Page 3 of Lord of Justice

"Yeah, because against my better judgment Violet's sisters, Rose and Iris, joined us tonight," he says, gulping down his drink. His wife's sisters are twins, identical, and from all accounts, a nightmare to supervise. I follow his stare and see one of the girls, tossing a thick mane of chestnut hair over one shoulder, looking demure in a black dress. But the grin she's giving the man in front of her is avaricious, cunning, and the fool is already too enchanted to figure it out.

She's joined by the other sister, who slips her arm around her sister's waist and smiles at the man too, angling her head toward her twin.

"Goddamnit," Roman snarls. "That's the British ambassador. Excuse me, I have to get to them before they leave him a broken shell of a man."

"That's true," Nik agrees. "I've seen those two drain a man of his will to live within minutes. It's almost beautiful to watch, actually." Roman ignores us and starts shouldering his way through the crowd, which parts around him like he's a trawler breaking ice in the North Sea. "Those twoare dangerous," Nik says, "but they're fun."

My father joins us, shaking my hand. Despite the rigid hierarchy of the Morozov family and the horrific way he was raised by my now dead grandfather, he is nothing but warm and approving with his children.

"Otets."I bow my head respectfully, as does Nik. "Are you enjoying the party?"

"Do I look like one of your guests that you have to have a dull conversation with?" He laughs. "I do enjoy watching you in your element, the King surveying his domain."

"Please,” Nikandr groans. "I don't think you need to fill him with even moreoverwhelmingself-esteem than he currently possesses."

"True,” Father acknowledges. “But what he has accomplished for the family is remarkable. Plus, for my personal spiteful enjoyment, he's taken down several bastards that I have wanted to cut into pieces for a very long time."Thisis how I know he's my father. He hides his smile behind a glass of vodka, but it's savage, almost feral.

Nikandr grins at me. "This is true. Didn't you make Judge Williams cry last week? Right there on the bench?"

"Well…" I allow myself a small smile. "I'm certain he cried much harder when he found out he'd been passed over for the Supreme Court nomination."

Nodding approvingly, Father says, "We are not here to worry about the problems of lesser men," he intones, sounding very much like his brother Maksim, the formerPakhan, who is essentially a frostbitten human being that thaws only for his wife, Ella.

The lights strung over the rooftop sway slightly with the spring breeze, and some petals from the huge pot of flowering plants drift through the air, a little one landing on my shoulder. I look down on it, frowning.

"So tiny. It's an iris blossom. In the motherland, they're considered good luck," Father says. I flick it impatiently off my shoulder. This suit is a custom Kiton three piece. "How did it go with our problem from Florida?" he asks, still scanning the crowd.

"He was convicted yesterday. Three counts of manslaughter." I chuckle softly. "He's about to find his unfortunate end on Riker's Island. I have men sharpening their knives as we speak. His mafia daddy won't be getting him out of this."

"Good work," he nods approvingly. "I'll see you later."

I hear my mother's laugh. She's linked arms with Aunt Ella, they're giggling over something andI'd prefer not to know what it is. The two of them together are a menace, even after these many years they have a very troubling sense of humor. My gaze drifts again, watching Roman smoothly inserting himself between his sisters-in-law and the already enchanted ambassador. Messy. Emotional. It's exhausting just to look at it.

Wading back into the party, I overhear some pompous asshole bleating at Mayor Cavanaugh. "But Morozov has never been a judge and now he's going to be on the New York State Supreme Court? Is that even possible?"

Cavanaugh laughs. Loudly. "You want to tell him he can't?"

It is well known that there are a million dire Russian pronouncements of good luck invariably followed by misfortune. The party was a success, so it should not surprise me that once it’s over, I'm called into one of the big meeting rooms downstairs.

Walking in, my spine stiffens. Father's seated at the long ebony conference table, along with Uncle Maksim and Aunt Ella. Dmitri's seated next to his father, along with Roman and Alexsey. Nikandr smiles at me, he's surrounded by a handful of Dmitri's top advisors.

"Was there something wrong with the vodka?" Iinquire, straightening my jacket. "Or were you, perhaps, unhappy with hors d'oeuvres?"

Dmitri is having none of it. "Come sit down, would you?"

I've been looking forward to going home and getting in a workout before bed. I'm going to get soft under all these suits, if I don't lift weights every day. "What is on your mindPakhan?" I ask, settling at the foot of the table.

"There's been some rumblings about your unmarried status and suitability to be a Supreme Court Justice," Dimitri says with a wry twist of his mouth. He obviously finds this bullshit as tiring as I do.

"Since when do we worry aboutrumblings?" I ask, lacing my fingers together.

"It's both Bratva insiders and some of the government higher-ups. Like the governor. Marian called me yesterday."

I break into laughter until I realize no one's joining in. "The governorcalled you, concerned about my marital status?"

Uncle Maksim speaks up. "It is clear that she knows that this nomination is going through with, or without her approval. She's too smart to oppose it. But in all things, particularly politics, appearances matter." He spits out the lastsentence as if it tasted bad in his mouth. AsPakhan,Uncle Maksim was always used to doing whatever the hell he wanted and other people would have to adapt. I've always found that position refreshing.

"Well…" I gather my thoughts. "Everyone was quite aware of my marital status when I was nominated. They're still aware of it now that I'm about to take the position. So, what is our problem?"