Vlas clucked is tongue and shook his head. “Such words, Dante. But I’m not the Chinese. I’m not disorganized rabble.”
“I know what you are.” I resisted the urge to spit.
“You really want to go to war for real over some… girl?” He looked at Aida and shook his head.
“I told you already. She’s mine.”
He grunted and his smile began to waver. “You’re making a mistake.”
“No, Vlas. You’re the one that’s making a mistake.” I stepped toward him and I saw out of the corner of my eye several men turn toward the two of us. I assumed they were Vlas’s Boyeviks, though I knew my own soldiers were nearby and ready. “Calling me out here, making threats, and assuming I’d back down was a very bad mistake. Maybe I’ve given you the wrong impression over the years, because I’ve been under orders to keep tensions from boiling over. But hear me now, you little fuck.” I leaned even closer. “You tried to kill me. And worse, you almost hurt her. So I’ll cut your throat before I back down.”
I stared at him, breathing hard, rage filling my body. I wanted to strangle Vlas then and there, but I knew there was nothing to gain from it. His men would pull me off him in an instant, and we’d all end up murdering each other.
Vlas took one step back. “All right then, Dante. That’s your answer.” He turned away. “You can have war then.”
“Wait.”
I turned to Aida. Her eyes were wide and I felt a stab of rage. I’d told her not to speak, but she took a step toward Vlas.
He hesitated and looked back. His head tilted, and a smile slipped across his lips. “Yes, thief’s girl?”
She flinched at that. “You can’t do this. My father’s dead. He paid the price. Just… why are you doing this?”
“Aida,” I hissed.
Vlas only turned and laughed. He continued walking, melting into the crowd. Aida stepped like she meant to walk after him, but I grabbed her arm had and pulled her back toward me. An older couple wearing matching hats and t-shirt frowned at me, but I ignored them.
“I told you not to speak,” I said.
“But he—”
“You made me look weak.” I pulled her back the way we had come. Steven and Ryan fell back behind us as we moved past the buskers again. “You made me look foolish.”
“I wanted to help.”
“You didn’t.” I clenched my jaw. “He was feeling us out. That wasn’t a real attempt at brokering peace.”
She stared at me, eyes wide. “But... I don’t understand.”
“Vlas is a clever shit, as much as I hate to admit that. He wanted to see how many men I’d bring and how committed to the fight I was. But now he learned two things he didn’t expect.”
“What?” she asked softly.
I released my grip on her arm but kept walking. She hurried to keep up.
“First, he learned that you’re important to me,” I growled. “That was my mistake, and I’ll own it.”
“And second?”
I glanced at her and narrowed my eyes. “He learned that I don’t have control of you, and he’s going to use that against me.”
She stared at me for a second then her face tightened. “You don’t get to control me, you asshole.”
“It’s not like that,” I snapped at her. “I told you earlier today. It’s about obeying orders. If you can’t listen to me and trust me, how the fuck am I supposed to keep you safe?”
“Hey, wait,” she snapped, grabbing my arm and pulling me. I turned to her and stepped close. We stood on the sidewalk just outside of the park, right past the wright iron gate. Fewer people were around, but an overweight man wearing a backpack and a hooded sweatshirt stared as he leaned against the fence a few yards away. “I’m not one of your soldiers. You… you pulled me into this. You forced me into it. I didn’t want any of this.”
I leaned closer and spoke in a rough, quiet voice. Steven and Ryan lingered nearby, pretending not to listen.
“And yet you’re in it,” I growled. “You chose to come here, and by coming, you agreed to obey. You didn’t listen. Instead, you gave Vlas something to use against me, and now I’ll pay that price.”
I stood up straight and stared at her. My heart hammered an angry rhythm in my chest and she looked back at me, her eyes wide, and didn’t speak for a long moment.
I turned away before she had the chance to argue and continued walking back to the car.
I heard her begin to follow a moment later.
I was angry at her, but just as angry at myself. I never should’ve brought her with me. I knew that was a mistake the moment I considered it, and yet I went ahead and did it anyway.
There was something in her eyes earlier. It was the way she dropped the towel willingly. I thought she’d obey, thought she could follow orders and do what was best for all of us, but instead she decided to speak up.
This whole thing was fucked.
I reached the car first. She came after me and looked at me without speaking, anger in her eyes. I opened the back door for her and she climbed inside, and I shut it behind her. Ryan got in on the other side and sat next to Aida, while I sat shotgun and Steven got behind the wheel.
Nobody spoke for a moment as we sat in the car.
“How’d that go?” Steven asked.
I snorted. “Great. Vlas wants war.”
Steven nodded, his eyes staring straight ahead. “I’m guessing this was just to feel you out?”
“Yes,” I grunted, staring out the window.
“And Aida?”
“Wants to use her against me.”
“Hm.” Steven grunted and shook his head. “Bad news.”
“Fuck Vlas,” I growled.
