I nodded at him. “It’s good to see you,dyadya.”
Waving me with his hand, he said, “Come. Kirill and Dima are in the living room. I was just trying to find something to eat.”
I followed him out of the kitchen and down the hall. When we reached the living room, you could’ve cut the tension between Kirill and Dima with a chainsaw.
“Glad you could make it, Maksim,” Kirill said as he rose from his seat.
“It is both a d-duty and a pleasure to speak with family.”
Kirill pursed his lips. “I’m sure you’re wondering why we requested such an abrupt meeting.”
With a shrug, I replied, “Not really. Issues arise all the time.”
“Like business opportunities,” Matvey remarked.
I exchanged a glance with Dima before focusing my attention on my uncles. “I can assume this isn’t about your d-displeasure over us not having a funeral for Father?”
Kirill narrowed his eyes. “Despite your rejection of tradition, we ensured that Danill received a proper Order for the Burial.”
I didn’t bother asking how that was possible without a body. In the end, I didn’t care what was done for my father’s alleged soul.
After puffing on his cigar, Matvey said, “Some distressing news has come to us about business dealings with non-Bratva members.”
Dima cocked his brows. “Since when have we not reached out to the Irish or Italians or Yakuza? After all, Father planned to unite our sister with an Irish family.”
Matvey grunted. “I sure as hell didn’t agree with Danill on that one.”
“Neither did I,” Kirill replied.
“It’s not good to dilute the Bratva blood,” Matvey mused.
“Well, Dima and I d-don’t see it that way.”
“No. We don’t.”
“And that’s understandable,” Kirill replied. “What disturbs Matvey and myself is the fact you’ve gone into business with the family who shamed Danill,” Kirill argued.
“So you’re pissed about the nightclub?”
“Absolutely. While alliances are important, you should look within your own family for opportunities.”
And there it was. The real reason they were pissed is that we didn’t ask one of their jackass sons to be a part of our nightclub deal. I’d never been close to my cousins despite my mothertrying to foster relationships with them. I think she wanted me to choose them over my half-siblings.
Matvey’s only son, Artom, was tolerable, but Kirill’s sons, Konstantin, or Kostya as he was called, and Gleb, were psychotic assholes. I didn’t want to share a room with them, least of all a business.
When I threw a glance at Dima, he nodded. “After the mess Father created with the Kavanaughs, it was in our best interest to form a business alliance as well as Mila’s marital alliance.”
Kirill shifted in his seat. “While that is understandable, you didn’t even ask your cousins if they wanted a stake in your club?”
“This was strictly between us and the Kavanaughs,” Dima replied.
“And the Neretti’s,” Matvey shot back.
Since I was losing my patience with my uncles, my speech began to slip. “B-Because they also have a connection t-to the Kavanaughs and are in this city.”
“Regardless of how you want to paint it, it was an obvious slight,” Kirill replied.
Although I wanted nothing more than to clench my jaw, I knew I couldn’t if I wanted to speak clearly. “I’m sorry you see it that way,” I replied.
