“I don’t quit,” I growled. No one would ever get away with that accusation, even jokingly. This family was brought to greatness because of my unrelenting and tireless commitment to it.
“You seemed to quit on Claire rather quickly.”
I narrowed my eyes, hating the third degree. From him, it wasn’t an attack. Sergei had always been the coldest of them, brutal and hardworking, not often dallying with any pleasures or vices of life.
“I didn’t quit on her.”
“Does that mean she mattered more than just being a doctor to assist here?”
I heaved out a long breath. “She could’ve mattered as more if she was willing to stay and accept our world. She was not. End of story.”
“I highly doubt that’s the end of the story. Not with the way you’ve been trying to stay preoccupied and busy.”
“Iambusy,” I argued.
“But I can tell it’s different now. You didn’t want her to go, did you?”
I rubbed my face and groaned, okay with being vulnerable in front of him. “No, I didn’t want her to fucking go. But when she asked me if I could change for her and walk away from violence, what the fuck was I supposed to do?” I held my hands out in awhat givesmanner.
He shook his head. “You don’t think she would’ve come around eventually and adjust with a little more time?” He rubbed hishand over his hair and sighed. “I mean, for an insider looking in, it’s got to be a big adjustment.”
I shrugged. I would’ve given her time. I refused to consider that I pushed for her submission too quickly and scared her off. She enjoyed it. I knew she had.
“Her father was a judge. Her mother was a highly awarded professor. It’s not like she was just an ordinary nobody in the middle class somewhere. She was probably raised with high standards and expectations, obedient and law-abiding.”
“I know.” I’d had them look into her when I was first curious about her. “I can’t go back in time and change any of that. She is who she is. Just as I am the boss of the Orlov name.”
He let out a deep breath. “But?—”
“Nobut, Sergei. She walked away, and I won’t bend over backward trying to force her to change her mind about me, about this family.”
“Isn’t she worth it? To convince her to change and stay if that’s what makes you happy?”
How greedy of him to say.
“She is worth it, but I don’t think I’d be happy with her so upset and ranting to leave.” I shook my head, hating the lesson that loving her meant letting her go.
He frowned. “I’m guessing you’ll change your mind. You have been obsessed about keeping her close and even our enemies have learned that she matters to you. They’ll be after her like bloodhounds now, to get to you.”
I ground my teeth together, hating that she’d asked me to back off and I was willing to give her what she wanted. “I won’t?—”
“Where’s Roman?”
Sergei and I both jerked our heads toward the door. Andre was there, breathing hard like he’d just run quickly to reach us.
“What?” I furrowed my brow, confused why he’d think we would know and why it would matter. I wasn’t born yesterday, though, and I knew from the urgency in his tone that something was wrong.
“Anya asked to go to the salon,” he said, scowling. “I thought it would be a way to appease her, to give her something to smile about after all she went through and—” He shook his head. “I told her she could go, with guards. Roman offered to take her and get to know her more. But I can’t reach him. He’s not online and his phone isn’t being tracked.”
Fuck!
I shot to my feet, alarmed. “He was with Anya?”
He nodded. “I saw him leave with her and a few guards. But when I got word from one of the spies near the docks, I heard that the Giovannis are plotting to have her taken. They’re pissed that the Popovs tried before them and beat them to it. But they’re after her, wanting to get her and kill her to weaken you and distract you.” He scowled again. “They’re that desperate to force your hand and get you to quit the competition for the drug trade.”
Sergei joined me at the door, ready to race into action too. “He heard all that, just today? Anya was only retrieved yesterday!”
Andre indicated for us to hurry off this floor with him. “He’d been listening in and tracking them for a while. It sounds like they’d been hinting at taking her since she’s gotten here.”
