Page 84 of The Dark Side

"I'm fucked," Adrik admitted, sinking into the chair.

Alexei pulled to the side of the road. He kept the car running, letting the air conditioning cool his temper. He wasn't mad at his brother for lying, though it would have stopped him from thinking about Jolie in his spare time. He was angry because of the danger Adrik put himself in. Adrik didn't realize how bad things could get with their father. He had been sheltered. He didn't want what happened with Melissa to happen to Jolie. "Answer this before anything else. If you weren't married. If Papa wasn't around. If you weren't in the Mafia. Would you be with this girl?"

It's crazy because all those things he mentioned were the only things stopping him from pursuing her already. He couldn't say it, because he knew what it meant. But he nodded, as terrible as it was.

Alexei sighed, loud and long. "Okay. You've known this girl for a month, and you already know. Mom always said when you know, you know. And I guess, you know." Alexei cut off his monologue and tapped on the steering wheel. "Any chance this is just lust? I mean, you've fucked her, right?"

"No."

"No?" Alexei said incredulously, hiding a wave of selfish relief. "Then, maybe you just got to get her out of your system."

"She isn't like that."

Alexei fought a smile. He agreed that Jolie wasn't like that. It's one of the things he liked about her, too. It was one of many, many things.

Jealousy popped up, and Alexei sat silent, staring blankly out the window. Of all the girls they've ever encountered, they've never gone after the same one. Adrik liked porn stars, and Alexei was into the 'housewife' type. So, what changed? He was so blown away by his brother's interest in Jolie that he couldn't grasp it.

Why this one?

Jealousy was an emotion Alexei dealt with a lot growing up. He had to watch his father dote on Adrik with gifts, with hugs and warmth, while Alexei was ridiculed if he had a wrinkle in his shirt.

"I'm not gonna let you hurt this girl, Adrik. So, are you sure, beyond a doubt, she's what you want? She's nothing like the girls you've been with." The words came from a place of resentment despite how he tried to make it seem selfless.

"Don't you think I know that?" Adrik bit back. "She's a mouse in a snake pit. I've tried talking myself out of it, but I can't." Adrik pulled a paper from his pocket, slapping it on his brother's leg. "Wrote a whole damn pro-cons list. And none of it fucking matters."

Alexei could hear the turmoil in his brother's voice, but it didn't stop the evil smile as he unwrapped the paper to check it out. A dozen cons were on the list, all reasonable and valid, with only one pro. Of course, he had to read it out loud. "‘Pro: she's perfect.’ Awww."

Adrik snatched the paper from his brother's hand, slapping him in the face with it.

Alexei cackled, hiding his head. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry."

Alexei watched him, his smile slowly fading. There was no denying it then. Adrik was in love with Jolie. It was rough to accept because he began to think he was feeling the same damn things. She was perfect in every way that other women weren't.

His jealousy was fading. Adrik was his best friend, and despite always getting everything Alexei wanted, Adrik cared for him when no one else did.

Alexei swallowed any spite and became the big brother. "Alright. Here's the plan. One, you can't look at her. Even side glances. She doesn't exist. She's beneath you in every sense of the word—"

"No, she's—"

"She's beneath you. Everyone sees it. She is a schoolteacher. She is a cat-loving book nerd. A Democrat. American! She is completely out of your realm. She might as well be on a different fucking planet."

"Okay."

"Okay." Alexei rubbed his face, trying to organize the jumbled mess of his thoughts. "I'll get you both burner phones that you can use to talk to each other. But you have to delete your messages every night. Keep the phone in your safe. I'll get her a safe. But number one, the most important, you can't fuck her in the house."

Adrik wanted to fight. He tried to pretend that it wasn't a big deal and that it wouldn't matter if he made his way to her room. Or if he snuck them into private hallways or closets where his father's cameras weren't watching.

"If you guys get caught, her life is in danger. Dad will kill her if he realizes what's going on."

Adrik knew this; it had been the one thought to keep him from going after her, but how was he supposed to keep them a secret? It didn't seem possible.

"Does anyone else know?"

"Gil."

"Gil?" Alexei huffed. "You told him before me?"

Adrik scratched his head, feeling guilty. Gil was the one who harbored all the taboo secrets of the family. But telling Alexei made it real, and up till this point, Jolie was a secret in his closet. Now, there was no going back. "I knew you wouldn't approve."