39. Ara
“Are you trying to get both of our hands cut off?” I ask Dmitri in his office. He’d sent me a text to meet him that morning. Meeting with him is risky, but I would’ve barged in myself either way after discovering he’d thrown me under the bus. I just need to establish to what extent.
He casually shrugs, immediately wincing with his now two broken ribs. Yet despite the beating his face took, the wonders of make-up and glasses hide the majority of it. Had I not witnessed it myself I might’ve not known he’d been in such a brutal fight.
“I never thought you were one to back down, Ara. Even to Luca?”
“That’s rich coming from you since you two apparently bonded so beautifully when you betrayed me. You look like shit by the way,” I say as I take a seat in the chair opposing him.
He gives me a half-cocked smile. “You look like you can’t sit either. I’m liking the brunette wig by the way.”
I curse his name under my breath because he’s right. Luca flogged my ass black and blue over the weekend. The girls had missed it over breakfast this week, but I’m not surprised he hadn’t. It’s early Tuesday morning and I’d since figured out a way to bypass the bodyguard Luca’s put on me. His man follows me everywhere as a way for Luca to keep tabs on me. I don’t blame his suspicion, but I need to shake it off.
Cleverly, I signed up to an all-women’s gym. Not only can he not walk in, but it gives me time to change into a different attire completely before slipping out the back. It gives me two-hours tops but has so far worked to my advantage. It wouldn’t be long until Luca will surely replace him with a woman.
When I don’t respond to his compliment he sighs heavily and jumps straight into it.
“I want to apologize for using information against you, but for my goals, it came in with perfect timing. You and I are the same, Ara in the sense we’re both opportunists. A few things have changed on my end and I now find my matter urgent. The fight ring was an added bonus because I needed to blow off steam.”
My arms are crossed over my chest. I’m not so much as surprised by Dmitri’s betrayal but disappointed. He really does feel like the only person on my side in a bizarre and twisted way. I knew going into dealings with Dmitri that he was a cold and calculating man behind the playboy fa?ade.
He was right about one thing. We are opportunists. If it will get either of us to our end goal, we’ll use each other happily.
Considering I wasn’t dead the information he’d obviously provided wasn’t enough to warrant it. So I’m assuming he had left out the brunt of my incriminating motive.
I want to hate Dmitri but I still cling to the notion that we will continue abusing one another to reach our own means. I respected it for that because I would’ve done the same to him.
I let out a sigh. “What did you say to Luca?”
“Firstly, I’d like to offer an interesting observation. I’m almost certain Luca has no intention of killing you. From what I saw Friday night, I dare say he’s smitten with your poisonous personality.”
I scoff. “That’s a very interesting assumption considering my life’s on the line.”
He kicks up a slow smile. “As if it hasn’t been on the line the moment you started looking into the Armani family. I only told him you wanted to know something about men in masks and the two hit’s you’d already made to get there. The real reason, I’ve called you over today is to offer you some help.”
“Oh, suddenly you’re still on my side, huh?”
“I’ve never not been on your side, Arabella. As you take advantage of situations, so do I. You want something out of this partnership and will stop at nothing to get it. I’m no different. So do you want my help or not? You want Ivan called back, don’t you? So, Luca most likely goes back to Italy in his stead?”
My jaw clenches. That’s exactly what I need and I hate that Dmitri can see right through me. Then again, why wouldn’t he? He has something to gain from this and I’m not entirely sure what anymore. I originally thought he wanted to simply destroy his father but I wonder what recently changed for him to kick up the pace.
But he’s still my only ally.
Luca’s face comes to mind and a small unfamiliar hint of guilt springs. I push it down, almost revolted by its surfacing.
No fucking way am I showing any sentiment toward Luca.
Nothing changes. I did not come this far to only come this far.
I’m quick to confess, as if needing to purge it out. To say out loud my intention of ruining Luca instead of sympathizing with him.
“It’s possible that if Dario makes a wrong move, then Luca will call Ivan back to deal with his brother. I don’t know if that means Luca will leave entirely but I’m willing to gamble on it.”
Something needs to change. Because I am changing.
And I can’t change.
Not for him.
Not for me.
I only have my revenge, I remind myself like a mantra. I let the hard resolve coil around me like a noose. I cannot betray my mother like everyone else. I cannot let her go until he is dead. I refuse to believe I’m falling for a monster.
Dmitri considers this. “I remember in our previous passings that the two brothers were close. After their father died it caused a massive and obvious rift. So Dario might be the easier target.”
“I know that already,” I grit.
“If your father is already forcing you to see a matchmaker then it’s obvious your freedom is trickling. I’m assuming you already have a plan?”
The truth of the matter is, I do. “I’m not going to involve you in this part, Dmitri. Trust me when I say, it’s better you don’t know or get involved in case it backfires.”
I’d been considering my options and continued circling back to this plan. There a is a tiny slither of hesitation. At first I thought it was a calm calculation of what could go wrong. But sitting in this room, I realize it might be because of another reason.
That once I did this it was done.
My plan would be set in place and I’d raise hell on the Armani household.
Dario is the only family he has left.
I shut the thought down again, realizing my weakness.
It isn’t a miscalculation. There is now a new voice, in favor of Luca. I shove it down so deeply it’s snuffed out within seconds.
Dmitri considers me. I wonder if he notices the raging war and realization within me. Even if he does, surely he can see my resolve now.
Dmitri, I was coming to learn, is just as much the devil as Luca. The only difference is he masks it better. Despite it, I can’t deny I would most likely betray Dmitri in the same way he had me if a new opportunity presented itself. But I am not willing to risk his involvement on this plan because it is certain to put me in the grave if caught.
“Okay then. Be sure to make it catastrophic.”
I have no doubt it will be.
I am aiming for his one weakness.
His brother.
Surprisingly, I don’t hate Dmitri for what he’s done. We are both carefully weaving our way to our end goal. Because of that there is still room to use one another.
“There is something I need from you, though,” I admit. “I’d like to put in a contingency plan if I don’t make it out of this hit alive.” Because the risks are too high. Whatever reckless thing I am about to do, it is highly probable Luca will figure it out. I hope it isn’t before rage devours him and wedges deeply between him and his already strangled relationship with his brother.
I need to use it as a distraction. I need to risk the chance of Ivan being called back and the possibility of Luca returning to Italy. Because Luca is suffocating me and I can’t get close enough to my end goal with him blocking the path.
As for Dmitri, I need him to put everything into place as a backup plan. In case I didn’t make it out alive. No matter what, I still want my mother’s voice to be heard and my father questioned and buried for it.