."

He nods, dropping into an armchair. "I want to make Nikolai angry at the meal, so he's not thinking straight, and … there's something else. I want to make a statement. I'm going to walk into the party with Lia on my arm. Then I'll tell Nikolai that Mila will be my wife, but Lia is my woman. I need to humiliate him, push him, and make it so he doesn't see the revenge coming."

I grind my teeth, my arm pulsing.

"Why did you make me swear before telling me this?"

"Lia thinks something might be going on with you and Mila."

"Oh yeah?" I say, keeping my tone neutral. "What do you think about that?"

Dimitri tilts his head. "I don't see it. You've seen how I am around Lia, right? I can't contain it. You couldn't hide it if you felt the same about Mila as I do about Lia."

But my brother's wrong. I've spent years hiding the deepest, darkest parts of myself, the Bratva berserker lurking beneath the coder fa?ade.

"I know you've been working together, though," Dimitri continues. "I'm sure most of what you talk about is programming stuff, but I had to make you swear, just in case."

I nod, saying nothing, giving nothing away. He's just put me in one messed-up spot. Now, I have to hold something back from my woman, dammit.

"Where are you going?" Dimitri asks when I turn for the door.

"To finish my workout."

"That wasn't the last set?"

It was the last set, but after this, I need more. I need to burn. Maybe I should just tell Dimitri that Mila belongs to me. Yet what if this falls through, and he still has to marry her for the good of the city, knowing she belongs to me? Would we survive that?

"No," I grunt and keep walking.