It takes all my self-control to sit back and let this play out. Alexei is the one that makes the deals.

Alexei turns his chair to face Ariana, and he leans forward, his facial expression dead fucking serious. “Demitri is my custodian. You’re aware of that, right?”

Ariana nods, her eyes locked on Alexei.

“He’s also my business partner.”

“Okay.”

He leans closer still, and Ariana stiffens. “Every fucking decision comes through me. Do you understand, Ariana?”

“Loud and clear,” she bites out, and then she rises to her feet. She glances from me to Alexei, then asks, “How much for your protection until the problem with Yuri is taken care of?”

“Ten million,” Alexei answers.

Ariana nods and begins to walk away, but then she stops and turns back to us. “I think the bond between the two of you is amazing.” She focuses her attention on Alexei. “I’m not going to compete with you, because let's face it, there’s no reality where I’ll win.” She takes a step closer to him, and her features become hard with anger, “But don’t you ever try to intimidate or control me again. Last time I checked, I wasn’t fucking you.” Then her eyes snap to me, and I see the disappointment and hurt. “Shame on you for letting him talk to me like that.”

With the dignity of a Bratva princess, Ariana swings around and walks out of the room, and then Alexei leans back in his chair, a wide fucking smile on his face.

I tilt my head at him. “What the fuck was that?”

“That’s me creating a queen worthy of you, brother. If she can hold her own in front of me, she’ll be able to destroy whatever enemies come her way.” Alexei gets up and lets out a sigh, “Let’s face it, this is Ariana’s life now, and the sooner she embraces it, the better.”

I get up and shake my head at Alexei. “You were too hard on her.”

Alexei lets out a chuckle. “Yeah, I don’t think so. Did you see how she laid into us?” His expression grows serious again. “It’s your first instinct to protect, Demitri. Don’t clip her wings in the process.”

Chapter 25

ARIANA

I’m shaking inside as I shut the bedroom door behind me.

Holy shit, I can’t believe I just said that to Alexei.

I shake out my hands that won’t stop trembling and begin to pace up and down. I wish life would stop giving me whiplash. Just for one freaking day.

After the attack, I was certain about a relationship with Demitri, and now… now I’m sure things will never work between us. Alexei will always be Demitri’s first priority.

Demitri made that clear when he just sat there while I was practically face to face with death.

The door opens, and I swing around. Demitri comes in, and shuts it behind him, and then we instantly fall into a stare-off.

Finally, he says, “This is how things are done in our world.”