Page 12 of Scarlet Promise (Yegorov Bratva #4)

I laugh. “Funny how you trusted me right up to finding out about me and Alina, but now I’m untrustworthy, I run a deeply amoral bratva, and my morals have vanished.

Tell me, is anyone good enough for your sister, or are you just going to ruin her life by making her marry some horrible fat old man you want something from? Tell me how that makes you moral.”

We glare at each other.

I lean in. “Tell me how that puts you on higher moral ground than my grandfather, who tried to do that to my mother? Or your father, who would’ve sold his precious little princess if he got a big enough offer? Or is it just because it’s me, Demyan?”

He stares at me, his gaze cold, glittering.

He takes one step forward. “Stay the hell away from my sister.”

He turns on his heel and stalks inside.

Alina’s still in the kitchen, and they exchange heated words I can’t hear. Demyan tries to pet Albert, but he barks crazily at him until he just shakes his head and stalks out of view.

Albert and Alina come rushing out.

“You should go in,” I say. “He’s pissed.”

“I don’t care.”

“Are you okay? Albert?”

She nods, and I smile, touching her cheek. Then, because fuck Demyan to hell and back, and because I want to, need to, I pull her into my arms and kiss her.

It’s an explosion of passion and need, our tongues dancing in the heated confines of our mouths, the promise of sex and love caught up in it all. She tastes so good, like my Alina, like sweetness and lust and love.

Fuck, that’s what she tastes like—love, in its brutally bare simplicity. In its aching complexity.

She’s love.

And I’m addicted.

I can’t get enough.

But I make myself end the kiss.

I smile down at her, our bruised faces no doubt matching. “I should go before he loses it completely. I’ll call you later.”

“Don’t…don’t give up on me,” she whispers.

“You? Never. Or Albert.”

“He bit him!”

I laugh, I shouldn’t, I know. Albert should be better behaved than that. He is better behaved. And while I don’t think he hurt Demyan, unless you count his pride, it’s terrible for me to laugh.

Alina looks so horrified, hand at her gaping mouth eyes wide, dark with guilt that I laugh again and shrug. “It’s okay, malyshka . It wasn’t deep. Just a scrape.”

“I saw blood,” she says.

I will my mouth not to twitch up into another smile. “ Da . There was blood, but he’ll survive.”

“I wish you could stay. I made things worse.”

“No,” I whisper, pulling her closer, brushing her lips once again. “You didn’t.”

She smiles and squeezes my arm.

I stride away, not looking back, because if I do, I’ll be the one kidnapping her.

With each step I take away from Alina, my agitation builds.

It’s still swirling in me when I get home.

Svetlana gives a small shriek when she sees my face, but I wave her off before she can fuss over me.

“A disagreement,” I say. “Is Denis here?”

She nods.

I find him in the living room, drinking my vodka. He’s looking a lot better, but there’s a crutch against the sofa, which makes sense since he got shot recently.

“Are the troops here?”

“Out the back. Not all the high-up men came. I did like you asked, told them they had the choice you offered at dinner, to stay or walk. But there’s no hesitation if you stay in. If you choose out, that’s it.”

“Good.” I look him in the eye. “And you?”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

That he is.

He finishes his vodka and gets his crutch, and we head into the back garden.

There’s a large patio area away from the mansion, which I could use for entertaining or big meetings.

I look over the assembled men. “I’ll lay it out in simple terms. Melor is gone.

Anyone who isn’t loyal to me can leave right now.

No harm. Just hand in credentials and Belov weapons.

” A good number of them leave, laying down my weapons, tossing the cards they use to get in through the gates onto the table.

That part is symbolic. I’m changing the codes tonight. I’ll be changing a lot of things.

When the last man leaves, I look at the thinned number.

A couple of the higher ranks left, too. But there are a few remaining, along with Denis.

And as for the men who stayed, they look…genuine. Like they want this job, like they want to earn a high place, to be a part of something.

They look, in short, like men ready to do what I ask of them.

“I look after my men. I’m loyal, and I expect the same.

I don’t do things the same as Aleks, but I hope to show you I want to build something good, powerful.

Those in the hospital have been spoken to.

Most are joining us.” I glance at Denis, who nods.

“Go about your business. If you’re working, work.

If you’re at home, go home. My door is open if you wish to talk. Dismissed.”

Denis follows me inside with some of the others, and we all talk a while. But I stick to business as usual, and then we can review our relationships with other allies.

Finally, it’s just me and Denis.

“You did good,” he says. “Build this better.”

He’s about to pour a drink for us, when there’s a knock on my office door.

A young soldier comes in. “Sir, my name is Elisei, and I’d like to help in any way I can.”

He seems eager, but I’m not about to trust easily. Shit, I don’t even quite trust Denis, though he’s on his way to earning it.

But this kid holds himself with almost a quivering need to prove himself.

“If I may, I am honest. I will speak the truth to you,” he says. “Always. And I’m eager to help build your bratva up. This could be a new era, and I’d like to climb the ranks.”

“Oh, you would?” says Denis.

“Yes, I would. Through hard work, through proving myself. And if Melor backstabbed you and my brothers, then I’d like to help fix the situation. So, what’s the first point of business, sir?”

“The first point?” I ask. “That’s easy. Find Melor and kill him.”