Page 2 of Bratva Prince

Dmitri remembered being ten years old and finding her alone in the winter garden, staring blankly through the snow-covered glass while bruises hid beneath diamond bracelets.

She had looked beautiful, and yet miserable at the same time.He pushed the memory away immediately.Sentiment was useless.

He knew exactly what waited for him inside this arrangement with Sofia Marino.The daughter of one of the most powerful Italian dons in the city would not arrive naive or romantic.She had been raised in the same poisoned water he had.

That was the foundation of marriages like theirs.Anything else was fantasy.

“Are you paying attention to a word I’m saying, Dimitri?”Alexei’s voice cut cleanly through his thoughts.

Dmitri blinked once, realizing his attention had drifted.His brother was staring at him with visible irritation now.

“That depends,” Dmitri said calmly.“Was it important?”

Alexei muttered something sharp in Russian beneath his breath and dragged a hand down his face.“This is exactly what I’m talking about.”

“The meeting will go smoothly,” he told Alexei.

“That’s not reassuring coming from you.”

Dmitri finally picked up the untouched whiskey glass, more for appearance than desire.“You’re worried I’ll start a war before the appetizers arrive?”

“I’m worried you’ll decide provoking the Marinos is entertaining.”

That earned the faintest ghost of amusement from Dmitri.

Alexei studied him carefully then sighed.“If this goes badly, it affects all of us.The alliance matters.”

Dmitri knew that already.Lately, rivals had been circling for months like starving dogs scenting weakness.An alliance with the Marino family secured ports, weapons routes, political influence.It stabilized power.

The cost of that stability sat waiting for him in a hotel conference room.A wife he’d never met.

“I should go with you,” Alexei said suddenly.

Dmitri immediately understood the thought behind it.His brother was reconsidering, considering canceling his afternoon meetings to personally oversee the negotiation.

Which meant Alexei genuinely thought Dmitri might burn the entire thing down out of boredom.

“I can handle this,” Dimitri said.

Alexei still looked unconvinced.Dmitri leaned back slightly in the chair.

“Relax.I’m not planning to threaten my future father-in-law until at least dessert.”

Another reluctant twitch at the corner of Alexei’s mouth.

Finally, he nodded once.“Fine.But remember what’s at stake.”

Dmitri rose smoothly to his feet.“I always do.”

****

Ablack sedan alreadywaited outside the Volkov estate by the time Dmitri stepped into the rain-slick driveway.One of the guards hurried forward to open the rear passenger door.

The cold air carried the scent of wet pavement and cigarette smoke.Dmitri adjusted the cuffs of his coat before sliding into the back seat.

“Hotel Belladonna,” he told the driver.

The man nodded immediately and pulled away from the estate gates.