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?”

Ariana pulls back, and the corner of her mouth lifts. “No, we’re good.” She scrunches her nose then says, “I’ll even vote for you at the meeting.”

He lets out a chuckle. “You better.”

Moving to the other couch, I drop down on it, letting out a sigh. “The two of you are going to make me old.” I lie down, then look at Ariana, “Come to me.” She gets up and lies down beside me, and I wrap my arms around her.

“The meeting is at seven tonight,” Alexei says as he gets up. “I’m going to relieve Carson.”

When Alexei walks out of the living room, I bring a hand to Ariana’s chin and force her to look up at me. “Better?”

“Much.”

I stare into her eyes, and when they turn soft like they did after the shootout, the knot in my chest loosens. I move my hand up and trail my fingers over her temple and cheek.

“You understand that you and Alexei are both important to me, right? He’ll never hurt you, but let’s say the impossible happens, and Alexei does try to hurt you, I’ll protect you. Even from him. But you have to understand it works both ways. If you try to hurt him, I’ll be forced to stop you.”

“I understand.” She gives me a smile. “You’re not picking a favorite. I get that.”

I press a kiss to her lips, then the corner of my mouth lifts. “Still glad I kidnapped you?”

Ariana nods, then lays her cheek down on my shoulder. “I’ll get the hang of it soon.”

Chapter 26

ARIANA

While the others check the weapons, I take a quick shower. My stomach is tight with nerves, and by the time I wrap a towel around my body, my legs feel weak with stress.