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“Maybe it’s time you get some kids of your own,” Nikko says. I don’t know him that well, but there’s a teasing glint in his eyes that tells me he’s needling her.
She either missed that, or it’s a touchy subject, because her cheeks flush pink and she purses her lips. “You can mind your own business, Nikko. I don’t seeyouputting a ring on a finger or knocking anybody up, do I?”
“Polina!” Ekaterina hisses so she doesn’t wake up Ivy.
She only shrugs. “They’re not going to get rid of me that easily.”
Something in me squeezes. Tears prick my eyes and I have to look away.
My family got rid of me that easily. God, itburns.
A warm hand covers mine. I look up to see Aleks still focused on the family meeting, but he squeezes my hand wordlessly.
I flip my hand under his and squeeze back.
“You remember that judge that gave us shit?” Viktor says, reaching for a cookie.
“The one with the mustache?” Nikko says in a growl. “Yeah, I remember well.”
“Let’s just say he developed a newfound appreciation for community work. Next week, he’ll be joining you for a round of golf, Kolya.”
Kolya’s eyes twinkle. “Fascinating what a little charity work can do for perspective, isn’t it, gentlemen?”
Ahh. Here we go with the mobster — excuse me,Bratvadiscussion. They just have more class than my family.
Kolya turns to Aleks. “Has Stravinsky caught up on those gambling debts?” He shakes his head. “Poor guy. He may need a little financial counseling, Aleksandr. Just to make sure he understands how crucial timely payments are.”
A muscle twitches in Aleks’s jaw. I shiver. “Last I checked, Stravinsky was vacationing with his trophy wife in Bermuda. So yeah, I think a little financial counseling is in order.”
Ekaterina purses her lips and rocks Ivy gently. “Mikhail, I wanted to let you know that I witnessed one of your soldiers spending time with that Anderson boy down at the graveyard when I put flowers on your father’s grave.”
The whole room tenses. “Are you serious?” Mikhail asks. I have no idea what they’re talking about, but apparently, she just dropped a bomb.
“Oh, yes,” she says, gently running her fingers through Ivy’s hair. “Maybe it’s time we have a bit of a discussion about family values and what we mean by loyalty, hmm?”
My eyes widen when Aleksandr sits up taller. “Viktor, are you free tomorrow night?”
“Of course,” Viktor says. There’s something about the way he chomps the cookie that reminds me of a tiger.
“You and Nikko have a planned hunting trip then, don’t you?”
“We do.”
He cuts his eyes to me. “Harper, I think it’s time you joined them.”
Nikko grins, but Viktor looks bemused. “You want your wife to go with us?” He leans forward. “Youaretalking about the — hunting trip — down by the beach house, aren’t you?”
Who goes hunting by a —ohhh.
Well, shit.
Aleksandr smiles. “I am. Nikko, we need to tell them what we discovered today.”
“I’d rather show them,” he says. “May I?”
My skin prickles with awareness and I suddenly feel a little nauseous. What are they going to show? Do I want to know?
Why does the daughter of a mobster still get queasy when it comes to things like this? Right now, as far as I can tell, they’re talking about “hunting,” which I assume has some sort of assassination vibe, “financial planning” due to someone’s poor financial choices, which I can only assume means beating somebody the fuck up, a “discussion” about family values and loyalty, which naturally means someone’s in deep shit, and an offer from the family hitman to “smooth things over.”
