“Two hundred.”
“Nadya!”
Matteo tilts his head down at her. “One fifty.”
“Two fifty.”
“Jesus, you’re a little viper in a tutu, aren’t you?”
“Three hundred.”
I can’t believe I’m watching my little cousin—who used to play Barbies and sing songs about cupcakes—extort my friend she’s only just met.
“You drive a hard bargain,” Matteo says, poorly hiding a smile as he reaches in his front pocket to pull out his wallet. “I respect that.” He hands her three crisp bills and adds, “But I would have done it for a thousand.”
She snatches the cash and smiles sweetly. “I would have done it for fifty.”
He huffs, giving me a lift of his eyebrows. “Well, at least I have another ally now.”
“I can’t believe you just paid her,” I tell him, in disbelief of what I just witnessed. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“It was fun.” He shrugs.
“Dinner will be out soon, let’s sit,” Dad says, nodding to the table. He has a tumbler of clear alcohol in one hand, but I don’t think it’s his first.
I’m surprised that no one tries to put themselves between us, but Matteo and I are able to sit side by side, while Irina, Lev, and Nadya sit across from us. My father and Uncle Mikhail each take an end of the table seat just as Grigory wordlessly brings in the charcuterie board and sets it in the middle of the table.
“So, Matteo,” Aunt Irina prompts, watching with a smile as Nadya grabs a few bits of cheese and crackers to put on her plate. “What do you do?”
Matteo blinks at the question. “Like for fun or for the family?”
“Either,” she quips happily. “I’ll take any information I can get. I’m afraid I’m not very in the loop with the family Dmitri has tied us to, and Anya isn’t keen to share when I press her for details.”
I groan quietly, picking up the water glass allocated to my seat and taking a long sip.
Matteo doesn’t seem bothered by the question, though. “Well, I can tell you whatever you want to know. If you’re inquiring about my place in the family business, you might be disappointed to know I don’t do much. I’m the ninth son, so I don’t have a necessary role. Apollo is the heir, Leon is our Underboss, Cassio is our consigliere, Nico is our enforcer, the list goes on.”
My aunt nods along, gesturing for him to continue as she takes a slow sip of her white wine.
“There’s not much else to say.” He shrugs. “I didn’t inherit a position because of the order of birth, and I don’t have a super niche skill. Like my brother Remo, he’s crazy skilled with computers and hacking and stuff. Armani is a weapons specialist. He even taught at Empire for a bit. Elio and Apollo are great fighters, like better than anyone else I know.”
“Better than you, Papa?” Nadya asks, looking up at her dad.
“No,” Lev answers, but Matteo barks out a laugh at the same time.
“I’d pay to see that fight.”
My uncle glowers at him in response, and Matteo holds up his hands in defense. “Anyway,” he says, trying to skirt away from the topic. “I’m well rounded, I won’t pretend I’m not. I can do just about anything I’m supposed to know how to do. I had a ton of different people to learn from, after all. But there isn’t really a place I’m needed. Aside from being with Jade. I’ve taken my Uncle Matteo duties very seriously. They need all the love and protection they can get, so, that’s what I do, really.”
“Isobella and Cesar love him very much,” I add, directing the words to my family. “I’m glad that though they can’t be here, they have Matteo looking out for them.”
“What is your sister like?” Nadya chimes in, tilting her head in question.
“Jade?” he confirms, waiting for my cousin to nod. When she does, he grins widely. “Jade is the best. She’s funny, and beautiful, and smart. She loves kids a lot. I say all the time that she’ll probably make many babies with your cousin Dmitri. She’s a good mother—a great one, actually.”
Nadya nods primly and looks at Irina. “Like you, Mama.”
My heart feels like it turns into goo at the look of appreciation in my aunt’s eyes, hearing her daughter’s innocent and unprompted compliment.
