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“And how the hell do you know that?” I demand, my anger surfacing again, driving my body forward. My knife flicks open, and I’m ready to bury it in Dimitri’s belly when Gabriella steps between us, holding her arms out like a barrier to protect the bastard from my demon-fueled anger.
“Move.”
“No,” Gabriella snaps, not frightened by the fire in my eyes or the knife in my hand.
“Why are you protecting him? Because you’re fucking friends?” I hiss.
“No, you jackass,” Gabriella spits out the words.
I raise my eyes to Dimitri. He has his hand wrapped around Gabriella’s wrist, almost like he’s ready to pull her away in a heartbeat. “Are the Russians behind this?”
“Unclear,” Dimitri answers. “I was with Sergei earlier this evening, and he didn’t mention anything about his brother or O’Leary. If he knows something, he didn’t share it with me.”
His tone slightly changes at the end, and I latch on like a hound would a scent. Someone’s upset at the idea of being left out. “Trouble in paradise there, Volkov?”
Ice-blue eyes narrow at the insinuation. I wait for him to unleash his anger, to strike me, to do anything, but he remains fucking silent. It’s incredibly frustrating. One day, I’ll break through his icy shell and figure this asshole out.
“So how do you know where they went?” I ask.
“Because Rose’s dad bragged about it before they left,” Gabriella answers me.
“That bastard is not her dad,” I growl. “A dad doesn’t sell his daughter into the human sex trade when she’s no longer worth a dime to him.”
Gabriella lowers her eyes. She knows.
“She told you?”
My sister nods. “She told us everything tonight. Michael, he was going to kill us if she didn’t go with him. She doesn’t want to marry Igor. You know that, right?”
The hidden innuendo in my sister’s words is not lost on me. Rose really did tell them everything. Including my behavior on the beach and my cruel, naive accusations. Shame washes over me, dousing the flames into submission. “I know.”
Dimitri meets my eyes behind Gabriella’s shoulder. “Midnight is in less than two hours.”
“Michael, we need to move,” Dad says, placing his hand on my shoulder and squeezing gently. “Think of Rose and Liam.”
He doesn’t have to tell me that. They’ve been the only ones on my mind since barreling back into my life. I snap my knife closed and step back, taking a deep breath to refocus my mind and concentrate on what’s next. “Gabriella, stay here for Enzo. I’ll send men to guard the hospital.” I shift to look around my sister and narrow my eyes at Dimitri. “You should probably stay too. You don’t want to be at that church tonight. I may mistake you for the enemy.”
“I assure you, I am anything but that.”
“That remains to be seen.”
We turn to leave the hospital when Dad stops and glances behind his shoulder at Gabriella and Dimitri. “Volkov?” The Russian raises his head expectantly. “Don’t think we won’t be having a conversation about how exactly you are friends with my daughter.”
32
Rose
“Get out of the car.”
Staring daggers at the guard, I don’t move from my seat. “Not until I know if Enzo and Gabriella are okay.”
“Who?” The man smirks like he's just told a joke.
My face twists into a scowl. “That’s not funny.”
He shrugs just as my father’s booming voice fills the night air. “What is taking so long?”
“She won’t get out of the car, sir,” the guard calls back over his shoulder.
