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Realization makes its way into Dimitri’s eyes. “We’ve got no choice but to wade through the shitty maze Aleks threw us headfirst into. It’s the only damn way.”
“All the more reason to speed things up here,” I growl, turning toward Erik and giving a nod that I know he’ll understand.
Erik exits; no bullshit goodbyes, just the thud of his boots echoing away. I pivot, brandishing the device at Dimitri, my jaw clenched so tight it could shatter teeth.
“Where’s Aleks holing up?” I ask.
Dimitri’s got that raw, ruthless look today, like a weapon ready to fire. His jacket hangs open, shirt half-unbuttoned, showing off a mess of tattoos. Each one is a crude testament to some fight, some shit he’s survived. He doesn’t give a damn as he tosses his boots up on the table, looking every bit the defiant bastard he is.
Pulling hard on his cigarette, he gives a grimace, a display of anger that barely conceals the storm brewing in him. His eyes lock onto mine, cold and hard, promising nothing but trouble.
“That Aleks, he’s one slick son of a bitch,” he says. “We’ve located three of his main spots, but his muscle’s thick on the ground.” He leans in, crushing out his cigarette. “Got one place he just picked up buzzing with more of his boys than usual. There’s something he’s keeping under wraps there, no doubt about it.”
His gaze drills into mine, practically a blazing forge; I sense an unspoken strategy forming in the dark depths. “I’m gonna get a closer look at this shithole. Aleks can’t sit still, the slippery fuck. We’ll catch him with his pants down.”
“Good idea.” I nod as I mull this over. I’m glad my team is proactive.
“So, what’s the deal, Luka? Gonna hide in the bunker like a damn hermit?” The change comes without warning, his posture retracting. He’s assessing me with a sharp, piercing look that shifts the ground beneath us, a question that sideswipes me.
“I’m not fucking hiding,” I spit out, the words leaving a sour taste in my mouth. Since my return from the lake house, if anything, I’ve been too fucking focused. I’ve been working non-stop.
My mind is spinning, replaying the messed-up scene at the lake house over and over. It wasn’t just a one-off; it was a damn ticking time bomb ready to blow everything apart. Sophia… She gets to me in ways I can’t even explain. Makes me feel things I shouldn’t, nice things. And it scares the hell out of me, like I’m trapped, sinking deeper and deeper every time I’m with her. It’s fucked up, that’s what it is.
I’ve gotta put some distance between us. Before it’s too late. Before I lose my fucking mind.
“Sure you’re not,” Dimitri drawls, his eyes shifting to a monitor off to the side.
Blyat.
There, in soft grays and blacks, is the feed from Yulia’s room. Sophia’s there too, of course. She’s wearing some kind of white nightdress that’s far too revealing for my liking. Her hair falls around her shoulders as she leans over to press a kiss to Yulia’s forehead after gently placing a cover over the child. My heart clenches a little as I watch her.
Fuck. She’s doing something to me.
“Tell me you’re not thinking about her,” Dimitri challenges, nodding toward the screen.
Dammit.
My lips seal tight, almost white with the force of holding back a volcano of frustration and pure desire. Every ounce of self-control is stopping me from storming into Yulia’s room, grabbing Sophia with a force that says she’s mine, and dragging her into my bed, a place she damn well should be. The images playing in my head of her beneath me, willing and wanting, are driving me to the edge of reason. They’re practically screaming at me to take what I damn well want, consequences be damned. It’s sick, this intense, gnawing need, a kind of madness that doesn’t give a shit about right or wrong.
“I guess our little nanny doesn’t count as a distraction.”
“Fuck off, D. I’m trying to work on taking down Aleks once and for all,” I grind out, doing my best to keep my eyes off the screen.
He ignores me and presses on. “So, you don’t have feelings for her?”
“I say fuck off, D!” I growl, my hands clenching into fists. But does the bastard listen? No.
“Didn’t you also ask me to check up on her grandmother, hmm?” he retorts, smirking like a Cheshire cat. “Even bought her one of those fancy-ass hospital beds.”
“Her grandmother was sick, and I didn’t want Sophia distracted from Yulia,” I respond, grinding my teeth. The less Sophia worries, the better she can focus on Yulia. It’s as simple as that.
He lets out a mocking laugh. “Sure, sure. And paying off her entire year’s rent? I suppose that was also so she could focus on Yulia? Yeah, right,” he snorts.
I shoot him a glare that could freeze hell over, but he just chuckles, clearly not buying it.
I roll my eyes. “Get out, D.” Fucking bastard.
Dimitri’s chuckles cut off like he’s been slapped, the room going dead silent. He leans in, his voice urgent and carrying a dark hint of menace. “Got more shit to spill, Luka. It’s about Nilo Williams. Bastard’s been ghosting everyone like he dropped off the face of the earth.”
