Page 8 of Hateful Vows

SIX

IRINA

W e’ve been back in London from Kalliste island for a few days when Aleksei picks me up one evening. I don’t have time to change into something more formal so I throw a Burberry trench coat over my simple black dress and scoop Perceval into my arms before meeting him at the front of my building.

“What are we doing here, Lyosha ?” I ask my brother as the town car moves through the streets and enters The City.

Ventura’s territory. Despite their best efforts, Aleksei and my step-father never managed to hide anything from me.

I know all about the peace we’re supposed to uphold and coming here is reason enough for us to get killed.

“We have an appointment.”

“With who?”

Aleksei gives me a sardonic look, then clicks his tongue, absorbed once more by his phone.

The dismissal is clear and makes me want to throttle him.

Perceval’s head butts against my chin. At least I can count on one man to be obsessed with me.

I pet his fur and give him neck scratches, his loud purr calming me down.

When the car comes to a stop, Aleksei and I are ushered by our bodyguards to a nondescript building. Two burly men step forward as we move to the elevator, about to search us.

“If you touch her, I’ll rip out your throats with my bare hands,” Aleksei says calmly as he opens his arms to the side to let one of the security guards pass a metal detector over his body.

The threat has my mouth dry but I’m very good at ignoring my own body.

My jaw is set in a grimace as they pass the detector over the length of my body, then regard my cat with disgust.

“He’s just a cat,” I say.

The elevator ride is tense but short and when the doors open on the fiftieth floor, the view beyond them is breathtaking.

High above the other skyscrapers, this flat should be the example of modernity, with straight lines and bay windows, but we step into a lavish home, with upholstery, luxurious rugs and extravagant art on the walls.

Colours and gold drip from every corner, and fake mantles give the place an almost Parisian feel to it.

I drop Percy to the ground and he immediately disappears to explore.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Dante exclaims, arms wide open.

I can’t help but notice that he’s barefoot, loose linen beige slacks hanging low on his strong waist accentuating his muscular legs.

The matching shirt he wears is half open, the intricate gold cross on his neck a mocking element to his relaxed attire.

Aleksei and I look out of place in our formal black wear.

Everything about this place and its host screams frivolity.

Rounding the corner of a hallway, a woman in her forties approaches me and Aleksei with an unopened bottle of champagne and flutes. She sets it on the coffee table, a furniture piece that would probably belong in a palace of French kings—or Italians—and scurries away.

Dante opens the bottle with ease, the pop of the cork loud in the silence room. The air is so tense I suffocate.

“Have a drink,” Dante offers as he hands us a flute each.

I ignore him and drape myself on the sofa, crossing my legs to hide the anxious tremor, and getting a kick out of seeing Dante follow the movement. I know what his eyes on the most hidden part of me feels like and I’d be a liar if I said it’s not thrilling.

“I’m not drinking until I know what’s going on.”

Our host’s face cracks into a grin, before he barks out a laugh and turns his attention to Aleksei. “You didn’t tell her?”

My brother’s jaw clenches, the only sign that he isn’t in a position of force. The rest of his posture seems relaxed enough with his hands in his pocket, but I know he’s prepared to strike at any moment. I’ve seen what he’s capable of when provoked. It’s occupied my worst nightmares.

“We’re forming a new alliance,” he says, voice strained and promising violence.

My mouth slackens for a second before I narrow my eyes at him. “With him ? Are you out of your mind? Does your father know about this?”

“Oh, this is gonna be entertaining,” Dante quips before taking a seat in front of me.

“My progenitor doesn’t know. And he never will.”

“Because we’re gonna kill him,” Dante says with glee and an unhinged shine in his eyes. An excited puppy would probably look the same. “And who is that?”

As the question leaves his mouth, Perceval jumps on his lap and settles, asking for pets with a loud meow.

Perceval doesn’t like people. Except Aleksei and me.

He hisses at everything that comes close.

I don’t like seeing him on Dante’s lap. I stand and take my cat with me but the little fiend steps out of my arms the moment I sit back down, going back to the infuriating dark- haired man, who regards me like he just won a battle I didn’t even know we were having.

“He likes me.”

“Did you give him food?” I ask, eyes narrowed on him.

“Nope. Animals just know best.” The smirk on his face needs to be eradicated.

I turn my attention back to my brother who regards the scene before him with a sort of apathy I’m all too familiar with. “Spill, Aleksei . What’s this about killing your father?”

