Chapter 9
Chapter
Nine
Sage
“Come now, bella, you'll have to run faster than that if you're going to take down a Rushkoff," Freddie says, teasing me from where he sprints ahead. Even as he slows down and runs backwards to smirk at me, I can't keep up with him.
I've got pretty good stamina from the past few years. Between the running away and the chasing after Alexei, I've got a good sprint on me. It's still nothing compared to Freddie, who smiles as he turns back around and runs effortlessly ahead of me while I try to pretend I'm not out of breath.
On the bright side, it's a beautiful day for a run. The sun is shining, the air is warm, roses bloom in all the gardens and you can barely even notice any damage from the attack. I guess we're getting good at cleaning that up.
I mumble my next sentence, and even I can't make it out so I stop to catch my breath. Freddie doesn't. Instead, he jogs in place alongside me as I rest my hands on my knees and try to repeat myself clearer this time.
"I don't need to be a fast runner to take down a Rushkoff."
"Well, so far you've been doing a lot of running away," Freddie says, smiling without missing a beat. "Just want to make sure you're match fit."
He chuckles, and because he is smart, he starts running as I gasp and chase after him to slap him.
I swear I nearly have him, fingers brushing against his shirt, when the front gates open and a limo starts coming up the drive. I stop in my tracks, especially when I see Anton come out the house in his best suit.
He fidgets with his cuffs and adjusts his tie as the limo does a round in the driveway and stops in front of him. I narrow my eyes as Freddie keeps up a jog, trying to lead me down a different path that goes away from the front gates.
I pause, shielding my eyes from the sun with my hand.
Even from far away I know those oxford-toed shoes the second they step out of the limo and crunch on the gravel. I know the dark silk shirt and fitted dress pants. The tattoos that go from the fingertips and only stop at the neck.
I know exactly who that is before I even get the chance to breathe.
What the actual fuck is Alexei Rushkoff doing on my fucking property being greeted by my uncle?
"Bella," Freddie insists, trying to get in front of me and cringing as he notices I've stopped following him to fixate on this exchange instead.
Alexei locks eyes with me from a distance. He seeks me out like a laser, always able to spot me from wherever I happen to be. Alexei smiles wickedly at me, white teeth shining as he gives me that smug as fuck look on his dumb face.
It's like the air gets knocked out of my lungs.
Another constant between us.
I huff, starting off at a run that is this time too quick for Freddie to keep up.
"Sage!" Freddie yells, diving for me. I only have one target in my sights, though, and Freddie calling out behind me is a warning that ceases to exist.
Alexei pauses, his face showing his interest in what I might do next. I launch myself at him, leaping forward in attack, only to be held back at the waist. Freddie tightens his grip on me as I struggle.
"Get off me!" I screech. "You can't interfere."
"I can't interfere with him," Freddie says, holding me tighter as I flail my legs off the ground. "I'm on your side. I can hold you back all I like."
"For fuck's sake," I groan, continuing to struggle in Freddie's arms and getting more and more agitated as Alexei just laughs at me. Isla is here, too, cringing as she gives me a sheepish wave.
"Sage, enough," Anton says, coming down the front steps. He stops in front of me, giving me a wide-eyed look that begs me to behave before he rubs his fingers over the bridge of his nose. He was obviously expecting company. "Alexei, Isla. Come on, let's talk inside."
Anton leads all of us up the stairs and into his office. The walk is tense as Freddie does his best to keep me away from Alexei. Who for now isn't paying me any attention. I get the vibe that perhaps this visit isn't about me.
It's awkward when we all get there. I can't decide if that's because no one is willing to be the first to speak, or because nobody has anything nice to say to each other anymore.
"Well, isn't this nostalgic!" Isla exclaims, her mega-watt smile on full display as she looks around my uncle's office and tries to push us all past this apprehension. "It's like old times all over again."
I glare at Alexei from where I've perched myself with my feet up on the back couches. He doesn't have a look to spare for me right now. But I can see it in his stance that he's holding it together by a hair.
I just can't believe my uncle let them through the gates.
I cannot imagine what they possibly have to say to us that is worth entertaining.
Isla gives me a saccharine smile, and even though I like her I decide that I pretty much have to hate her as well.
The friend of my enemy is my enemy, and all that.
"You wanted this meeting. Talk," Anton says, sitting down in his office chair and leaving them to stand.
Alexei's nostrils flare as he sees it for the show of disrespect it is, but he doesn't act on his temper for once. When he finally speaks, his voice is croaky. As if he's fighting himself against saying the words. "I hear we have a mutual problem."
"I'm not sure what you're referring to," Anton bluffs.
Isla rolls her eyes but Alexei manages to keep his cool despite his quivering lip.
"I think you fucking do, Anton," Alexei says.
Isla places a hand on his chest and steps forward to talk before he and my uncle can finish their pissing contest.
"Chet is not just a threat to us individually anymore," Isla says, imploring him to listen to her with sympathetic eyes. "He's amassing too many people and too much support. Left unchecked and he won't just take us both down, but the whole city with us."
Anton licks his lips, sharing a look with Freddie that gives away everything he's thinking. Dad never had such a terrible poker face.
"What do you propose we do about that?"
"We've always had peace," Isla says, cringing. "However loose it was. And neither of us can defeat Chet on our own, nor could we survive if he takes one of us out."
