Page 38 of Hers to Command

His eyes narrow, barely concealing the irritation behind his forced smirk. “Funny, Anya,” he says, crossing his arms. “Now tell me what the fuck you think you’re doing with Angelo. It’s fucking stupid, Anya, you’ve got to know that.”

I suppress the jolt of anger that has a lot to do with the fact that he isn’t all that wrong. What I’m doing with Riccardo is the definition of playing with fire and that is, by general consensus, really fucking dumb. But Mikhail’s got no right to question me.

“You don’t get to interrogate me about things I did after you left, Mikhail. You left,” I remind him, allowing the bitterness in my voice to be unmistakable. “I’m making my own choices.”

“Choices?” His tone rises, his brows pulling together. “You call getting married to Angelo a choice?” He scoffs, giving a dismissive wave. “Riccardo is dangerous, Anya, and you just painted a target on your back. Now, Dmitri wants you both dead. Brilliant move.”

I rise to my feet, meeting him head-on, refusing to back down. “And whose fault is that?” I snap. “You left, Mikhail. You went off to play house with Gianna, and I was left picking up the pieces. Dmitri went and all but raped me since father thought it was a good idea to use me as a fucking bargaining chip. Ricardo was there. He helped me. So yes, I made my choice. Just like you made yours. And my choice kept me safe.”

“Don’t twist this on me.” Mikhail steps closer, his jaw tight. “You’re getting in over your head.”

“And you think I can’t handle it?” I cross my arms, matching his posture, refusing to be intimidated by his height or the cold warning in his eyes. He might be a killer, but he’s also my brother. “I’m just as capable as you are, Mikhail. Probably more. I might not cut people’s eyes out myself, but I sure as hell knowmore about running this operation than you ever did, and I plan on letting everyone know about it.”

He glares, but there’s a flicker of doubt in his eyes. “If you were smart, you’d let me and Gianna take over here. We’ve got a plan—a way to expand the business.”

I blink, stunned by his audacity. “Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

“You know the Bruno’s game. Blackmail. And what better place to record people than in the back rooms where the girls do their thing with the customers? Gianna thinks we have to upscale the clubs to get the right clientele to come, but that is doable.”

I breathe through my nose for a moment, not sure what will come out if I open my mouth. Only when a few seconds have ticked by and Mikhail is giving me a weird look, do I feel calm enough to actually speak. “Oh, so now you’re interested in blackmail? How convenient. Didn’t I suggest that exact idea a year ago?”

He shrugs, as if my frustration is nothing. “Back then, it would have caused issues with Gianna. Now we’re married.”

I clench my fists, forcing my voice to stay calm. “So what you’re saying is you want to sell out all the men who’ve been working for father and us, and let the Italians move in? And you think that’ll be easy? Why? Because you figure they all have as little loyalty as you?”

“Well, would you rather Dmitri take over? Plus, I think you’re the one who let the Italian in, Anya.” The disgust in Mikhail’s voice is so ridiculous it’s hard to believe.

“May I remind you that you wanted me to distract Father when you first ran off with Gianna? You fucking screwed over all of my plans and wanted me to help you, even though you clearly didn’t give a shit about what was happening to me. You fucking knew father wanted to marry me off. I fucking told you.”

The old wound is raw and fresh. Tears sting my eyes and I hate that letting them spill over would play into the stereotype of a weak, emotionally driven female. And I hate it even more that I have no way of holding them back.

Mikhail looks at me, stunned, as if he never even thought about the way he abandoned me to this whole shit storm when he followed his dick.

I take a deep breath, wiping the tears away with the arm of my blouse. “You’re right about one thing. It’s time to stop playing small. But I won’t sit on the sidelines while you and Gianna try to expand your reach here. If you think you’re going to side-step me, you’re sorely mistaken.”

His eyes soften, and for a moment, I see a flicker of the older brother who used to have my back. But it’s gone in an instant. “I’m not making any promises. Gianna does her own thing, and she’s already worked out an agreement with Angelo.”

“Like always. Letting the woman in your life do the important stuff. I just hope Gianna knows how easily you take off, consequences be damned.” The words spill out before I can stop them. “Do whatever you need to with Gianna. But don’t think for a second that you have any control over me or what I do here.”

For a long moment, he just stares at me, jaw clenched. Then, without a word, he turns and storms out of the office, slamming the door shut behind him.

I let out a shaky breath. That could have gone better, which means I need to talk to my husband. At least one of us should get their shit together and communicate stuff.

Chapter Sixteen

Riccardo

When I get home after work, I search the quiet house for any sign of Anya. When she’s nowhere to be found, I head to the kitchen. Maybe Anya wanted someone to chat with and went to see Mrs. Batton. It’s where I’d often find my mother, a large glass of wine in hand.

When I step in, Mrs. Batton appears from the pantry, which is really more of a large storage room next to the kitchen, and gives me a smile. “Have you come for a snack?”

It’s what I used to do when I was younger and having her ask me now feels rather odd. She hasn’t asked that in years. Then again, I haven’t gone into the kitchen looking for something in a long time. “No, actually, I was looking for Anya.”

“Oh, I thought she’d gone to see you at the office. That’s what Ren said when I brought them out some coffee earlier.”

“No, she’s not with me. When did she leave?”

Mrs. Batton’s mouth presses into a line before she answers. “A few hours ago, I think.”

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