The perspective sends both flutters through my stomach and a skitter of fear down my spine. The combination is heady. The promise of his blood splattered on the walls of his house is what my dreams are made of.

“Misha Petrov has decided our organisation should enter a new venture,” Aleksei says then Dante supplies the rest. “People.” I frown at how easily they finish each other's sentences and how in sync they seem to be. Once again, I’m the one in the dark.

“My father has agreed to this new income avenue. And you’re to be his best asset. He wants to ship you to Russia by the end of this week.”

“What?” I jump to my feet, scaring Percy who leaves Dante’s lap with a mewl of protest. “When did you find out?”

“Two weeks ago.”

As usual, Aleksei gives me nothing to go on. He’s the portrait of composure while I’m unraveling. I slap him as hard as I can, and his head whips to the side. “And you couldn’t fucking tell me?”

Aleksei cracks his neck before answering. “I’m telling you now. I won’t let it happen.”

“That’s fucking rich. What if he decided to take me now. I wouldn’t even know the danger I’m in.”

“I’ve always protected you, haven’t I?” he spits and I flinch.

“Don’t you fucking love to remind me.”

Without thought, my eyes are drawn to the scars on Aleksei’s severe face and my heart clenches.

It’s my fault. I shut the thought down as quickly as it comes, burying it under the rage and hate I’ve cultivated like the most precious flower.

Since I could never make my step-father pay for what he put us through, I sent all my emotions Aleksei’s way.

And like always, he’s taking it in stride.

“What does he have to do with it?” I gesture to Dante with my chin.

A muscle flexes in Aleksei’s jaw. It’s costing him to say it.

“Should I tell her?” Dante asks, revelling in the dramatics. Standing up, he prowls to me, raising a finger delicately to sift through the black strands of my hair. “I’m about to become your lawfully wedded husband, vipera . One big happy family.”

Shock ripples through me in waves. “Over my dead body, I’m not marrying this… this…”

“Yes, vipera . Give me that sweet venom.”

“I won’t be used, Aleksei.” My voice breaks and I clench my teeth to stave off the nausea that threatens to overtake me. He knows what choice means to me. He bears the marks of it on his face.

In my peripheral vision, Dante frowns then takes a step back.

His tone is serious when he addresses us both.

“I won’t touch you,” he vows and my head whips to him.

“I won’t touch you without you asking me to, Irina.

But your brother came to me because I’m your only chance.

You have enemies everywhere in the city.

I’m the only one who’ll take you in and protect you.

My family’s motto demands it once I put my ring on your finger. ”

“And Ivan Dobrev?”

“If we don’t kill him, dismantle his whole system and set up a new king on the London Bratva, you’re not the only one at risk, vipera . Your brother will die, too, eventually.”

Aleksei’s emotionless expression tells me he doesn’t care about that part. But I do. I always have. That’s why I trained the way I did for years, in secret. So that one day I’d be able to repay him for protecting me so many times and bearing the scars of it.

“I’ll take his place,” Aleksei says.

“Misha will come after us,” I counter.

“Then, I’ll kill him, too.”

“It’s not that simple. You can’t believe you’re just gonna rebel against the king and have him not care,” I almost yell at my brother but he shrugs.

“With or without your permission, my father dies tomorrow, solnychko. ”

And there it is again. The dismissal. Like I’ve been plunged into ice cold water, the fight leaves my body. It’s always the same with men in our lives. They make decisions, and the women follow or die.

Even the nickname he uses for me is a mockery. I’m nothing like sunshine.

“Do we at least get territory with that fucked up deal?” I ask Dante, ignoring the way my brother’s eyes crack with something I refuse to acknowledge.

“What’s mine is yours, vipera . And what’s yours is mine.” The last part is intended for Aleksei. I don’t need them to spell it out for me. My stupid brother offered Dante power and control over part of our business for this shitty protection deal.

Percy meows at my feet and I scoop him up. “I hope your coffers can take me, Ventura.”

His smile is salacious and he licks his bottom lip.

He doesn’t say a thing but his thoughts are transparent on his handsome face, the black curls falling over his forehead giving him a boyish look that makes me want to pull them as he kneels for me.

After years of living with my brother, who doesn’t say much and is as cold as the tundras of Russia, knowing Dante’s honesty is… Fuck, it’s welcome.

“Now, tell me more about your murderous plans. I do love a goodbye party,” I tell the men, and plan for a funeral.