Elisei glances at Alina. “He’s vowing to retaliate against you for killing his men during the attempted ambush.”
“I have extra troops, the support of Santo?—”
“There’s more.” Again, he glances at Alina, who goes still. “My contact says Antonio’s claiming he has support from the Yegorov Bratva.”
“What?” Alina shakes her head. “No. I won’t allow it.”
The panic in her voice throbs in the air.
But she’s a Yegorov.
She’s strong.
“I won’t allow it,” she says again and turns to me. “You, me, and Demyan are going to sit down and sort this out. Now.”
Her words shake me out of my shock.
Because for all of the shit happening between me and Demyan, this revelation is beyond anything I ever imagined.
I know my friendship with Demyan is in a very bad place, maybe one that’s beyond repair, but this? To actively try and bring me down?
We can’t come back from that. Ever.
To betray me in a way that would put his own sister in danger is reprehensible.
“Ilya?” Alina says. “We go now.”
I nod. “Let’s go.”
We’ll sort this out, once and for all. Or try to. I owe it to Alina to try. Not to Demyan, but to Alina. I can see the effect this idiotic feud is having on her, and since she’s my priority, I’ll do anything I can to fix it.
Anything at all.
Demyan stands in silence,his arms folded.
He just stares at me, those ice-blue eyes unreadable. “I’m not working with Antonio. I can fight my own battles, but I’m also not about to stop your enemies from coming at you.”
My blood pounds. This…I don’t expect. Not toward Alina.
“His enemies?” she asks, strangled. “Ilya?—”
“Be quiet, Alina,” Demyan says, and I put a reassuring hand on her arm.
“It’s okay. Don’t upset yourself,” I say to her.
That earns derision from Demyan, but I ignore it. He can think what he wants, but my only intention is to keep Alina calm.
He looks at her with a sneer. “I’m not helping stop it. I’m not getting involved. Whether you see it or not, Angel, Ilya is a liability. And I’m not about to ruin my life’s work in digging him out of whatever hole he’s managed to get himself into.”
Alina begins to tremble. “That isn’t fair.”
“Isn’t it? Ask him if he’s been anything but a fool in this.” Demyan’s gaze cuts to me.
I meet his stare. “I’ll admit I’ve made mistakes, but I’m trying my best.”
I could tell him I’ve had all kinds of obstacles and things stacked against me from the start.
Demyan would tell me they were all excuses, and he’d be right. If I’d been smarter, savvier, I’d have seen it all coming.
