“And that still didn’t drop any clues for you…?” he sighs. “Sorry, go on.”
“I…actually talked to Andrés Torvallés first.”
Roman groans. “For fuck's sake, Evie. If I’d known you were going to people like theTorvallésfamily, or the fucking Syndicate?—”
“You’d have what,” I say tightly. “Done something about Dad?”
At first, a long exhale is his only answer. Then he clears his throat.
“Wait, when did you go to Andrés? He’s been missing and presumed dead for like three four months.”
I nod. “I know,” I say quietly, thinking of the night when Vaughn yanked Andrés out of that car and just…killed him.
For touching me.
For trying to hurt me.
Something sparks inside of me.
“Can I say something?” Roman says quietly.
“Sure?”
He exhales. “Look, I know you always had it easier with Dad. And that’s nothing on you, he’s just old school like that, and you were the princess,” he says gently. “But I’ve spent my life being able to see him pretty clearly. And the thing is, his priority is, always has been, and alwayswill be, himself. Full stop.”
I frown, looking down at my hands.
“I don’t even necessarily think he’s an evil guy, Evie,” he continues. “He’s just…a shitty, defective human being who thinks only about himself, and that makes him doshitty stuff.”
He sighs heavily.
“There’s no helping someone like that. Because at the end of the day, he’s his own worst enemy. You could have done everything in the world to help him when he was whining about being abandoned in Russia. You could have given him every cent you have and a fucking organ, and that prick wouldstillfind a way to let you down and take it all for himself. I guarantee that, and if you still don’t believe me, look at today’s headline again.”
Roman snorts.
“The Minsky Bratva has spentdecadespaying off the right people in the Russian Government to basically be untouchable. It worked for them foryears.” He chokes out a bitter laugh. “Then they got in bed with our dad, whoimmediatelydid something incredibly stupid and utterly self-serving and fucked up the whole thing.” Roman sighs. “The Minsky family was untouchable forthirty fucking years, and all it took was fourfucking weeks allying themselves to that fucking prick to get their shit kicked in.”
He sighs, and we both go quiet for a moment.
“And then there’s you,” he finally says tiredly. “I might not like Vaughn that much, and I sure as fuck don’t likeyouand Vaughn together. But what pisses me off the most is that you getting together is just one more piece of collateral damage from fuckingPavel.”
My heart twists.
“That’swhat you think of me finding happiness with Vaughn?” I mutter. “That it’scollateral damage?”
“Isn’t it?” he grunts. “Dad whined to you, knowing you’d do anything to help him. And you did, by quite literally getting in bed with a psycho like Vaughn?—”
“Half your friends are fucking psychos!” I yell. “Nero?! Carmen?!Nico?! I mean are you even serious right now?!”
“Well I’d never in a million years let youdate them!” he snaps.
I bark a thin, brittle laugh. “Let me? Roman, I’m twenty-three years old! I’m not a kid anymore! Why the fuck are you acting like it’s the end of the world that I grew up and found someone?!”
“Because of who that someoneis!” he roars. “I’ve done everything I can to shield you from the worst parts of the world you and I grew up in, and now here you are with theactual worstof that world?—”
“Look at our last name!” I yell, choking out a bitter laugh. “Rome, that worldismy world! Why are you so worried that I might be in love with someone from?—”
“Please,” he snarls. “We both know whatever this shit is with Vaughn, it’s a rebellious phaseat best. I just don’t understand why you couldn’t just go out and get a tattoo like a normal person!”
