"Damian Fraser," Dmitri's voice boomed in the basement.
Damian's hand froze mid-air. He looked at Shayna before turning back, his face going pale. He made a last-minute attempt to hide the woman, but it was too late.
Dmitri stepped into her view, looking as handsome as ever in his perfectly ironed shirt and suit pants.
She saw something flash in his eyes as he looked at her before he turned back to Damian, his expression perfectly calm.
"What are you doing here?" Damian's voice was rough but respectful.
"Just wanted to have a chat with my father-in-law regarding that absolutely beautiful young woman behind you."
Did he just compliment me?
"Stay out of this," he seethed, turning to face him.
"No," Dmitri replied, casually looking him straight in the eye.
Damian spun around, slapping her hard on the face and leaving a red imprint on her cheeks.
"You bitch! You called him here, didn't you? Despite knowing the rules of the summon, you dared to bring an outsider into this....
"That's enough," Dmitri said, quietly stepping forward.
"This is none of your business," Damian spat. "So, you can go on and fuck that little whore..."
His voice suddenly caught when he saw the look on Dmitri's face.
His eyes widened in realisation; he could not win over Dmitri Vassalis if a fight went underway.
He looked back at the strapped woman behind him before glaring at Damian in front of him.
"This isn't over," he hissed before storming out of the basement.
Shayna sat there, unsure of what to do, while Dmitri freed her from the straps.
"You need to get to the hospital," he remarked, his tone much softer than before.
"I don't have feelings for you," Shayna suddenly blurted out. "I swear I don't even think of you....
Dmitri stared at her incredulously before bursting out laughing.
"I know," he smiled, watching Shayna's stupefied expression. "Mairi sent me here. She wanted to come here herself, but she gets rather scared in front of Damian for some reason, so I came alone."
That would make sense.
"I don't even know why, though." Dmitri chuckled softly. "She's a fusebox in front of everyone else. Just scared of her father..."
"Damian Fraser is a really bad man," Shayna muttered, unsure of how much to speak. "And he made Mairi's life hell in her early years."
"But Mairi is well trained and rides a bike..."
"Shhh..." Shayna suddenly looked around. "If Damian finds out, you're gonna end up marrying a dead woman at the altar."
"He's that scary, huh?" Dmitri replied, though Shayna could still feel he was taking it all as a joke. "He ran away like a mouse with a tail cut off".
Well, that's because you're the fucking Greek Mafia king and built like a rhinoceros.
"Lucas really lucked out, though," Dmitri remarked, giving her a side glance. "You're beautiful and tough-skinned."
"Thank you," Shayna said, trying to get up. "You're not that bad.....AAAHHH."
A sharp pain had suddenly shot up her thigh as she tried to get up.
"You're gonna need help," Dmitri said, offering her hand. Shayna blinked before taking it.
This is not considered cheating, right?
"I'd carry you, but people here are pretty gossipy. And I don't want any bad rumours to go round."
Me too, dude. Me too.
"I can't go to a hospital," Shayna muttered, as Dmitri carefully walked her out. "It's in the....
"Oh, yes," Dmitri replied. "It's in your stupid rulebook, isn't it? Mairi told me about it."
"It's a safety precaution," Shayna smiled, limping.
"Well, then you're gonna have to come with me," Dmitri smiled. "Or else Mairi is gonna get worried sick about you."
"You really do like Mairi, don't you?" Shayna asked softly.
Dmitri looked up, pretending not to have heard.
.....
Mairi opened the door, and Shayna immediately noticed the exhaustion on her face. Her skin had paled, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Shayna gave him a side eye.
Not doing a very good job, Damian.
"Told you she's worried sick," Dmitri chuckled, slowly shifting her inside.
"Did my father do this?" Mairi's voice remained eerily calm.
"It's not that bad," Shayna tried to ease the situation.
"Damian, can you grab the first aid box and ice packs?"
"What's the magic word?"
"Damian, I swear to God, I'm going to kick you in your crotch so hard that...
"I'm going, I'm going," Damian said, moving out of her range. "No need to be so violent, geez."
"I'm so sorry," Mairi replied, her eyes actually moistening. "I always knew he was a monster, but to actually go this far..."
"Don't cry for me, Miss." Shayna immediately felt the need to apologize. "He's our Don; you're our Donna. It's your right to give your subordinates any kind of punishment."
"Are you really sure this is Vixen?" Damian had returned with the ice pack. "Last time I heard, you had disfigured that sleazy old Campbell. When did you become so pitiful?"
"Do you want me to take up Donna's offer?" Shayna glared at him.
"See, this is the Vixen I heard about."
"Is he always this obnoxious?" Shayna asked, turning to Mairi.
"Yeah, he's a natural," Mairi shook her head, slightly applying the ice pack to her cheek.
"You're an amazing woman, Donna. He's lucky to have you," Shayna said slowly.
"Hey, you've your own man to flirt with," Damian interjected, plopping his ass on the couch.
"Yeah, about that. Should I call Lucas and tell him about this?"
"No need," Shayna replied, though a wave of sadness washed over her.
"Oh no," Mairi immediately straightened up. "What did that motherfucker do now?"
"Nothing," Shayna smiled. "Just enjoying at a night bar."
Mairi's eyes turned wide as she immediately understood.
"That son of a bitch," she cursed. "I already knew that he was a piece of shit, but I didn't think he would ever drop this low."
"You could do so much better than him," she said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
If I could, I would.
"But then you both won't get to be each other's sisters-in-law and gossip about me," Dmitri chuckled, trying to lift the mood, though Shayna could find a shade of seriousness on his face.
"I would miss that," she looked at her warmly. "But sisters-in-law or not, you and Rebel are always going to be good friends of mine."
"Speaking of which, I directly called Rebel and Munay here. And I'm mad that you didn't tell me that they were a thing."
"It was pretty recent," Shayna smiled. "But they do look good together."
"Oh, they chewed my head off when I picked her call. It took me two minutes to barely register anything. It was like listening to a bunch of cats meowing for food."
"They do behave like that sometimes."
"And then she chewed my head off to go with me," Dmitri smirked from the couch.
"Because he was taking so much fucking time."
"Two minutes," Dmitri yelled back. "I took two minutes. And then drove 200 miles an hour."
"Well, if you had been faster, she wouldn't have gotten this hurt," Mairi snapped back.
"He actually reached there right on time," Shayna muttered, remembering. "And I'm really grateful to both of you for that."
"See, it doesn't hurt to be a little grateful," Dmitri said.
"Well," Mairi finally relaxed. "If you want me to be grateful, grab me six beers, three milkshakes, a bag of chips, five burgers and that chicken Alfredo from that convenience store we went to yesterday. And also some bandages and painkillers; we're nearly out of them too."
"Fine," Dmitri replied. "But if you don't say thank you this time, I'm going to take all of it and chuck it right back at the convenience store."
Mairi just smirked, blowing him an exaggerated flying kiss, while Shayna smiled.
They really are going to make a good couple.