Anton frowns, his head tilting as he works out where they're going with this. He speaks slowly and in disbelief. "Are you saying… you want to work together?"
"Combine resources," Alexei says, his throat tight as he swallows his temper and his pride. He looks directly at me. "As much as I want to... deal with other things first. Neither of us can afford to. You know that."
I smirk and wait for my uncle to shut them down and kick them off the property.
Waiting.
Waiting.
Any time now.
"Um. No," I smirk, answering on Anton's behalf because he's being too slow. I saunter across the room to get close enough to gloat. "How about eat shit, Rushkoff? We're not working with you. I want to fucking kill you."
"Yes, princess, we've established," Alexei responds, giving me a condescending glare. Asshole.
My nostrils flare as my hatred for him burns. "I wouldn't work with you if you were the last -"
"Oh shut up," Alexei says, stepping into me until we're chest to chest. "I may as well be the last whatever on earth. Chet will take us all out if we let him. And since you're a much easier opponent to defeat, I will turn my attention elsewhere."
"This isn't helping," Isla says, stepping between Alexei and I.
"We need to deal with Chet or it risks all our futures.
" She looks deep into my eyes and whispers so only I can hear it.
"That was the point, wasn't it? Of a death promise?
You didn't want to jeopardize your family.
If you let Chet distract you now, that's exactly what's going to happen. "
The fight sinks out of my shoulders.
Thinking of all the reasons I did this in the first place. Revenge, yes. But so that my family couldn't follow me into that revenge and get themselves killed as well.
I look over to Alexei, where he watches me with an air of hate so strong I can't believe it's real. It's visceral and sucks the life out of the air around us. Wilting us in the process.
The real question is, how long could either of us keep to a truce without trying to finish this. I'm not sure how long I could let it go. Would it ever be long enough to help keep my family safe again?
I know what he would want. He'd tell me to put them first. Make sure their safety came first, and his revenge came second.
I take a deep breath. "Fine. Fine," I say, throwing my hands in the air. "I'm being quiet."
"Can you, uh, give us a minute please?" Anton asks. Alexei doesn't look pleased but Isla leads him out into the hallway by his arm.
Lucky me, I'm allowed to stay.
"Thoughts?" Anton asks, directing his attention to Freddie even though I have the right mind to give him my two cents as well.
"Genuine," Freddie says, watching the door like he can see them pacing behind it. "And necessary unfortunately."
Anton nods resignedly as well. "Angie can only do so much. This is inconvenient under the circumstances."
"Inconvenient?" I scoff. "That's what you're going with."
Anton levels me with another exasperated look. "I don't know if we can trust them," Anton admits. "I don't know if I want to."
My heart wars with my head. Because I know we can. This isn't about whether Alexei and I can trust each other (we can't). It's about whether our families can trust each other long enough to work together (we can). We've done it before.
I could choose my own vendetta and my own peace of heart. Or I could make sure Dad actually has a world to wake up to, if he ever does.
Fuck.
"It's only me that Alexei wants dead," I remind Anton. For the first time in a while he looks at me like he actually cares what I have to say. "Alexei never wanted to harm us. Not until I killed his brother."
"That doesn't exactly make me feel any better," Anton says, turning a worried look on Freddie. "We just moved Dimitri here. It's a risk."
"A bigger risk than Chet?" Freddie questions.
"They don't hate us," I say. "Whatever promise there is it's between me and Alexei, and no one else. Our families haven't been enemies for a long time now."
I sink into my chair and sulk even though I know I've done the right thing by my family. But I am trying to turn a new leaf. One where I don't get someone I care about killed.
"They won't hurt us. Or Dimitri. Nor will they likely care he's alive," Freddie says. "Besides, I suspect Isla will risk interfering on Sage's behalf as well."
"I don't need interfering on my behalf!"
Anton gives me another withering look before turning back to Freddie. "I want to hear it from them."
Anton calls for them and not long later, Isla and Alexei are stepping back into Anton's office.
Alexei doesn't even blink before turning his lightning-like eyes onto my uncle.
He's not going to give him another second to mull this over.
It's now or never. "Anton," Alexei says, giving him a single nod. "What'll it be?"
"You want my help?" Anton says, leaning across the desk to level Alexei with a serious glare.
"About as much as you need mine," Alexei says, his lip tipping up in a challenging smirk.
"I will agree," Anton says. "But I have a condition."
"Of course you do," Alexei says, mouth tightening in annoyance as he waits to hear whatever ridiculous thing my uncle is going to demand in exchange for help.
"If we work together, if we let you in these gates, you cannot fight your death promise. Not even outside these gates. Especially not inside these gates. And especially not for the time we're working together."
"Just hang on a minu-" I argue, sitting up anxiously. I can't say it hadn't crossed my mind that there would be benefits to Alexei being nearby and distracted by Chet.
Anton holds up a hand to shush me. "Until this is over, no more fighting. If I find one scratch on my niece while you're here, the deal is off."
Alexei narrowly avoids unleashing on my uncle. He even steps forward like he's going to until Isla jumps in front to stop him. It takes a lot of frantic whispering on her part to calm him. The whole time he doesn't take his eyes off me. Even as his brows tighten in pain.
In the end, Isla shuts up just long enough for Alexei to make up his own mind. His shoulders slump as he looks away from me and back at Anton. His eyes only briefly flicker. Just enough to give away how painful this must be. But he does what he came to do, and just says, "Done."