There are a few scrolls in front of her. She smooths one out, revealing a blueprint and sketches of the final reconstruction plans that we’ve discussed for the estate over the past month.
“So, we all agree on a brand-new gate and surrounding fence, right?” Alina asks as she gestures to the sketch of it around the property.
“I want it made out of something that can’t be easily blown up or driven through,” I say as I lean back in my seat.
We learned a lot from the fight at the estate. There were weak spots that we didn’t even realize until our enemies exploited them. Now, we know better, and this place is going to be impenetrable.
“Noted,” Alina replies. “And we also agree that there needs to be another way to get from the first floor to the second aside from the staircase in the foyer?”
“Definitely,” Dominik says. “I don’t care if it’s a secret passageway through the wall or another flight of stairs. We need alternate routes so that we don’t get pinned down so easily.”
“We should put a sentry gun mount on the roof,” I suggest.
Alina narrows her eyes at me. “I still want the house to look like a house. Not a military fortress.”
Dominik can’t stifle his laugh. “If Gavriil has his way with the design, we’ll look like an army base.”
“I’m trying to prevent repeating past mistakes,” I say pointedly.
“We can balance aesthetics with efficiency,” Alina replies. “Why don’t you add an armory to the bunker? Weapons can be transported as needed through the tunnels.”
I tap my fingers against the table as I consider her proposal. Admittedly, it’s a pretty good one. She’s better at navigating our world than she believes.
She’s a decent strategist herself.
“Fine.”
Alina brightens, making Dominik chuckle.
“You can never tell her no,” he teases me.
“As if you don’t crumble all the same,” I reply, able to think of plenty of times when he gave in to her.
I’ve done the same.
“Both of you have told me no plenty of times,” Alina replies, waving her hand dismissively. “You’ve already said no to a pool.”
“We can’t have our men being drowned in our own pool during the middle of a fight,” I tell her.
“If you train them well enough, they’ll be drowning our enemies in the pool instead,” Alina says.
That sass drives me crazy in the best way. It makes me want to throw her over my shoulder and take her to my bedroom. It should be my night tonight anyway.
Ever since moving back into the estate once it was livable again, Alina has alternated nights with each of us in our own bedrooms. Sometimes, she goes off with Dominik to the city to stay in his penthouse. Other times, she stays with me, and I take her out for date nights as promised.
I miss her on the nights that aren’t mine, but it’s a fair arrangement. Dominik and I both have plenty of time with her, and it’s not like we never spend time together as a trio.
A few nights a week, the three of us sleep together in one bed instead of apart, and we share most meals, go out to the city, and relax together as well.
Our relationship may be unconventional but it’s unshakable.
“We’ll discuss this again at a later time,” I tell her, deciding to argue about this another day. I’m sure I’ll lose, but we need to focus on the house and the defenses before the amenities.
“Fine,” Alina replies before rolling the blueprint up. She grabs another scroll and unrolls it, displaying detailed floor plans for the house. “There’s something else I want to discuss.”
She points to the room between Dominik’s bedroom and my bedroom. Currently, it’s empty because it sustained some fire damage and had to be gutted. “I finally have an idea for this one.”
I quietly glance over at Dominik, and I can tell that he’s thinking the same thing. She probably wants her own bedroom.
