I lost an alliance that could have turned this war.
I crossed a line with Alina. I kissed her and spilled my fucking guts.
I started today with a cold shower, a clean suit, and a scheduled meeting because my lieutenants have new information to share. I refuse to repeat the previous days’ mistakes.
“Get ready,” I tell Alina as she sits on her mattress eating breakfast, savoring her cinnamon coffee.
I wish she wasn’t so damn beautiful.
I couldn’t understand how Dominik foolishly fell for a girl he just met in such a short amount of time.
Now it’s starting to make more sense.
“Why do I need to get ready?” Alina asks between sips.
“There’s a meeting in an hour that I need to attend,” I reply as I put on my watch, my eyes avoiding hers. She knows what I mean. And I know that she won’t bother trying to refuse because she likes being involved.
Alina puts her mug down to get to her feet and walks over to the sink to brush her teeth, not saying anything else. Not about last night. Not about what I said. Not about our kiss.
Forgetting it would be convenient.
I’d attend the meeting by myself and leave her in here to put some distance between us, but keeping her close has become a necessity. One I hate. But she grounds me and keeps me level. It’s better than wondering about what the hell she’s doing or thinking while we’re apart. Or watching on video when she’s too far out of my reach.
It’s sad. Pathetic.
My father would have enjoyed beating this weakness out of me.
Alina turns on the water for her shower before pausing and looking at me, her fingers fidgeting with the dark fabric of her dress.
“You’ll be getting a new outfit,” I tell her as I walk to the bedroom door, resisting the urge to watch her undress because I know how sexy she looks underneath her clothes. “Leave the old one next to the cage door to be collected.”
I don’t let Alina ask me any questions before I step out of the room. I pass Ulyana in the hallway, nodding to her as she carries a wardrobe bag and a toiletry bag.
Ulyana nods back and continues on to the bedroom to get Alina ready for the meeting.
My appetite is nonexistent this morning, so I go straight to my office instead of the dining room. My lieutenants aren’ton the grounds today, so our meeting will be conducted over the phone instead so that they can report from where they’re stationed.
Once I get situated at my desk, I look over some messages left for me overnight. Status updates. Reports. All the shit Dominik used to do. I’m so fucking tired of juggling it all.
I read until my vision starts to blur, pressure building between my temples. I can only hope that Pyotr and Matvei deliver good news or at least helpful news that points us in the right direction of what the hell to do next. Admittedly, I’m running out of ideas.
Valentin and Eduard enter the room with Alina between them, immediately drawing my attention away from business.
She tucks her hair behind her ear as she stands between them in a thin-strapped, black mini dress with and tights underneath, wearing ankle boots instead of flats today.
While I’d like to see Alina in that little dress without the shirt and tights underneath, I don’t need her shivering throughout the night. And I certainly don’t want my men ogling at her while she sits in on our meeting.
“Take a seat,” I tell her as I pat the top of my desk.
Alina tenses at my command. “There’s no chair?”
“I want you right here,” I say as I pat the left side of my desk again.
Irritation sparks in her eyes, but she doesn’t argue and perches on the edge of my desk instead. She crosses her legs and rests her hands in her lap, looking as stiff as a statue.
I tear my eyes away from the beauty on my desk and pull my phone closer to start a group call between Matvei, Pyotr, and me.
The phone rings only once before both of them answer, their voices projecting loudly through the speaker.
