“Dad…” Asher’s tone shifted, it sliced through the room, the way he said Dad, his voice rasped, his tone dropped. And I realized, I was very much in over my head. These people were killers. This wasn’t Marvel, more like Suicide Squad.
“I really like him.” I interrupted the tense moment.
The guy across from me grinned. “Mmm.” He reached down and pulled out a folder; it was black, and it had my name on it. “Understand that men like us are curious.”
“Because I’m not Italian?” I wondered out loud.
The corners of his mouth lifted into a smile. “Nah, Claire, it’s not because of who you aren’t… it’s because of who you are.”
“Come again?” I wondered out loud.
“Step. Away.” A familiar voice sounded. Meanwhile, I hadn’t even heard the door close, what in the world? Slowly I turned.
A gun was held to Asher’s head.
My uncle, on the other end of it.
I jumped to my feet, knocking my chair on its side.
His eyes raked over me, then he nodded to Nixon. “Thanks for the text.”
“Figured the jet would get you here faster.” Nixon just grinned like he was enjoying himself.
“Nikolai?” Asher craned his neck around.
“Uncle Nikolai?”
“Were you or were you not just having sex with my niece?” His finger pressed the trigger.
This was not happening.
Uncle Nikolai was stupid rich.
Famous.
Incredible.
My mom’s boss.
I would do anything for him.
“Right, was getting to that part.” The other guy smiled. “She’s a Petrov… surprise!”
“It’s like this family just can’t stay away from Russia,” Sergio said under his breath earning stares his way and a kiss from his wife.
“Um, can someone explain…” My voice trailed off when Asher winked at me and then gave Nikolai a playful shrug.
With a sigh, Nikolai lowered his gun and stared Asher down. “You’re lucky you’re one of my favorites.”
Asher rolled his eyes. “We’re all your favorite, you can’t help it.”
“Wine?” Nixon held up a bottle.
Nikolai took the entire thing, not taking my eyes off me. “Do your parents know?”
“What do you mean, do they know? It’s been like four hours!”
“Five.” Asher coughed. I glared at him; he just shrugged with a smile. “Sorry, I’m a numbers guy.”
“Just don’t ask him to go past ten,” Violet said sweetly, earning an eye roll from him.
I was having a hard time wrapping my head around any of this.
My uncle.
Russian.
I mean, I knew that we had Russian blood in us, compliments of Nikolai and his wife, but still.
I frowned down at my hands. “Is this a problem?”
Nikolai burst out laughing while the rest of the guys at the table snickered.
“Yes, because Italians are a pain in the ass to deal with at Christmas, so loud… never any vodka.”
“He lies,” Sergio said in a bored voice. “We always have vodka; he’s just pissed because it’s Tito’s…”
Nikolai made a face.
“What are you even doing here?” I blurted. “I haven’t seen you since I left for school!”
He just grinned that good looking grin that got him on the front cover of People magazine and shrugged. “We all have our connections, don’t we?”
Asher raised his hand. “Question, when were you guys going to tell me that her uncle has a scary amount of kills to his name? Anyone? Anyone at all?”
“Oh, that’s why we called him.” Chase flashed us both a grin. “You know, figured it was smart to have a legit doctor do the whole reasons why you don’t have sex in your dorm room talk, then again I realized I didn’t have a leg to stand on, neither does Nixon, Sergio, don’t even get me started on cousin Vic…” A tall, brooding guy with enough guns strapped to his chest, rolled his eyes. Had he seriously been standing by the door the whole time? “And Tex well he just plowed right through—” A gun was pointed at Chase, “HEY! No weapons at the table!”
Tex shrugged, gun still pointed. “I’m the Godfather.”
I mean, he wasn’t wrong…
“Shoot him, Chase, I’m next in line.” Another male voice snickered, earning my attention. Yup, all beautiful. Every last one of them.
“Dom doesn’t have the balls,” Tex said dryly.
“I don’t need a sex talk.” I felt the need to say. “Is this how every family dinner goes?”
Everyone fell silent as if the silence meant they agreed with each other.
I moved away from the table, needing some space away from the crazy, well that and my uncle’s watchful eyes. Asher joined me, clutching my hand in his.
And then I found myself walking away while Nikolai chased Asher and me down.
“Hey.” Nikolai grabbed my hand and spun me back around. “You know we’re just giving you shit, right? I only flew down to scare him, and he’s still wearing a smug expression handed down by his equally smug father.”
“Standing, right here.” Asher waved at us.
“You know—” Nikolai’s face darkened “—once you’re in… that’s it, there is no escape…”
“Are you talking from experience?” I asked in a weak voice.
“We all have blood on our hands,” he said somberly. “Some more than others.”
“He’s some,” Asher piped up. “Just in case you were curious.”
“Coming from the guy who had his first kill at twelve?” Nikolai made it seem like it wasn’t a big deal. I dropped Asher’s hand, my legs heavy, head swimming with questions.
Twelve?
Years?
Old?
I was still playing with Barbies! And he had a gun? Okay, maybe not Barbies, more like makeup, but the thought of it was outrageous!
“Thanks, Nik.” Asher rubbed the back of his head with his hand and did a small circle like he wasn’t sure whether to strangle something or just let what Nikolai had said take root in my mind. “Give us a minute?”
Nikolai bit back a curse and then turned on his heel and called back. “Get her pregnant I cut off two fingers and your pinky toe.”
“Pinky?” I whispered hoarsely.
“Helps a person balance and all that.” Asher waved me off like it was a joke when I knew that it wasn’t—Nikolai meant every word, didn’t he?
I frowned.
“Something wrong?” Asher cupped my face with his hands. “I mean other than the obvious.” The corner of his mouth lifted in a beautiful smile, one that I wanted to focus on because if I could focus on that smile, then everything else didn’t matter, right? It just faded into the background.
I exhaled a slow and steady breath. “Do you think my mom knows? About Nikolai?”
His eyes searched mine. “The truth?”
I nodded. “Always.”
“I’m going to assume your mom and dad both know more than they’re willing to admit. I’ll let you in on a little secret.”