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“No,” I counter, instantly petulant in response to his anger.
“Take it easy,” Cassio says, rising from the couch and turning to face my brother, his hands extended in a calming gesture. But he shifts to stand protectively in front of me.
“Stay out of this, Cassio,” I warn, lightly touching his elbow as I step around him. It’s better if I handle my brother. God only knows what Ilya might do to Cassio when he’s this angry.
And he is pissed, his bear-paw-sized hands curling into fists as the tendons pop in his square jaw. “You, in your office. Now,” he growls through clenched teeth.
I obey without a word, stalking proudly down the hall to my second bedroom I turned into a study space. It’s probably better that Ilya and I hash this out privately, though I hate leaving Cassio alone to worry. Which I’m confident he’s doing after the look he gave me.
Ilya slams the door shut with unnecessary force as he follows me into the room, and I whirl to face him. The similarity of this situation to our first confrontation over two years ago now is not lost on me as I glare up at my imposing brother.
“What?” I snap, crossing my arms defensively over my chest.
“You know what,” he hisses, his dark eyes narrowing. “I told you to stay away from the Marchetti twins. Now I come up to surprise you since I rarely get to see you anymore, only to find you straddling one like some hormone-addled teenager. What are you thinking?” he demands, his voice slowly creeping to a shout as he loses control of his temper.
“I already told you. You don’t get to tell me who I do and don’t spend time with. He’s in my acting class, for fuck’s sake. I have to run lines with him!”
“I didn’t realize becoming an actress required putting your tongue down your co-stars’ throats,” Ilya growls, stepping close as he looms over me.
“Yeah, well…” Heat pools in my cheeks as I realize I don’t have a good comeback for that one. I can’t deny that we were making out when it was so blatantly obvious, and I walked myself into that corner.
“Bianka, I know you value your freedom, and I’m trying to respect that. For the most part, you have given me no reason to doubt you are mature enough to handle going to Rosehill. But the game you are playing isdangerous. There are risks involved in messing with a mafia family that you can’t possibly understand.”
“Ugh.” I roll my eyes, letting my arms drop as I turn away from Ilya, irritated that he’s singing the same old tune when I’ve been going to Rosehill for three years without causing ripples.
Clearly, I can manage without causing him trouble, so why does he have to be such a stick in the mud?
“Do not roll your eyes at me,” he commands, grabbing my arm and turning me to face him. He grips my shoulders adamantly, shaking me slightly for emphasis as he continues. “Living in our world is like being part of a chess game. Any time a piece moves into enemy territory, it risks being captured. And that makes every piece more vulnerable. When things go south between you and the Marchetti boy, you won’t just be putting your own safety at risk but that of all my men as well.”
His eyes bore into mine, half pleading, half condemning me for being so reckless. And I hate it because it leaves me feeling spoiled and selfish for following my heart. But he’s wrong. I’m not playing a game–no matter what he might think.
“I’mnotputting you and your Bratva at risk,” I insist, brushing off Ilya’s hands as I glare up at him. “I know what I’m doing. You just don’t like seeing me with Cassio because you’re worried about losing control of me.”
“It’s not about control! This is about you being mature enough to see the bigger picture. The Marchettis are known for being vindictive, and they’ll use your vulnerability against me.”
I shake my head. “Cassio’s not like that. He wouldn’t use his family ties to get back at me. So you and your men are perfectly safe. The only thing I’m risking here is my own heart, so you can stop freaking out. I’m sorry if this isn’t the ideal future you envisioned for me, but I’m not going to just sit by and wait for you to find a match for me. We’re out of the dark ages, brother. I have a right to choose who I date.”
Ilya bristles, his eyes flashing. “I never said otherwise, but youwilllisten to me on this. I have always given you everything–whatever you asked for! And perhaps I spoiled you by never saying no. But this time, I will not back down. I refuse to let you gamble with your life, and Iwilldrag you home if you don’t listen to me.”
“Excuse me?” I shriek, appalled by the turn of events.
“I do not like playing the enforcer with you,” he growls, shoving a finger in my face. “But I will if you want to press the matter. Break it off with him. Now. Or I will take you home and keep you there until you are mature enough to do as I say.”
Intense, boiling resentment roils within me as I press my lips closed. I need to rein in my anger before I say something I regret because I can see it in Ilya’s eyes. He’s not messing around. If I don’t tell him what he wants to hear right here and now, he will remove me from my apartment by force.
“I’ll handle it,” I grit through clenched teeth, seething. It’s the first time I’ve ever lied to my brother, and I hate doing it right to his face, but here I am, doing it anyway. “Now get out of my apartment.”
“I’m not leaving until he’s gone,” Ilya counters, his own temper cooling now that he’s forced my compliance.
“You arenotstaying,” I state adamantly. “If you’re going to make me do this, then I at least get to do it my way.”
Ilya hesitates, then gives a stiff nod. “I am sorry, Bianka. I know it’s not–”
“Don’t youdaretry to apologize! If you’re going to enforce stupid rules on me, then at least have the decency to play the part of the asshole. I don’t forgive you. Iwon’tforgive you, and I want you to leave.”
The indecision in my brother’s eyes gives me a hint of satisfaction, and at the same time, I hate that we’re at odds. I never fight with Ilya, not like this, and I don’t want to leave things in a bad place.
I love my brother. He’s all the family I have, really–at least who cares about my life at all–and I don’t want to lose him. I know what my life would be like without him in it. I did my first fifteen years without Ilya, and I’m terrified of losing him.
