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“You made me look weak.” I pulled her back the way we had come. Steven and Ryan fell back behind us as we moved past the buskers again. “You made me look foolish.”
“I wanted to help.”
“You didn’t.” I clenched my jaw. “He was feeling us out. That wasn’t a real attempt at brokering peace.”
She stared at me, eyes wide. “But... I don’t understand.”
“Vlas is a clever shit, as much as I hate to admit that. He wanted to see how many men I’d bring and how committed to the fight I was. But now he learned two things he didn’t expect.”
“What?” she asked softly.
I released my grip on her arm but kept walking. She hurried to keep up.
“First, he learned that you’re important to me,” I growled. “That was my mistake, and I’ll own it.”
“And second?”
I glanced at her and narrowed my eyes. “He learned that I don’t have control of you, and he’s going to use that against me.”
She stared at me for a second then her face tightened. “You don’t get to control me, you asshole.”
“It’s not like that,” I snapped at her. “I told you earlier today. It’s about obeying orders. If you can’t listen to me and trust me, how the fuck am I supposed to keep you safe?”
“Hey, wait,” she snapped, grabbing my arm and pulling me. I turned to her and stepped close. We stood on the sidewalk just outside of the park, right past the wright iron gate. Fewer people were around, but an overweight man wearing a backpack and a hooded sweatshirt stared as he leaned against the fence a few yards away. “I’m not one of your soldiers. You… you pulled me into this. You forced me into it. I didn’t want any of this.”
I leaned closer and spoke in a rough, quiet voice. Steven and Ryan lingered nearby, pretending not to listen.
“And yet you’re in it,” I growled. “You chose to come here, and by coming, you agreed to obey. You didn’t listen. Instead, you gave Vlas something to use against me, and now I’ll pay that price.”
I stood up straight and stared at her. My heart hammered an angry rhythm in my chest and she looked back at me, her eyes wide, and didn’t speak for a long moment.
I turned away before she had the chance to argue and continued walking back to the car.
I heard her begin to follow a moment later.
I was angry at her, but just as angry at myself. I never should’ve brought her with me. I knew that was a mistake the moment I considered it, and yet I went ahead and did it anyway.
There was something in her eyes earlier. It was the way she dropped the towel willingly. I thought she’d obey, thought she could follow orders and do what was best for all of us, but instead she decided to speak up.
This whole thing was fucked.
I reached the car first. She came after me and looked at me without speaking, anger in her eyes. I opened the back door for her and she climbed inside, and I shut it behind her. Ryan got in on the other side and sat next to Aida, while I sat shotgun and Steven got behind the wheel.
Nobody spoke for a moment as we sat in the car.
“How’d that go?” Steven asked.
I snorted. “Great. Vlas wants war.”
Steven nodded, his eyes staring straight ahead. “I’m guessing this was just to feel you out?”
“Yes,” I grunted, staring out the window.
“And Aida?”
“Wants to use her against me.”
“Hm.” Steven grunted and shook his head. “Bad news.”
“Fuck Vlas,” I growled. “He wants a war, he’ll get a war. I’ve already killed two of his men, and I’ll gladly kill more.”
Steven said nothing as he pulled the car into traffic. I caught sight of Aida staring at me in the side mirror, but I said nothing to her as Steven drove us back to the Mt. Airy house.10AidaSteven pulled the car up out front and dropped me off. Gino got out and followed me up. Before I got inside, the window rolled down, and Dante called out my name.
I turned and looked back.
“Don’t go anywhere,” he said, barely concealing his rage. “Stay inside for now. I’ll be back tonight.”
I nodded and he gave me one more look before Steven pulled out and the car disappeared down the block.
I lingered on the front porch for a long moment until Gino opened the door. “Come on,” he said softly. “Let’s get inside.”
I let out a breath and followed him in.
For the rest of the day, I kept playing that meeting in my mind. I kept seeing the way Dante reacted to Vlas, and the way the Russian man seemed afraid of Dante, but also willing to provoke him so aggressively. I couldn’t understand any of it at the time, and it still bugged me all through the day.
