He only shrugs at me.
“And your brother? Are you going to have that same speech prepared for him?”
A small grin on his face makes me pause. “I won’t be trying to be amicable with him.”
“What?” I laugh, not dropping my guard for a second.
This is the man who shot the head of the Irish. At fucking mass. On a Sunday. He has no morals.
Aleksei is smug as fuck but calm in his confidence. “I will walk up and slit his throat for the world to see. Only when the time is right.”
He’s good, I'll grant him that. I flick my chin up. “What the fuck are you waiting for?”
He takes a step backward, and his eyes move to her while firing question after question at me. “What is holding you back, Santiago? I know that look in your eye. Who is it you want dead? What is stopping you from acting? What is the one thing you want first?”
“Her.”
The shrug of his shoulders as he turns to face me again reeks of what an egotistical prick he is. “I’ve had her. She’s fucking majestic. But her safety takes priority over me wanting her pussy wrapped around my knot again. I would have assumed it was the same for you.”
Fast as fucking lightning, I lash out at his insinuation she’s not my priority. His head snaps back as my hit lands right in his smart fucking mouth.
Equally as fast, and without making a sound, he retaliates, sweeping my feet out from under me. I flail back, crashing down in a heap, but our bickering comes to a stalemate as we mimic each other—guns drawn and aimed at each other’s heart.
Neither of us move an inch, and a heavy silence descends. I know, without question, Quinn saw everything pass between Aleksei and me. A wave of regret hits, and I sense it in Aleksei too. She doesn’t dissolve into theatrics, rushing over to tear us apart. She doesn’t even glance at us as she walks past on her way back to the cars.
Kade is less subtle. He stops and glares. “Well done. Your fighting is exactly what Quinn needed to see. The moment you two started having your little argument, her walls shot up. Whatever chance we had of finding out what is going on with her is now done.”
He takes a quick breath before turning to face me. “I told you, Santiago, she is not like most women. And you”—he jabs his finger towards Aleksei—“you fucking claimed her, so you mustbe feeling the turmoil of her emotions. Yet you fucking ignored each and every one of them.”
He starts to walk off but returns to where we are. “You both screwed up so fucking bad, I’m a little surprised I haven’t shot either of you for being such Alpha pricks. Do fucking better.”
He chases after Quinn.
Aleksei reholsters his weapon, then surprisingly offers me his hand. He’s so random, it’s unsettling and hard to keep up with, which is probably his preferred method of screwing with people.
As soon as our hands touch, he pulls me up. He doesn’t let up, and he squeezes my hand aggressively.
This time, there’s no smile on his face. His eyes are cold, which is the most authentic version of him I’ve seen. “Don’t make me kill you. And I only say that because I don’t want to have to waste my time consoling her for what a fucking idiot you were. You judge me all you need, and then you watch what I will do for her. There is no middle ground. She is mine, and she will be forever.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
QUINN
Iwasn’t throwing a tantrum, but I made sure everyone heard what I was saying and understood it too, when I said I only wanted Kade with me on the drive to dinner. My mind was already so full of noise after my conversation with Layne, the last thing I needed was the shimmering tension between Aleksei and Santiago.
Knowing I have no choice but to ask for help leaves me feeling raw inside and very vulnerable. Trusting others should be second nature, but like so many others, my circle is small because I’ve been let down time and time again.
Perhaps if Layne hadn’t started our call by asking if she could first explain her situation, I might have come up with some BS excuse to hang up. After I heard her story, I had fewer doubts about her capability, but that’s not the only thing worrying me.
The Russians have a reputation of being cold and brutal to those who go up against them, but I worry more about the reach of Victor. He knows so many people in key, influential positions.My hesitation in involving Layne doesn’t stop me from asking her to represent me.
Kade takes a breath at the same time I do, and the reminder he’s in the car with me is a sign for me to stop staring into space and return to the reality of life. We’re back in the city, following Aleksei and Santiago’s car, driving down an on-ramp and into an underground garage.
“Are you good to go, Quinny?” Kade asks as he lifts his eyes.
I’m not surprised he knew I was watching him in the rearview mirror, since we’ve always shared a special something. We didn’t say a word on the drive here; we didn’t need to.
He twists in his seat to face me properly when I don’t speak. “You’ve got this.”
