SWNOVELS The Arrangement: Chapter 29
I glare at Aleksey, my spine straightening. ‘I think I’ll stand,’ I announce, not about to play into his little dominance game.
He laughs, a sound that grates on my nerves. ‘Seems Maksim hasn’t trained you very well. He usually prefers his women a bit more obedient.’
The audacity of the man! My temper flares, and I can’t hold back. ‘Yeah? Well, fuck you,’ I shoot back, refusing to let him see just how much he’s getting under my skin.
Aleksey’s smirk doesn’t waver. ‘Feisty. I like that. But it won’t help you here.’
I fold my arms, doing my best to seem unfazed, but inside, I’m boiling. This guy’s pushing all my buttons, and we’ve barely started talking. ‘What do you want, Aleksey? Why am I here?’
He leans back, his casual demeanor in stark contrast to the tension zipping through me. ‘Straight to business. I like that, too. You’re here, Tory, because of Ned’s mess. And whether you like it or not, you’re part of cleaning it up.’
Part of me wants to keep lashing out, to break through his smug assurance with sharp words. But another part, the part that’s whispering caution, reminds me I’m in a precarious position. I’m caught in a web I didn’t weave, and anger won’t get me out of it. Yet, giving Aleksey the satisfaction of seeing me cower? Not going to happen.
Aleksey doesn’t seem offended. If anything, my behavior amuses him further. A thoughtful look crosses his face. “You know, Maksim wasn’t always the charmer you see now. Oh no, he had quite the reputation back in the day.’
I’m reluctantly curious, despite myself. ‘What are you talking about?’ I ask, even though part of me screams to keep silent, to not give him the satisfaction.
“Let’s just say he’s made an example of more than one man who’s crossed him.” I feel a chill, despite the bravado I’m trying to maintain. Aleksey’s eyes lock onto mine, ensuring I grasp the gravity of his tale. ‘He has a darkness in him, Tory. One he’s done a good job hiding from you, it seems.’
Aleksey leans back, his tale of Maksim’s brutality hanging heavy between us. ‘You see, Tory, people like us, like Maksim, we’re molded by the darkness. It’s in our bones.’
I try to keep my voice steady. ‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? Trying to freak me out with your stories.’
He smirks. ‘It’s not just stories, darling. It’s a warning. You think you know Maksim, but there are layers to that man you haven’t even begun to peel back.‘
My skepticism must be evident because he continues, each word dripping with condescension. ‘Oh, you doubt me? Ask him about the warehouse on Fifth, ask about the fire. See if he tells you the sweet, bedtime version or the truth.’
The mention of specific events sends a jolt of unease through me. ‘Why should I believe anything you say?’ I challenge, even as a part of me dreads the answers to the questions Aleksey has planted.
‘Because, Tory,’ he says, a cold hardness in his eyes, ‘ignorance in our world doesn’t grant you safety; it makes you a target. And believe me, being in the dark with a man like Maksim is the last place you want to be.’
‘You’re lying,’ I say, more out of defiance than conviction.
Aleksey shrugs, an infuriating smirk playing on his lips. ‘Believe what you want but know this—Maksim Morozov is not the saint you think he is. And you, my dear, are in the middle of a very dangerous game.’
His words hang in the air, a threat veiled as advice. I’m left grappling with the uncertainty of it all, wondering how much of the man I care for is the person Aleksey describes, and how much is the one I’ve come to know.
Aleksey doesn’t miss a beat, his voice smooth as he shifts gears. ‘I didn’t bring you here just to give you a fright, Tory. I’m offering you a deal.’
‘A deal?’ My voice is skeptical, incredulous at the turn this conversation is taking.
He nods, a predator’s grin spreading across his face. ‘There’s a storm coming to this city. A shakeup. And when the dust settles, I’ll be the one standing tall. Maksim, on the other hand…’ He lets the thought hang, unfinished but clear.
‘And what? You want me to… what, exactly?’ I’m struggling to keep up, to mask the rising horror at his implication.
‘I want you, Tory. No point in dressing it up. You’re smart, beautiful, and, let’s face it, wasted on Maksim. This is your chance to align with the winner. With me.’ He leans closer, his gaze locking onto mine. ‘Think about it. You could be my queen. My favorite pet. Doesn’t that sound enticing?’
The revulsion that surges through me is almost palpable. ‘Be your pet?’ The word tastes foul, and I can barely contain the disgust. ‘You think I’d ever choose that? Choose you?’
Aleksey laughs, a sound devoid of humor. ‘Oh, gorgeous, it’s not about choice. It’s about survival. And trust me, in the war that’s coming, you’ll want to be on the winning side.’
His assurance, his arrogance, it’s all designed to intimidate, to coerce. But it only fuels my resolve, my disdain for the man before me.
‘Listen, I don’t know what twisted fantasy you’ve concocted in your head, but I’m not some prize to be won. I’d rather take my chances with Maksim in whatever hell you think you’re going to unleash than spend another second entertaining this delusion of yours.’
