Robbie
That bastard shot my woman. He’s lucky she killed him, or he’d regret every breath he’s ever taken in the over forty years he’s been alive.
Asshole.
Callum must have attacked Aiden when he discovered he was the traitor. Callum probably thought my friend was dead and went to my apartment to take me out. There, he found Dina, and she took care of everything, as she would.
Fuck, if he had escaped, then everyone would know about Dina and I. That would seriously sow dissension among the soldier ranks. Our families cannot know we were having sex last night instead of working.
They can’t know anything about our relationship.
I watch her walk into the ER as I finish my cigarette, trying to come up with a cover story of how Callum landed up dead in my apartment with Dina being shot. This isn’t going to be easy to get past Ronan. It might be easier with Daniel, maybe. But my oldest brother isn’t going to buy it. He already has his suspicions about us.
After I’m sure Dina is admitted, I walk back to the waiting room and see Ronan and Daniel talking in one corner. I walk over, and they both look at me as I say quietly, “It was Callum.”
“Callum?” Daniel says in disbelief. “The boy hasn’t got the brains…”
“Um, Dina came to see me this morning about work. Obviously, I was here, but she ran into Callum at my place, and he tried to kill her.” I look them both in the eyes, hoping it assures them I’m telling the truth.
Ronan frowns instantly and grabs my arm. “Robbie, are you and
Dina having an all-out affair?”
“She’s alright,” I say offhandedly. I try to shrug Ronan off. “I mean,
I like her a little.”
Daniel’s hand connects with the back of my head hard as he hisses at me, “This isn’t the time to play the fool, Robbie. Don’t be a smartass with Ronan. This is serious. The men will not take you seriously or obey you if they think you’re sleeping with someone they consider an enemy.”
I rub the back of my head and glare at Daniel. “It’s no one’s bloody business where I dip my dipstick, and I’m not advertising it publicly, am I?” “Normally, I’d agree it isn’t anyone’s business, but Robbie, what’s more important to you? Your family or your latest infatuation?” Ronan looks at me darkly, and I don’t move my gaze away from his.
“I can juggle both my family and my conquests. This doesn’t have to be spoken about outside the three of us.” I hold my ground, and Ronan shakes his head.
“Be prepared for when it gets out because I won’t be able to protect you from that fallout.” He turns and walks away from us as he sees Aiden’s doctor come out of the room, and I frown.
“Don’t be stupid, Robbie. You know there are rules we must play by,” Daniel says quietly.
“I’m going to go see Aiden. Make sure he knows it was Callum.” I brush Daniel off and leave, letting Ronan distract the doctor so I can get into the wards. No one really stops me as I walk around until I see Aiden’s name on a board with his room number. I go to the room and walk in. There are six beds, but he’s the only one in the room. He looks at me sleepily. “Robert!” “You are high,” I chuckle.
“I was jump…”
“I know.” My voice is quiet and laced with disappointment. “Callum was the traitor. He went looking for me at my apartment.”
Aiden frowns and closes his eyes. “Dirty little bastard. He hasn’t been himself for a while.” He yawns, and I can see the exhaustion written on his face.
“You get some rest. Ronan and Daniel will be up now to see you. I need to sort out Callum’s dead body in my apartment.” “You killed him?” Aiden asks.
“Get some rest, buddy.” I wait for him to close his eyes and leave. I take a long way around to the ER, approaching it from a different side, away from the waiting room where Ronan and Daniel last were.
I peek through the open doors and see Dina sitting on the edge of her bed, her arm in a sling. I walk toward her but quickly hide behind a curtain as I notice her speaking to someone. I get as close as I can and inwardly groan as I realize it’s her boss, Katya.
I listen for a few minutes while Katya interrogates her about her relationship with me and how she landed up at my apartment that morning. I think it’s best I scramble out of here before she notices me and I give away Dina’s game. I hurry out and down the corridor but have to dive into a room as I hear my brothers coming down the hall that intercedes with mine. They must be looking for Aiden’s room to check on him. At least, I hope they are, and they’re not looking for me.
I wait for them to pass. I can’t make out what they’re talking about and don’t want to give myself away. They’re probably just bitching about me anyway.
I leave and grab a cab to my house. I take out my phone and text Ronan that I’m going to clean up Callum and get his body dumped in the
Hudson River. He doesn’t respond straight away, so I put my phone away.
There’s blood spray on the wall behind where Callum was shot and more blood on my bed. It wouldn’t be the first time either of those places had blood on them. Probably won’t be the last.
I look at the towel we had put on the bed and smile. Dina and I had a wild night. It was fitting for the two of us to end in bloodshed.
I called some of my more private security guards to remove the body and contact a crime scene cleaning team to get the blood out and make my apartment look new. Before my guards get there, though, I ensure the bloody sheets are gone. I’m not shot, and I don’t need them to ask any questions or make any assumptions.
I sit on my sofa and text Dina.
Saw Katya was there, wanted to give you a kiss bye.
When can we see each other? Is she gone? Can I come now? Fuck visiting hours.
Rob.
I wait patiently and then see the little bubbles pop up to indicate she’s typing before I get her reply.
Can’t. Katya waited for me to be discharged to bring me back to Alessandro’s house. We’ll have to call later when I can be alone. Don’t let anyone know about us. Delete message.
D
I deleted the messages and put my phone down.
There’s an ache in my heart that one of my oldest friends betrayed me, but it’s quickly replaced with my longing for Dina.
Dinara
I don’t even flinch as the intern works on taking the bullet out of my arm. The numbing has worked wonders; although I feel some discomfort, I don’t feel pain.
