Page 53 of Savage Little Secret

“If you don’t want to believe the truth, that’s on you,” Victor replies in a calm voice. “We do need to talk about your behavior since the Irish spy infiltrated your life.”

I grind my teeth together when he speaks to me like I’m a child. I heard that tone enough growing up. “The Ivanovs are still standing strong in the face of our enemies.”

Victor lets out a dry laugh. “Men have died. Property has been destroyed. Deals have been canceled. Worst of all, alliances have been lost!”

Because that’s what matters most. Power and who holds it in their hands.

“New alliances can be formed,” I assure him.

“No! The Ivanov-Suyunov alliance needs to happen,” Victor tells me, his words punching through his teeth. “You need to forget that stupid Irish girl and marry Annika. You will do this to get back into our good graces.”

His words infuriate me so much that my ears ring.

“You’re overvaluing the Suyunovs,” I reply. “They’re only one family. There are countless more that we can ally ourselves with!”

“The Bratva are focused on a Vegas expansion right now. We need strong alliances in place to secure our presence. We’re not the only organization in town,” Victor bitterly reminds me.

Ah, yes. We’ve got the Irish and the Italians and the Albanians and whoever the fuck else wants to set up shop in this city.

“So, yes. The Suyunovs are important. You need Artur’s casinos and nightclubs. They’re essential for secondary business dealings,” Victor continues.

Drug deals. Weapons deals. And whatever else that’s profitable and illegal that we can get our hands on.

“The Suyunovs aren’t the only way,” I say again as my fingers slowly curl and uncurl, tension digging into my muscles. I can’t relax, no matter what.

“They are our way. We have chosen them, and we have chosen you to ally with them,” Victor reminds me. “There will be consequences if you do not obey.”

Obey.

A shudder of anger makes me tic, and I have to suck in a deep breath to keep my voice from shaking.

“Enlighten me,” I say, my voice bordering on a hiss.

A moment of silence follows my words, full of fury on both ends.

“Keep this up, and you will be removed from Pakhan consideration and as the head of your own family sooner rather than later,” Victor warns me.

Pressure winds around my lungs and pulls tight, making my next inhale faint. That title holds so much weight in our world, but the more that I think about it, the less I give a shit.

I used to want the power and respect that came with it, but what good does slapping a fancy title on me do if I can’t even save the ones I love?

“None of that shit matters to me anymore,” I sneer at him.

Victor lets out a scoff. “You’ve lost your mind, Dmitri. You were born for this. Raised to lead.”

And where did that get me? Fucking nowhere.

“For once, I’m doing what I want. I’m finding Cara,” I tell him.

Victor is silent for a few seconds before eventually sighing. “You’re making a grave mistake. You might not see it now, but your actions will be the downfall of your entire family.”

His words carry the weight and warning of a bad omen, but that doesn’t scare me as much as losing Cara forever. I didn’t even get a chance to apologize to her. Much less tell her how I feel about her.

“You and the Council should stay out of my way if you know what’s good for you. You’re all dead if I find out you hurt a hair on her head,” I warn him before ending the call, the sounds of the city rising from the background.

My eyes slowly sweep over the tiny dots moving on the sidewalk below. They’re all just people living their lives, not knowing of the monsters lurking in the shadows. Not knowing of the corruption and chaos happening around them, right in front of their faces.

It must be nice to be so unaware of how dark the world truly is.