Aleksey’s expression hardens, the facade of charm slipping to reveal the cold ambition underneath. ‘You’re making a mistake. But don’t worry,’ he adds, a sinister promise laced within his words, ‘since you’ve decided to align yourself with the wrong side, I have other plans for you. But I’ll warn you, most women can’t withstand my charms.’
His confidence, his assumption of my inevitable capitulation makes my skin crawl. But it also clarifies one thing: whatever game Aleksey’s playing, whatever future he envisions, I want no part in it. Not at his side. The very idea makes me sick.
Aleksey stands, and as he rounds the desk, a spike of fear shoots through me. I brace myself, half-expecting a blow, but what he does next is somehow even more revolting. He leans in close, too close, and inhales deeply, the air from his nose brushing against my hair.
‘You’re too beautiful for my brother,’ he murmurs, his voice a mix of mock pity and something darker.
The disgust rolls over me in waves, strong enough that I actually gag. ‘Keep away from me, or I swear I’ll puke,’ I snap, my stomach churning in agreement.
He only chuckles at my threat, an irritatingly unperturbed sound. Shrugging, he signals Nicky with a lazy flick of his wrist. ‘Take her downstairs,’ he commands, as if discussing the weather rather than dictating my movements.
Nicky’s grip is firm on my arm, but I’m too nauseated to resist effectively. As we start to move, Nicky hesitates, looking back at Aleksey. ‘Do you want Maksim shot on sight?’ he asks, a hint of eagerness in his tone.
Aleksey pauses, a slow smile spreading across his face. ‘No, let him come. It’ll be more fun this way,’ he decides, his gaze flickering to me with a glint of malice. ‘He’ll show up, desperate and heroic. But he won’t find what he expects.‘
‘No!’ I yell, my voice cracking with the intensity of my denial as his meaning sinks in. ‘Maksim is your blood, your brother. How can you even think about doing this?’
Nicky’s grip on my arm tightens as he hisses, ‘Shut up,’ but I barely hear him over the sound of my own heart pounding.
Aleksey just laughs, a sound devoid of any warmth. ‘Oh, Tory, that’s exactly why he needs to be taken out. Because he’s my brother.’ His eyes gleam with a chilling resolve.
Tears sting my eyes as Aleksey steps closer once more. I try to back away, but Nicky’s like a vise, keeping me anchored in place. ‘Maksim won’t be taken out immediately,’ Aleksey continues, his voice smooth as silk and just as suffocating. ‘I want him to watch as I take everything he loves, piece by piece.’
I’m frozen, horror rooting me to the spot. Desperation claws its way up my throat, and in a last-ditch effort to find some shred of humanity in him, I blurt out, ‘I’m pregnant, Aleksey. You’re talking about your niece or nephew.’
Aleksey pauses, and for a moment, I dare to hope my words have impacted him. But his expression hardens again, and any flicker of decency vanishes. ‘Even better,’ he says, his voice dripping with venom. ‘What a perfect way to bind you to me, Tory. Maksim’s child, raised under my roof. Can you imagine the agony that would cause him?’
I’m shaking now, not just with fear, but with an overwhelming sense of betrayal and disgust. How could anyone, even someone as ruthless as Aleksey, be so cold, so cruel? Nicky’s grip is the only thing keeping me upright as I struggle to process the depth of Aleksey’s depravity.
Aleksey’s eyes light up with a twisted sort of glee. ‘Does Maksim know you’re pregnant?’ His voice is eager, like he’s just been handed the winning card.
I’m torn, caught between wanting to shield this truth from him and the instinct to be honest. In the end, the truth spills out. ‘No, he doesn’t know yet.’
Aleksey laughs, the sound echoing off the walls, chilling me to the bone.
‘You’re insane,’ I spit out, anger and fear mingling in my voice. ‘A complete psychopath.’
He doesn’t flinch at my words. Instead, he shrugs, as if I’ve complimented him. ‘Or maybe I simply kill you. Your death, and the death of Maksim’s unborn child,’ he muses, ‘what a perfect way to break him.’
I’m reeling, every instinct screaming at me to get away, to protect my baby from this madman. But before I can even think of a plan, Aleksey’s issuing orders. ‘The basement,’ he says to Nicky, who immediately starts dragging me away.
I’m fighting every step, but Nicky’s grip is like iron. As we leave the office, Aleksey’s voice follows us, a promise or a threat, I can’t tell which. ‘Don’t worry, Tory. Nothing will happen to you until Maksim arrives.’
His words hang heavy in the air, a dark cloud that follows me as I’m hauled down the hallway. The reality of my situation is suffocating, the danger I’m in, and the danger my baby is in, all too real. But amidst the fear, a fierce determination takes root.
Maksim doesn’t know I’m pregnant, but I’ll do everything in my power to protect our child from his brother’s madness. Somehow, I have to survive this—for me, for my baby, for Maksim.