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“It’s my house,” he reminds me. “And she was my guest.”
“She was here to support me,” I fire back. “She’s been a very good friend when I’ve needed her.”
He looks put out. As if being in this family is all I could ever need or possibly want.
“She’s trouble,” he mutters.
The trouble with Aleksi is that he’s right about most things. Ana may be hard to tame, but she’s got a good heart and would do anything for me.
I value her friendship more than anything in this world. Even when she trash talks and tries to get more information out of me than I’m willing to give, like with Marco.
We spent a long time after dinner talking and trying to figure out how I would sneak out of here, tucked into her purse.
Everything and everyone are so uptight around here, it’s almost impossible to have five seconds to think without someone trying to invade your very thoughts.
I’m not ungrateful. I know my uncle is doing this because he cares for me.
He and I have had a tumultuous relationship over the years, but I’ve always loved him.
Even when he can be an ass, like now.
“I need to go back to my apartment.”
“What for?”
“My things.”
“You have things here, Katiya. Whatever you don’t have, I can buy for you.”
I shake my head. “So, I can never go home?”
“Yes, of course, you can when all of this blows over.”
“There is no need to start a war with the Medicis when they did nothing wrong.”
He eyes me slowly, bringing his vodka glass to his mouth. “You seem to be quite taken with them.” He knocks it back. “Mark my words, they will be back to collect.”
If I know anything about Marco, which admittedly I don’t, then I know this is so far from the truth, that we could be in outer space.
“Why are you suspicious of them?” I counter. “Aren’t you glad I got out of that mess? They could have just left me there, you know.”
“Of course, I’m glad!” he snaps at me. “I realize what they did during this problematic situation was enormous, and I owe them a substantial debt.”
“Is that what this is about, Uncle Aleksi, what you owe them in return?”
“I’m not worried about the Medicis, Katiya. However, I know how these things work. They may not have known who you were at the time, and even though I am grateful for what they did, the question still remains what will they want in return? This is how it is, you know that.”
“And will you give it to them?”
He looks at me long and hard. “That’s nothing you need to worry about. All that matters is you, do you understand me? There is nothing that I wouldn’t do to protect you.”
My heart warms at his words. But I can’t help thinking it should be my father saying these things.
I nod, my eyes flicking to the floor. I do believe him. I simply don’t want a conflict with the most prominent rival family in Boston, and I definitely don’t want any further conflict with Marco.
I don’t even want to think about what my uncle would do if he knew Marco was the one who deflowered me while under his protection. That he even batted an eyelid in my direction, much less took my virginity and fucked me in his bed in his goddamn castle.
It would not go down well. Not now. Not ever.
