“We’re taking her back today, you hear?” Federico said.
“You’re doing no such thing,” I said, each word a blade sharp enough to slice. “You knew the terms before we met. Beatrice and I walk out safe…and together.”
The table fell silent, the helplessness etched amongst the Lebedev men’s faces.
Caspian clenched his jaw. “A marriage obtained through coercion has no honor behind it.”
“That’s rich coming from the man who ordered the hit on my convoy just three months ago,” I scoffed.
“Your men were moving in on our territory,” Federico shot back. “You knew the risks.”
“You hadn’t staked your claim on it publicly.” I shook my head.
Beatrice, bless her heart, looked pale and terrified, as if she thought this might blow up in our faces soon.
“You want war, Arko? Is that what you want?” Caspian leaned forward. “Because let me tell you, after all the shit you’ve pulled, we’re getting our pieces in place.”
“Try all you want,” I shrugged. “But don’t for one moment think I won’t fight back.”
Beatrice placed her hand over mine and looked at her brothers. “Please, can we not do this today? I just wanted to see you all.”
“We’re just stating facts,” Achille said, his eyes narrowing on where she held my hand. “Pavlov knows what he’s done.”
“What have I done?” I couldn’t help but stand up for myself at the time. “Your family has been pushing into my territory for years. Taking my businesses, buying off my allies. You even tried to turn the new DA against me.”
“What have you done? You turned this personal when you took Bea. And now, if personal’s how you’re going to play it, then maybe you should think of your sisters. What were their names again? Alena and Anja?”
I felt Bea squeeze my hand just as the blood rushed to my head. “Are you threatening my sisters?” I asked, quiet as the dead of night.
“You’ll be surprised to know, one of our men learned where they live. Who their friends are. Their comings and goings. Wouldn’t want anything bad happening to them now, would you?” Dante added, with a smile so cruel and cold that I knew that if I had had my gun, I would have reached for it already.
“Oh, struck a nerve, did we?” Dante smirked at the look on my face. “Not nice when someone threatens your family, is it?”
Before I could threaten them back with my fists if needed, shatter and burn through whatever malicious ideas they had in mind for my sisters, I was stunned to see Beatrice stand with fury etched on her face.
“Enough!” she shouted, her voice cracking like a whip. “How dare you threaten them?”
Her brothers stared at her in shock, and everyone, including me, went silent.
“Alena and Anja are my friends. They’ve been nothing but kind to me.” She met each of her brothers’ gazes. “If any of you go near them, I’ll never forgive you.”
I slowly leaned back against the couch, stunned by her outburst.
“But Beatrice, he kidnapped you!” Caspian said, the look of shock evident on his face.
“Yes, he did when he shouldn’t have. But enough innocent people have suffered because of this stupid feud between you all. Whatever it is between you and Arko, leave his sisters out of it. I mean it.”
Luca looked genuinely taken aback. “You’re defending them after what he did to you?”
“Yes,” she said firmly. “Because, unlike some people at this table, I don’t punish innocents for things they didn’t do.”
For some reason, that felt like a jab right at me. But despite that, despite the guilt swimming through me, I felt proud of her in that moment.
We stayed there a while longer, and the minutes couldn’t have crawled any slower. None of her brothers said another word to me, and when Beatrice bid her goodbyes, I saw the betrayal on their faces and the disappointment that she didn’t fight to stay longer. To leave with them.
I ushered her out of the private den, back down the hall, and up the stairs, breathing at ease only once she was safely tucked into our car.
The driver exited onto the highway, and that’s when I found the calm to sort through my thoughts. “Thank you for what you did in there by standing up for my sisters. I couldn’t believe them,” I said, still angry. “Threatening Alena and Anja like that to my face.”
