Yulian stands and stretches. “No, if we really wanted to scare him, we’d bring up the vase. That’s when things really get good.”
Mikhail groans and drops his face into his hands. “Don’t bring that shit up or we’re leaving.”
I pick up my fork and point it at him threateningly. “Enough, Yulian.”
He rolls his eyes. “What, is that the next thing you’re going to throw at me?”
I don’t even think about it.
The fork’s buried in his thigh before he finishes the sentence, metal sticking out through his pants.
He stares down at it quietly for a second, then picks up his plate and hurls it at me like a fucking frisbee. I duck and it smashes into the cabinet behind me with a crash that makes Kelly flinch hard.
My mother speaks again, her voice tired and resigned. “I’m going to stop throwing family gatherings since none of you can behave. Sit down and stop throwing things.”
“You could’ve hit Kelly,” I snap, rising from my chair so fast it crashes back onto the floor. “You are fucking dead.”
“Boys. That’s enough,” Mother snaps, her voice cutting through the tension.
But it’s already too late.
Mikhail’s up too, pointing straight at Yulian with rage written all over his face. “You’re the biggest asshole in this family. Why do you always need to start something?”
Lev cuts in, switching to Russian. “Can we please just act normal in front of our guest?”
“Shut up,” Mikhail shouts, turning on him with wild eyes. “You guys are impossible. Why do we keep letting Yulian get away with this shit?”
Yulian shrugs, calm as ever. Then picks up a knife and flicks it across the table casually. It misses Mikhail but nearly hitsDaniil, who jerks back just in time. Mikhail looks at him, then at the knife embedded in the table, then slowly turns back to Yulian and raises his eyebrows.
That was a mistake. Yulian just activated Mikhail’s nuclear button on purpose by doing that.
“You almost hit Danya with that thing. I’m going to tear you apart, motherfucker,” Mikhail yells across the table.
I don’t wait to see how it plays out because I know exactly where this is heading. I glance at Kelly. “We’re leaving.”
He doesn’t move, still staring at the chaos around us. At the fork sticking out of Yulian’s leg. At the wall dented from the plate. It’s his first real taste of what my family is like.
I grab his hand again. “Now.”
He stumbles after me with his mouth open. Stunned silent while we pass the table.
Behind us, Mikhail launches himself at Yulian, grabbing him mid-step and slamming him into the floor into a chokehold.
Kelly jumps at the sound of bodies hitting marble. “Did Mikhail just … is he choking him? In front of everyone?”
“Don’t ask,” I mutter, pulling him faster toward the exit.
We walk toward the front door. I can hear furniture breaking behind us.
When I open the door, Calder comes into view on the steps.
I cut him off before he can open his mouth. “Mikhail’s trying to murder Yulian. Go stop him before someone actually dies.”
He mutters a curse, picks up Tank, and bolts past us into the house without another word.
Kelly stares after him with his eyebrows pulled tight. “Why did he look like a vampire covered in tattoos?”
I don’t answer because explaining Calder would take too long.
