Page 191 of Forbidden Forget-Me-Not

The smell of smoke had followed us out of the restaurant like a ghost. It clung to her hair and skin. The beautiful blue dress she wore was now streaked in dirt, wine, and blood.

She had stopped shaking, but Kaylani’s eyes were haunted. Her pulse still raced beneath my thumb. She had seen a side of me that I never wanted her to witness. Violence wasn’t in my nature, but I would kill without hesitation if the situation demanded it.

The jet idled under the hangar lights, engines rumbling, wings blinking in slow intervals as the pilot completed his checks. The smell of jet fuel hung in the air, strong enough to cut through everything else.

Nathaniel marched toward Dimitri, who stood at the base of the stairs, posture rigid, hands laced behind his back.

Sven remained at his side, arm bandaged, face pale but controlled. He glanced at Kaylani and gave a subtle nod that spoke volumes.

I felt Kaylani tense beside me as her brother and father squared off.

“Let them.” I kept my voice low. “You will get a chance to say what you need to, but right now let your brother handle it.”

Kaylani narrowed her eyes at me.

“This is about de-escalation.”

Her eyes flashed. “I hate that they are making decisions about my life.”

“I know. But if you corner your father, he will push back harder. Let Nathaniel work, he has an ace up his sleeve.”

This was an heir, a son, speaking to the head of the family.

Nathaniel stopped a few feet from his father. Close enough to be heard but not close enough to turn this into a spectacle.

“We need to talk.”

Dimitri didn’t glance at the men still moving around us or raise his voice.

“Is this really the time and place for this conversation?”

Nathaniel held his gaze.

“You’re done with all of this. I thought you would have learned your lesson about trying to control our lives when I walked away from you and the company, but then again, you never really cared about me. You went on to make the same mistake with Titus, and now he stands at my side. And still, you insisted on trying again with Kaylani, and look where that ended. If we hadn’t been on our way, both of you would be dead.”

Dimitri flinched, but his face remained as cool as stone.

“Careful, son.”

“No. You be careful.”

Silence stretched between them. There was no shouting. No dramatic gestures. Just two men who understood power and what could be decided in quiet moments.

“You tried to secure an alliance. I understand that, whether I agree with it or not. So, I will make you a deal instead.”

Dimitri’s expression flickered with confusion.

“I will give you a list of five of my companies. You can choose one. I will sign it over to Mikhailov Enterprises, and I won’t block any new deals. But…you don’t get to use my sister as a bargaining chip again.”

Dimitri’s eye twitched like he was in pain.

“This family survives because I make difficult decisions.”

“This family survives because we adapt to the chaos you bring into our lives.” Nathaniel took a step closer. “You saw what happened tonight. The DeLucas attacked and tried to kill Kaylani, and Julian ran. His men scattered. His mother and brother died. You were going to tie her to a man who left her vulnerable to protect himself.”

Dimitri didn’t bother to interrupt. He knew Nathaniel was right.

“We are stronger together. So, I am offering you an olive branch. It is a one-time only deal.”