Page 25 of Dangerous Promises

"Sage, enough," Anton says, coming down the front steps. He stops in front of me, giving me a wide-eyed look that begs me to behave before he rubs his fingers over the bridge of his nose. He was obviously expecting company. "Alexei, Isla. Come on, let's talk inside."

Anton leads all of us up the stairs and into his office. The walk is tense as Freddie does his best to keep me away from Alexei. Who for now isn't paying me any attention. I get the vibe that perhaps this visit isn't about me.

It's awkward when we all get there. I can't decide if that's because no one is willing to be the first to speak, or because nobody has anything nice to say to each other anymore.

"Well, isn't this nostalgic!" Isla exclaims, her mega-watt smile on full display as she looks around my uncle's office and tries to push us all past this apprehension. "It's like old times all over again."

I glare at Alexei from where I've perched myself with my feet up on the back couches. He doesn't have a look to spare for me right now. But I can see it in his stance that he's holding it together by a hair.

I just can't believe my uncle let them through the gates. I cannot imagine what they possibly have to say to us that is worth entertaining. Isla gives me a saccharine smile, and even though I like her I decide that I pretty much have to hate her as well. The friend of my enemy is my enemy, and all that.

"You wanted this meeting. Talk," Anton says, sitting down in his office chair and leaving them to stand.

Alexei's nostrils flare as he sees it for the show of disrespect it is, but he doesn't act on his temper for once. When he finally speaks, his voice is croaky. As if he's fighting himself against saying the words. "I hear we have a mutual problem."

"I'm not sure what you're referring to," Anton bluffs.

Isla rolls her eyes but Alexei manages to keep his cool despite his quivering lip.

"I think you fucking do, Anton," Alexei says.

Isla places a hand on his chest and steps forward to talk before he and my uncle can finish their pissing contest.

"Chet is not just a threat to us individually anymore," Isla says, imploring him to listen to her with sympathetic eyes. "He's amassing too many people and too much support. Left unchecked and he won't just take us both down, but the whole city with us."

Anton licks his lips, sharing a look with Freddie that gives away everything he's thinking. Dad never had such a terrible poker face.

"What do you propose we do about that?"

"We've always had peace," Isla says, cringing. "Howeverlooseit was. And neither of us can defeat Chet on our own, nor could we survive if he takes one of us out."

Anton frowns, his head tilting as he works out where they're going with this. He speaks slowly and in disbelief. "Are you saying… you want to work together?"

"Combine resources," Alexei says, his throat tight as he swallows his temper and his pride. He looks directly at me. "As much as I want to... deal with other things first. Neither of us can afford to. You know that."

I smirk and wait for my uncle to shut them down and kick them off the property.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Any time now.

"Um. No," I smirk, answering on Anton's behalf because he's being too slow. I saunter across the room to get close enough to gloat. "How about eat shit, Rushkoff? We're not working with you. I want to fuckingkillyou."

"Yes, princess, we've established," Alexei responds, giving me a condescending glare. Asshole.

My nostrils flare as my hatred for him burns. "I wouldn't work with you if you were the last -"

"Oh shut up," Alexei says, stepping into me until we're chest to chest. "I may as well be the last whatever on earth. Chet will take us all out if we let him. And since you're a much easier opponent to defeat, I will turn my attention elsewhere."

"This isn't helping," Isla says, stepping between Alexei and I. "We need to deal with Chet or it risks all our futures." She looks deep into my eyes and whispers so only I can hear it. "That was the point, wasn't it? Of a death promise? You didn't want tojeopardize your family. If you let Chet distract you now, that's exactly what's going to happen."

The fight sinks out of my shoulders.

Thinking of all the reasons I did this in the first place. Revenge, yes. But so that my family couldn't follow me into that revenge and get themselves killed as well.

I look over to Alexei, where he watches me with an air of hate so strong I can't believe it's real. It's visceral and sucks the life out of the air around us. Wilting us in the process.