His Mafia Prince

(MILES)

I enter Sasha’s study and notice that he isn’t happy with me. He is seated beside the fireplace, sulking. On a normal day, we get along like pasta and butter. Our relationship is way more than an employee-employer relationship. We are more like brothers. Sometimes the lines even get blurred.

I need to remember that we aren’t brothers though. It is dangerous to forget that he is the head of the Triple Triad syndicate.

I can’t blame him for being upset with me. The way I behaved with Arlo was reckless, and now he has to deal with the aftermath.

I gave Arlo my bite, and now I’ve complicated an already complicated situation more. Sasha hates complications. Now I’m stuck in the mud.

"Sasha," I say quietly. "I’ll get through to him. He is young and is blinded by vengeance. He thinks he is always right. That makes him a fool."

"He is never going to see it our way. You have to understand that." He scowls at me.

I hold his surly gaze and my stomach turns. I know the chances of Arlo reasoning beyond his feelings and seeing what’s really at stake are teeny tiny. "I have to try."

"Will you?" he asks dismissively. "We could just slit the punk’s throat and get it over and done with. Why won’t you just let me kill him and make this easy for us both?" He sounds like a petulant child. "I’ll happily snap his neck. You won’t even have to watch me do it."

I bite my jaw and swallow loudly. Hearing him talk about killing Arlo this casually makes me stiff. What would I do if he tried to kill him? I don’t think I will be able to watch him kill Arlo and just stand there mute. I can’t even begin to think of going against Sasha. I also can’t imagine letting him kill Arlo on my watch.

"I wish I hadn’t given him my bite. I would have happily killed him myself, boss."