It’s a peace offering, and probably the only one I’m going to get. I glance at my father’s prone body, still unconscious, but no less deadly. “I want my turn at him. For everything he did, it’s my right. And for my mother.”
“We’ll make a party of it,” Tatiana says brightly. She looks at Ilya and flutters her lashes. “You’ll let us use that fancy room of yours, won’t you,sakharok?”
It’s my turn to roll my eyes and try not to gag.
Ilya’s grin turns wicked. “It depends on what you’ll give me in return. I’m sure we can figure something out.”
“Jesus Christ, if you want to suck his dick, just go and do it,” Mishka snaps at Tatiana. Tatiana shoots him an annoyed glare. “We have shit to do, and story time is over.”
I snort out a laugh, unable to help myself. Yeah, that sounds like the Mishka I remember.
“Buzz kill,” Tatiana huffs. “And are you going to tell them your little piece of news?”
Mishka mutters something under his breath, but I don’t catch it. Instead, he looks at Ilya and says, “With the school finished, I’ll be returning to take over my father’s territory. We’ll sit down later to discuss alliances.”
“And you think I’m just going to stop my plans to cater to you?” Ilya’s demeanor instantly changes from easy to all business.
Mishka holds his stare. “You will if you don’t want a war on your hands. And we both know that I have far more at my back, considering my unwanted profession.” He dismisses Ilya without another word, looking back at me. “We need to talk,solnyshko.”
I nod, unable to reply, but I don’t miss the way Alonzo stiffens.
Yeah, he can’t be feeling too happy that my husband is back from the dead, but in this he’s going to have to trust me. I need a hell of an explanation before I can move forward.
“Alright, everyone, let’s get to work,” Tatiana says brightly, clapping her hands together. She glances around the room. “Though, you might want to move rooms, Aurora. This place is a bit of a mess.”
She really does want me to hit her again, doesn’t she?
Just to goad her, I ask, “Since your secret’s out, and killing us isn’t an option all things considered, what am I supposed to call you? Bitch comes to mind, but well, that’s just so cliched. You know, you kind of look like Alessandra or a Gianna.”
Her eyes flash furiously at the mentions of her birth names. The ones that only I and Alonzo know. A poignant reminder that I know far more about her than she’s ready for anyone else to know. I also know the name she was given and the name she goes by. One that few are privy to because she wanted to pick one herself all those years ago in the school.
Maybe it makes me a bitch to make her tell it, but considering everything, fair is fair.
“Of course she’d pick Italian names.” Oleg sneers, glancing between me and Alonzo.
I just smile. I’ve backed her into a corner, and unless she wants to kill me—though that’s not exactly off the table yet—she has no choice but to answer.
Checkmate, bitch.
“Lane. My name is Lane,” she finally spits out.
“Beautiful,” Ilya murmurs. I roll my eyes at Alonzo, but I don’t miss the smile that pulls at Lane’s lips at his words.
“Well then,Lane, I’ll meet you downstairs for the party shortly,” I tell her sweetly. Then I look at Mishka. “And we’ll talkafter.” He nods, turning away to haul my father up. He grunts, and Oleg moves to help him. The two of them say nothing to each other, but I don’t miss the distrustful look between them as they carry him out, Freya hot on their heels.
“Get the men to start cleaning shit up,” Ilya orders Zakhar, before he stares back at Lane with a hunger that makes me a little uncomfortable. He looks like a tiger ready to take down his prey.
“I’m going to make sure Mila is comfortable,” Zakhar says tightly. He scoops up his daughter, heading for the door. Mila rolls her eyes at us over his shoulder.
“That kid won’t be leaving her room until she’s fifty after this,” Alonzo mutters, and I have to agree.
Though something tells me that Mila will be out of there in no time at all.
“I need to get Hades stitched up,” I tell Alonzo. “Can we carry him back to your room?”
Alonzo nods, but when we turn, we find Ivano and Hades both standing there, waiting. “The bleeding stopped a bit ago. He’ll need a stitch to keep it closed, but it wasn’t too deep.”
I give him a grateful look. “Hades, heel.” Hades moves to me, his steps ginger, and guilt hits me. “You’re such a brave boy,” I murmur, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of his head. His big tongue comes out and catches my cheek when he turns his head as I pull away.
