Chapter 78: How Is She?

POV: DIMITRI

The text from Mike came at 8 PM, just as Dimitri and Eve were finishing dinner.

We need to talk. Meet me at Sinners. 10 PM

Dimitri showed the message to Eve.

"Go," she said immediately. "You haven’t seen him since the confrontation. You two need this."

"I don’t like leaving you..."

"Dimitri." She took his face in her hands. "Mike is your best friend. Your brother in every way that matters. And you’ve been walking on eggshells around each other for weeks. Go. Talk. Fix whatever’s still broken between you."

"What about you?"

"I’ll be fine. Nonna’s here. Marco will be here. And I have quarterly reports to review." She kissed him softly. "Go. Make things right with Mike. I’ll be waiting when you get back."

Two hours later, Dimitri walked into Sinners, the club where everything had started. Where he’d first seen Eve drunk and devastated and determined to forget her cheating husband.

Where he’d claimed her for the first time.

The main floor was packed, bodies moving to heavy bass, lights strobing, the familiar controlled chaos of his territory.

But Dimitri bypassed all of it, heading for the private VIP section on the third floor.

Mike was already there, sprawled on the leather sofa with a whiskey in hand, looking every bit the dangerous man he’d become over the years working in Dimitri’s world.

Six-two, built like a fighter, with dark hair and Eve’s hazel eyes. He wore jeans and a black henley, casual in a way Dimitri never managed anymore.

"Brother," Mike said, lifting his glass in greeting.

"Mike." Dimitri sat across from him, accepted the whiskey Marco poured before the bodyguard retreated to give them privacy. "You said you wanted to talk business."

"I do. But first...." Mike leaned forward. "How is she? Really?"

"Eve?"

"No, the Queen of England. Yes, Eve." Mike’s expression was serious. "You’ve had her for what....eight weeks now? And I’ve barely seen her. Barely talked to her. She’s dodging my calls."

"She’s not dodging. She’s just...."

"Afraid I’m going to lecture her? Try to pull her away from you?" Mike took a drink. "Can’t say I blame her. I wasn’t exactly welcoming when I found out."

"You punched me in the face."

"You broke your promise. You touched my baby sister." But there was no heat in Mike’s voice now. Just resignation. "Though I’ll admit she seems happy. Happier than I’ve seen her in years. Maybe ever."

"She is happy," Dimitri said quietly. "I make sure of it."

"I know you do. I’ve had people watching"

"I know. I’ve been letting them watch."

Mike smiled slightly. "Of course you have." He set down his glass. "Look, I’m not going to pretend I’m thrilled about this. You’re my best friend, but you’re also the Devil. And Eve....she’s good. Pure. She doesn’t belong in our world."

"She chose it anyway."

"I know." Mike ran a hand through his hair. "And that scares the shit out of me. Because the world we live in? It destroys good people. It takes the light and snuffs it out."

"Not if I protect her."

"Can you? Really?" Mike’s eyes were intense. "Can you protect her from Isabella? From Enzo? From your father? From every enemy you’ve made over the years who’ll see her as your weakness?"

"Yes." Dimitri’s voice was absolute. "I would burn the entire world down before I let anyone hurt her."

"I believe you." Mike sighed. "Which is why I’m here. To help. To make sure you have the resources to keep that promise."

Dimitri went still. "What are you saying?"

"I’m saying...." Mike pulled out a tablet, brought up shipping manifests. "The Kozlov shipment came in early. Three hundred units. High-grade. We can move it through the usual channels, but I think we should hold back fifty units. Keep them in reserve."

"Why?"

"Because Antonio’s going to make a move soon. I can feel it. And when he does, we’re going to need leverage." Mike scrolled to another document. "Also, the auction next week, the Belmont estate. I think we should bid. The property gives us a strategic position between Russo and Moretti territories."

"That’s risky. Lorenzo won’t like us expanding that close to his borders."

"Fuck Lorenzo." Mike’s voice was hard. "We’re building our own empire here. And if the Russos don’t like it, they can take it up with us directly."

Dimitri smiled. This. This was what he’d missed. Mike standing beside him, planning, strategizing, ready to go to war.

"Alright. We bid on Belmont. And we hold back the fifty units." Dimitri pulled out his own phone. "What else?"

They spent the next hour discussing business....shipments, territory disputes, which families were becoming problems, which alliances were worth maintaining.

It felt like old times.

Like before Eve. Before the complications.

Just two brothers building an empire together.

Finally, Mike set aside the tablet and looked at Dimitri seriously.

"I heard Enzo’s in town," he said quietly.

And there it was.

The real reason for this meeting.

"He is," Dimitri confirmed. "Was. I told him to leave."

"Did he?"

"Don’t know yet. Marco’s tracking his movements." Dimitri took a drink. "Why?"

"Because I also heard he’s been making contact with the Volkov family. Alexei Volkov specifically."

Dimitri went very still. "Where did you hear that?"

"I have people in Moscow. They reached out when Enzo’s name started circulating in conversations about expansion, new alliances, territory grabs." Mike’s expression was grim. "Dimitri, if Enzo’s aligning with the Volkovs"

"Then he’s going independent. Building his own organization outside Antonio’s control."

"Which means war. You know Antonio won’t stand for that. He’ll see it as betrayal."

"It is betrayal." Dimitri’s mind was already racing, calculating angles. "But Enzo doesn’t have the resources to build something sustainable on his own. He’d need backing. Capital. Infrastructure."

"The Volkovs could provide all of that," Mike said. "They’ve been wanting to expand into Western Europe for years. If Enzo gives them a foothold....."

"Then we have a problem." Dimitri stood, paced to the window overlooking the club below. "A new player in the market. One with family connections and no loyalty to the old alliances."

"There’s more," Mike said quietly.

"What?"

"Isabella’s been seen with him. Multiple times. At his hotel. At her hotel. They’re working together."

Dimitri’s jaw clenched. "Of course they are. Two disappointed children of powerful fathers, bonding over their resentment."