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“So do you.”

“My weakness can handle herself,” I easily replied, and Nirah’s face found pride.

“I’ve had practice,” she cheerfully announced with a shrug of her right shoulder.

“You lowered your gun. You’re assuming I’ll let you walk out of here alive.” Damien’s voice lowered.

“You wouldn’t risk Isla’s life by killing me.”

He seemed to understand that my men would be out for blood if they got word that the Russian bratva killed their leader. And they wouldn’t stop until generations were wiped out.

I stepped toward him, the muzzle of his gun mere inches from my chest.

“Moretti is under my protection. Fuck with him, or his loved ones, and my next visit will end in bloodshed.”

He didn’t seem to like that.

“This isn’t our fight. Your grandfather made the arrangement with his grandparents. It didn’t work. Move the fuck on.”

The muscle in his jaw ticked.

He knew as well as I did that this feud was complete bullshit. “You didn’t want your sister marrying him anyway.”

Isla’s face found confusion, and I stepped back. Slinging my arm over Nirah’s shoulder, I pulled her to me and we passed them.

He murmured something in Russian, and soon Nirah and I were back in my car, heading to the hotel.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” My grasp on the steering wheel tightened as the car sped down the narrow road. “How did you get out?”

She grinned, angling her body to me. “You’re talking to the master of seduction.”

I watched her run her middle finger across her bottom lip and rage sparked inside of me.

“What the fuck did you do?”

She simply shrugged. “I asked nicely.”

“Nirah.”

“Fine,” she sighed in annoyance. “I climbed out onto the balcony, then made my way to the balcony of the bedroom beside mine, slipped inside and snuck out their front door. The plan was to hide in your trunk until you stopped so that I could escape, but you fucked that up by almost getting yourself killed.”

I could almost laugh. She was fucking ridiculous. Yet… brave. I wanted to scream at her. Reprimand her for being so reckless. But all I could think about was how smart she could be when she wasn’t pretending to be an airhead.

Instead, I settled for a defensive approach. “I didn’t almost get myself killed.”

“Agree to disagree.” She shrugged. “Can I know what that was all about?” She breathed, glancing back to make sure we were really in the clear.

I stayed silent.

I didn’t need her to know that I had been tracking her for years, which led me to Moretti.

“I risk my life for you and you’re still being a complete asshole,” she groaned, arms crossed as she angled her body toward her door.

With her eyes staring out, I cast a slight glance her way, suppressing a smile.

“Thank you for helping me, Nirah,” she mumbled to herself. “Matter of fact, thanks for saving my life,” she added under her breath. “Those men would’ve killed me if you didn’t shoot them. I really appreciate your help.”

Then, her head snapped to me, cold brown eyes meeting mine.