Page 23 of Scarlet Promise
“Good. And I know Max would approve. If he could choose someone for you, it would be Ilya. He’s a good man, worthy, and he’s someone who’ll make you happy. I see how he looks at you, how he always has.”
“Don’t…don’t tell Demyan.”
She rolls her eyes. “I won’t, but I think deep down, he knows. And he doesn’t like change. He’s scared for you. But do you want to know the stupid thing? If Demyan sat down and thought about it, Ilya would be his choice for you. It’s just…he didn’t choose. So he’s feeling out of control.”
“Either that or he thinks we’ve betrayed him.”
Erin shakes her head. “No, he doesn’t. He’ll calm down, Alina. You’ll see.”
I nod, pretending to agree. But inside, I’m not really sure.
I’ve seen Demyan mad before.
But this?
It’s a whole new level.
He may never forgive us, and if he doesn’t, I don’t know what to do.
How can I choose one if I lose the other?
Chapter Six
ILYA
My head poundsthe next day.
It didn’t earlier. Not when I woke at the crack of dawn and came up with a brilliant plan. A half-ass plan.
I’d deliver Albert. And then things would fall into place.
Fucking drunks, I think as I flick through the meetings I’ve got scheduled. That’s what we were last night. Drunks. With stupid ideas.
Christ, I don’t want to meet with a single person.
I close my eyes and remember that morning. All through my drive to Demyan’s, through the sympathetic eyes of Erin, the joyful scream of “Unca Ilya!” from Sasha, and the way he threw his arms around my leg, his little sister following suit, I thought it was fucking brilliant.
Hand over the dog.
Get the girl.
Placate the friend.
Status quo returned.
My head didn’t pound then. My mind was a fluid mess.
But bringing her Albert was a good idea.
“It still is,” I mutter at the message from a job I need to do, money I have to pick up.
The message begs for more time for reasons. I don’t know what reasons. I stop reading after the wordsmore time because.
I didn’t feel drunk, but I must have been. Because I firmly believed Albert would magically fix things, and Alina would be here with me. Mymalyshkaand Albert, my little family.
Yeah, drunk is the only explanation for packing up Albert in the hopes of me catching even a glimpse of her.
Of course Demyan appeared, all angry Russian god, ready to strike me down from his foyer. And he did, with one word.
