“Then put more of an effort into this camp.”
“I’m putting in effort.”
“Fighting Niko and taunting Vaughn every chance you get isnoteffort.”
I pause and tilt my head to the side. “No?”
“You’re only hurting your case by going against a perfectly groomed mafia heir. He’s already proved to be superior to you in every aspect.”
I jump up, drag the cigarette from my lips, and put up a hand. “Not every aspect. I’m a better shooter, and he can’t win against me in a fistfight.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh, and he got punished for the first time with me.” I waggle my brows. “I’ll punch the shit out of him when we’re in the forest… Speaking of which, I should work out and hit the showers before we take off. Wanna join?”
“No, thanks. Just…” He runs a hand over his face, looking older than the old man Danil. I mean, Danil isn’t that old, but he acts as if he’s ancient. Same with Cy. Got some telepathy thing going on between them.
Danil should’ve been influenced by me, just saying.
“Vaughn goes by the book,” Cy says.
“And?”
“And he’s predictable. He won’t cause a ruckus, wouldn’t break rules he doesn’t have to. He walks around like someone who already has the weight of becoming Pakhan on his shoulders. He’s so mellowed out and levelheaded because he has to be. He’stheKirill Morozov’s son, after all, and someone like Vaughn will do everything in his power to live up to his father’s legacy.”
“I still don’t see why you’re bleeding my ears with nonsense. He’s such a golden boy and barely Russian, what does that have to do with me…except that I want to humiliate him? Will totally fight him and win?—”
“Yuliy,” Cy cuts me off. “Focus. He can be an asset, not an enemy. The New York Bratva are different from back home. You have a rare chance to forge a bond with him and use it in the future when you need it the most. Namely, when you’ll no longer be satisfied with being number two.”
“Me? A bond with Vaughn? I’d rather punch him.”
“Would punching him help you someday?”
“No, but it’ll feel good.”
He shakes his head. “Just think about it.”
“I don’t do that. You do it for me.”
“We’re all alone. You don’t have to pretend to be clueless.”
I lift a shoulder and leave the room so he’ll stop bitching.
I swear to fuck, Cy has personally chosen to become the nagger-in-chief of my life, talking and whining and warning.
If they could all shut up, I’d be having the best time ever.
Minus the hitting.
And the facade.
And my entire existence, really.
But hey, Cy, Mom, and Alina are the exceptions. Mom and Alina are the reasons I’ve survived thus far, and Cy is my bro.
Doesn’t matter that we’re not actually brothers.
Cy’s dad had some sort of an empire, similar to the empire my dad married my mother for—to get a piece of the business and inherit my dedushka’s power.
