“Yeah, and I didn’t want Elena locked in a fucking room, but he wouldn’t listen to me on that front. He’s only two fucking minutes older than me but has appointed himself head of this pack, and I’m fucking over it. If he can’t have our Omega’s best interest in mind, then he shouldn’t be in charge.”
“Cillian,” Declan sighs.
Even in his sigh, I can tell that Declan knows that my brother is wrong, but he doesn’t want to choose sides. Declan tries to get along with all of us, but I know Elena’s side is the most important one right now. He looks tired, sad, and somewhat defeated.
I haven’t been able to get a clear answer from any of them about what’s happening in that fucking house, but I certainly plan to tonight.
“Just drive me to the fucking restaurant.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
I don’t. I just know that I need to make sure Elena’s safe, that our pack—our family—is fucking safe. Even if I have to go behind my brother’s back to do so.
“Do you want to live looking over our shoulders every fucking day? Having to worry about Elena’s safety constantly or that she’ll be taken away from us?”
“From the look of things, she might not mind being taken from us.”
He looks downtrodden when he says that last little tidbit. A far cry from the Beta of a few weeks ago who didn’t give a shit about having a pack Omega. When I had to go to Boston to handle business, they got close. He’s just as besotted with her as I am.
My fist clenches, and I push the seat back further to stretch out my aching leg. I should be doing a considerable amount of things to make sure I heal and don’t have any permanent damage. Certainly not going to lunch with one of the Bratva heads, but I want some resolution before I go home.
I need to give Elena proof that I’m not the piece of shit she probably thinks I am right now. But more than anything, I need to make sure my Omega is safe, even if she does hate me. Her hate would be worth it to know she’s breathing and not in the clutches of a real monster.
My brother is a lot of things, but I can at least trust that he wouldn’t actually hurt her.
“How bad is it?” I ask Declan, not knowing if I want to know the answer.
“She’s on a food strike. Finn refuses to play her game, letting her rebel and starve herself. He hasn’t given her clean clothes, and won’t let Lorc or myself see her. Ma’ says she still has some fire in her, but that she’s going a little stir crazy.”
My jaw ticks, but I keep my temper in check.
Finn took advantage of my being indisposed to manipulate the situation. As soon as I’m back at the house, things are going to change. I know her better than he does; he thinks he can be objective because he doesn’t have feelings, but truly, he is the least objective of us all. He uses his past as an explanation for his bullshit, and I’m over it.
Declan parks in the underground garage, and I wince as I open the door; Declan stands ready and waiting to hand me my crutches.
This could be the biggest mistake, getting another family involved. But with the way things are going, I don’t think it could possibly make things worse.
Lev Dezhurov is waiting at the table with his two men. He gives us a sharp nod as Declan and I take our seats.
“Cillian,” he says my name in his rough Russian accent.
“Lev, thanks for making the time to meet with me.”
“Of course, first gun shot wound?” he asks, and I nod my head. He whistles and shakes his head. “I had my first when I was ten. Consider yourself lucky.”
“I think not getting shot at all would be lucky.”
“Things are not as they used to be. This was Amante’s doing?” Lev asks.
“Yes, we had a pack agreement with Matteo Amante before he passed. Anthony is now trying to go back on the deal,” I tell him.
Lev shakes his head. “Matteo was not so bad. His son is a greedy, arrogant piece of shit.”
“I know you’re looking for commercial property. We have two that would be great for your startup. If you have our back, we’ll have yours, and we can work together.”
He rubs his chin, considering it.
“The Novikovs?”
