Page 85 of Dangerous Promises

"I'll leave that with you," Angie says, standing and taking her purse with her. "Don't worry, Miss DeMarco, I can find my way out."

I don't even really hear her leave. But I'm sure Dad would be thrilled at yet another outside party having such free rein of our property.

I take the box with me when I stand up and leave. But I know it's not something I can open right now. Opening up is being vulnerable, opening up is letting go. I'm not ready to do any of that right now.

I slide the box under my bed just as shouting sounds in the downstairs hall. I guess Freddie didn't come home alone after all.

Chapter

Thirty-Five

Sage

The shouting gets louder the closer I get to the downstairs hall. I peek my head over the bannisters to see the commotion. Dad and Uncle Anton are shouting back and forth, about which I can only assume is the presence of more Rushkoffs in our space again. Freddie and Isla stand by the door with what looks like one of Alexei's men with them. Isla is fussing over something on Alexei's side as he brushes her away with an annoyed and tense look.

I descend the stairs slowly, hand on the bannister, ignoring the shouting between Dad and Anton because it's just commonplace now, instead heading straight for Freddie.

"What happened?" I ask.

Freddie looks over his shoulder at Dad and Anton. "With them?" he starts. "The typical. Dim's pissed that we've run off with help from the Rushkoffs."

I don't really hear the rest of what he has to say though because Alexei's shirt is torn and he's dripping blood onto the floor.

"What's wrong with you?" I ask.

"Small gunshot wound," Isla replies, shrugging as she answers for him. "He got a tiny bit shot."

I raise my eyebrows at that, because I wasn't aware there was a way to get shot only a little bit, but okay.

"You need to let me clean it though, Alexei," Isla says, sighing in annoyance as she tries to reach at him again and he all but swats her away. His scowl is deep, ignoring his wound and Isla's fussing as he watches Dad and Anton argue.

I wonder if he won't let her patch it up because he's worried about showing weakness in front of Dad. Rather, he probably doesn't care that he's been shot and is instead offended at the tone of their conversation.

"There's patch up supplies in the kitchen," Freddie says, directing Isla and Alexei away. At the very least they listen, and make their way towards the kitchen. Walking right past Dad and Anton as they do. Alexei's lip curls as he passes my dad.

I cringe, rubbing at my forehead.

We're losing the benefit of the doubt from both of them. Nobody has to like each other but we do need to work together. Giving daggers in the hall isn't going to help though. Isla thinks so too because she elbows Alexei to get him to cut it out.

Dad stops his conversation, his eyes narrowing on Alexei and Isla as they help themselves through our house all alone. For now, the shouting stops while Dad rubs his forehead between his fingers.

"Are you joking me?" Dad says, gesturing in the direction that Isla and Alexei left.

"Dimitri it's-"

"My patience is wearing thin, Anton," Dad says, and I can see it's not good for him to be this worked up in his condition. He's still recovering after all.

"We got what we needed, the alliance is-" Freddie has a try now.

"I don't want to hear one more-!"

"Oh for God's sake, Dad!" I say, the annoyance pouring out of me. "This is getting so old! We know exactly where you stand can you just drop it for five seconds."

The room is stunned into silence, but it takes me a moment to register what I've just done. Freddie and Anton both look at me with cringed glances and Dad is staring at me with pure shock and what looks mostly like rage.

"Shit," I whisper, realizing what I've just done. I've never spoken back or raised my voice to Dad before. I've been a brat, sure, but I've never openly defied him like this.

Dad takes a step forward, presumably to murder me, when he suddenly stops and fixates on what I'm wearing around my neck.