Page 77 of Dangerous Promises

The silence drags on too long for my liking.

"She can stay," Anton murmurs.

Dad sits forward as much as he can in his condition, jaw tensing. "You let her hear this kind of talk, little brother?"

Anton sighs, biting his lip as he looks away from Dad. "Things changed, Dim."

Dad doesn't like that answer one bit. "Please then," Dad says, waving his hand invitingly as he sits back in his chair again. "Show me how things run when you're the one in charge."

The conversation hurts my heart more than I thought it would. I forgot how much had changed, me specifically, since Dad has been gone. It burns a reminder into me of why I did what I did. I lived a trapped life. Where I was an ornament, fragile but only built to be seen. So I did something drastic in order to be seen and gain freedom. I have that freedom and respect now. From Anton and Freddie. Not from my father.

"Uh, as I was saying, the Rushkoffs have asked for backup this wee-"

"It would be an absolutely not from me, brother," Dad challenges. "And you would say?"

Anton looks torn, where I thought Dad's presence would lift the heavy weights off his shoulder it has only seemed to weigh him down more.

"Give them the resources, Freddie." Anton doesn't look at Dad when he says it.

"Over my dead body."

Anton sighs. "Well, you were dead, Dim."

"When I was in ch-"

"And I don't give a fuck how it would have been when you were in charge," Anton snaps. "Because you weren't. And you aren't. Until you're back on your feet the decisions here are mine and I don't care if you like it or not."

Anton's chest heaves as he levels this challenge at my father. The air is thick and heavy with tension, as we all know Dad will only back down and let this continue if he chooses to.

Anton remains steadfast in his stride. "I'll fall in line when it's time, Dim, I can promise you that. But right now, it's not time."

Dad breaks the tension first, surprisingly, looking down in disappointment as he uses the arm of the chair to hoist himself into his wheelchair. "I need to go lie down." He speaks without making eye contact and wheels himself into the house with as much dignity as he can, our eyes following the path he leaves behind.

"This is bad," Freddie states.

Anton shakes his head, watching the space where Dad left. "He will understand, he just can't see the bigger picture right now."

"We can't be managing him, Anton."

Anton slumps into his chair. "I know that. But he's not fully recovered yet."

Freddie hesitates though he clearly has lots more to say. "Time is critical right now, we can't let Chet get the upper hand.And we can't let Dimitri unravel the progress we've made with the Rushkoffs."

"I know, Freddie."

"It's just-"

"Freddie, please," Anton says, rubbing at his temples. "I know all this. Dimitri will see it, too. I hope. He just doesn't see the big picture right now."

I sit silent but ashamed. Well aware that I form a large part of the big picture. Dad doesn't know about Victor. About Alexei killing Nicholas. About my plan to set the whole thing in motion.

Well, there's lots he doesn't know.

All things I have done. All things I've personally wrecked for us.

All of it my fault, and none of it that I'm willing to admit.

Not that it would help. We can't stall for long. That was always the thing with Dimitri DeMarco. He never asked. Only took what was his. Regardless of his condition or his mental state, if Dad wants control, he will take it.