“You fucking idiot.” I look up to see Katya storming into the room, raising her voice in Russian. “How the fuck did you get shot? Where did you get shot?”
“I only texted you so you’d know where I was,” I say calmly, answering in Russian.
Katya crosses her arms as the intern looks at me and then at Katya. I gesture for her to continue. “Don’t worry. We’re family.” “Tell me what happened,” Katya demands.
I screw up my face as the inter pulls the slug out, and some blood sprays onto her scrubs. “What’s there to tell?” I ask. “I had to go see the Quinns about security for the event. We were meeting this morning, and when he didn’t show up, I went to his apartment to get him. I assumed he’d overslept. When I got there, one of his men, someone who had previously acted as a guard to me, was there and took me hostage. Luckily, I found a gun Quinn had hidden, and I shot the fucker. He squeezed the trigger of his gun as he fell and caught my arm.” We keep speaking Russian. I’ve already paid the doctors off not to call the police, but I don’t want them to know the details.
“I’m thankful you’re okay, woman.” Katya frowns. “But don’t lie to me, Dinara. Your feelings for Robbie Quinn are crystal clear to everyone who’s spent a minute in the same room as the two of you.”
“That’s my story, and it isn’t going to change,” I quip back. The intern starts to stitch up my arm, and a nurse brings me some medication in a package.
“The doctor said to follow the instructions on the labels and to come back if the pain increases or the painkillers don’t help.” The nurse glances nervously at Katya as she speaks. My friend, and boss, has clearly been to this hospital before.
The nurse walks away, and I look back at Katya sitting in a chair facing me. “Don’t bring emotions into your job; it makes you vulnerable and will have you looking over your shoulder every ten minutes. It won’t serve you in your position.”
“It seems to have served the heads of the families just fine until now.” I look at her. I don’t mean to be cold, but when her eyes narrow, I know I’ve crossed a boundary.
“If you weren’t a childhood friend, Dina, you’d suffer for that comment. I’m just looking out for you. I will wait with you until you’re discharged, and then I will take you home to our estate to stay there until your house is replaced.” She takes out her phone, putting an end to our little chat.
The intern seems to have picked up that there’s a vibe and hurries her stitching up. I watch and realize her hands shake every time I look at her. Nervous little thing isn’t ready to be a surgeon yet. I sigh and look up at the ward. I just make out Robbie exiting, and my heart does a double beat.
Once I’m discharged, I follow Katya out of the hospital and into the back of her limo. We sit opposite each other, not saying much on the drive back. There’s a guard in the back with us, plus the driver and a guard in the front. There’s also a vehicle following us with four more guards for Katya.
Protect the princess at all costs, except now she’s a Queen and owns the heart of the most powerful man in New York and has borne him three children.
This is not the life I expected for us, either of us, when she offered to bring me over from Russia as a teen. Things change, I guess, and now this is the new norm.
What I want is to be normal. For Robbie and I to be together. I was so hard and quick with him at the hospital that I’m worried I may have hurt his feelings. I know he has them, and I know he can be hurt because when I told him it was Callum, I felt the raw emotion Robbie exuded.
We arrive at the estate, and as I follow Katya into the entrance hall, Alessandro emerges from his office.
“Dina! So pleased to hear you’re okay after your shooting.” He comes over and politely greets me by bumping our cheeks together in mock kisses.
“Well, the traitor is dead,” I say coldly. “We now need to deal with the family that was backing him, and I suspect he has a partner in one of the other families that was helping him.”
Alessandro frowns and motions for Katya and me to follow him as he speaks, “If that’s the case, let us assemble our men and take out this family in its entirety straight away. No family left, no problem.”
“I disagree,” I say, and Katya raises an eyebrow. Alessandro chuckles and pours both of us a whiskey. Katya takes a bottle of water out of the fridge, and we sit in the armchairs facing each other. “You see, I think there’s more at play. A bigger plan, if you will. I want to weed out this possible partner and figure out the family’s grand plan so we can destroy it at its core. Often, our enemies are left to regroup and come back to attack us with more experience and strength. We should send a firm message.”
Alessandro sips his whiskey, then rests his arm, holding the glass with his fingertips. “You think if we get whomever we can find, we’ll lose the bigger fish?”
I nod, but Katya interjects, “My love, perhaps we should cancel the family lunch that we’re planning. It obviously isn’t safe, and I wouldn’t want to take the children.”
I glance at Katya and then at Alessandro, who nods. “I agree, leave the children at home, but Dina, is it safe enough for us to meet?”
“I think it’s safe enough to go ahead with the lunch. We’ll be prepared with our most loyal guards, so neither you nor Katya will have to worry. But yes, leave the children at home.” I down my whiskey. “Please excuse me. I am feeling a bit tired. I want to go lie down.”
“Of course.” Alessandro waves me off. “I need to speak to Katya anyway about business.”
I leave the room and go up to my room. I change into fresh clothes carefully. The intern was a little overzealous and gave me a sling, which I tossed to the corner of the room. My wound is nothing more than a dull ache.
I rest on my bed and sigh.
My phone goes off, and I read the text.
Alone yet? It’s been hours.
I smile and settle into my pillows, texting Robbie back.
Yes, I’m alone. And I’m fine. Is everything okay at your apartment?
I wait patiently.
Yeah, body’s been dumped. Place has been cleaned. My only regret is that I can’t kill Callum a second time for hurting you. I’m relieved you’re okay, though.
I bite my lip and take a few deep breaths before I respond.
I’m fine, I promise. I’m so glad you’re okay too.
Robbie, I love you xxx
I wait for what feels like ages, but eventually, I start to drift off without an answer to my last text.