He leads me to sit on the edge of the bed, then kneels in front of me so we're at eye level. The position is oddly vulnerable for a man like him, and it makes my breath catch.
"Your father's actions have put us both in an impossible position," he says. "The other families are watching, waiting to see what happens next. Some of them believe his story that I kidnapped you. Others are waiting to see if he was involved in the church attack. The situation is volatile."
I nod slowly, not sure where he's going with this.
"We need to act fast. Before Viktor can make another move, before the other families can interfere, before this situation spirals any further out of control." He takes both my hands in his, his grip warm and solid. "We need to get married. Tonight."
18
DIMITRI
Istand at the window of my study, watching the darkness over the city. My city. The one I've bled for, killed for, built an empire in. Behind me, I hear Alina moving around the bedroom, getting ready. My bride.
Tonight changes everything.
The door opens, and I turn to find her standing in the doorway. She's wearing the simple black dress from earlier, her damp hair falling in waves around her shoulders. Even exhausted and traumatized, she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
"I need to talk to you," she says, her voice steady despite the shadows under her eyes.
I gesture to the chair across from my desk, but she remains standing. Good. She's not backing down, not letting me intimidate her with power plays and positioning. I've always respected strength, and Alina has it in spades.
"I'll marry you," she says, and my chest tightens with relief I don't want to examine too closely. "But I have a condition."
Of course she does. I lean against the desk, crossing my arms. "Name it."
"Katya." Her voice quavers slightly on her sister's name. "I want her here. Away from my father, away from that house. I want her protected."
Family loyalty is something I understand, even if Viktor Popov clearly doesn't.
"Done," I say without hesitation. "I'll send men to collect her within the hour."
Alina's eyes widen slightly, as if she expected me to argue or negotiate. "Just like that?"
"Just like that." I move closer, studying her face. "Your sister is sixteen, innocent in all of this. She deserves protection. And if having her here makes you feel safer, makes this transition easier, then it's a small price to pay."
She swallows hard, and I see tears gathering in her green eyes. "Thank you."
I reach out and brush a strand of damp hair from her face, letting my fingers linger on her cheek. "What about your mother? Do you want her brought here as well?"
The change in Alina's expression is immediate and telling. Her jaw tightens, her eyes go cold. "No."
"You're certain?"
"My mother made her choice a long time ago." Alina's voice is bitter. "She chose Viktor over us, over her own daughters. Every time. All those tears, all that dramatic weeping, it's justperformance. She cares about him, about her position, about her comfortable life. She doesn't care about Katya or me."
I hear the pain underneath the anger, the wound that never quite healed. I know something about disappointing parents, about family that fails you when you need them most. My own father was a drunk who beat my mother until I was big enough to stop him. Family isn't always blood. Sometimes, it's the people you choose.
"Then it's just Katya," I confirm. "I'll have Alexei handle it personally. He'll bring her here safely."
Alina nods, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "When do we do this? The wedding?"
I check my watch. It's nearly ten p.m. "As soon as the priest arrives. I've already made the call."
"That fast?"
"The longer we wait, the more time your father has to make another move."
She looks up at me, and I see the question in her eyes. The one she's too smart to ask out loud. What happens after? What kind of marriage will this be?
