Page 94 of Violent Pawn

All so…grey.

It’s appropriate to be grey, though. A colour right in the middle. Not too light and not too dark. Not implying happiness nor depression. Not good nor bad.

Middle. Average.

It suits the setting. The day Lev picked to deal with our father’s body happened to be the same as an early spring storm, with the sky a mix of rain and snow and a blanket of dark clouds that hid the area’s obscurity.

Ironically, it’s the patch of land where Papa always insisted he’d be buried. He was determined to be with Ursin and Ivan Volkov rather than his own family. Most of the Elite said the same thing, because once at this rank, the Pakhan is family.

I suppose I understand. Vanessa is my family as much as Lev is. Dimitri as well. The four of us until the end, now and into the afterlife.

“Well.” Vanessa breaks the silence overlaying the untouched grass surrounding her father’s grave. It’s been a long time since she’s come, and it’ll be longer until she returns—if ever. “You can use the land, as they decided eons ago, if you want.”

It’s nearly fitting that Papa would be buried on the land he desired to be, but without his comrades as he assumed. The Famiglia dealt with Ursin’s body, and Vanessa never got word about him. There is a headstone because his Elite insisted. Ivan never made it here because Dimitri had the prison deal with his corpse.

Fitting, but still not enough to give the man any sort of rest since that’s not what he did for us. So when Lev meets my gaze, our conversation from last night returns, and I nod, confirming the decision still stands on my end.

“No,” he replies for us both. “The coroner will cremate his body and toss away the ashes. He deserves nothing less.”

Vanessa kicks the ground by her father’s headstone. “He shouldn’t have a symbol of his life either. This conversation makes me want to dig this up.”

“Why do you think my father’s body was left to rot?” Dimitri crosses his arms, sneering at the grass.

Vanessa watches her cousin for longer, chewing on her bottom lip. “Maybe that’s what I will do since you’re both right. I’ll have Papa’s gravestone removed and sell the land.”

“Can I buy it?”

Collectively, we all look at my brother, who’s studying the space and the land beyond. Vanessa’s head ticks slightly to the side, shooting a look my way, which I merely reply with a shrug. He never said anything previously about buying land, nor could I even begin to guess his reasons.

“Sure, but why?”

“Because this land”—he gestures to the grave and property surrounding it—“connects to that one.” He then points to the chuck of forest and grass in the distance, also owned by Vanessa. “I’d like to buy both because the mansion is a twelve-minute walk that way.” He gestures behind him, way too precise for his own good.

“This is about Serafina,” Dimitri murmurs, almost lost to the wind. “You’re planning to build her a house.”

Dimitri ended up buying Katya’s childhood home, so they spend most of their time living in the quaintest civilian neighbourhood to exist. The times they’ve had me over were a weird fever dream, where I was never quite certain I was truly there. Dimitri domesticated in a normal person’s house is…it’s something.

Lev bobs his head. “Da. I want to build her a house that we can call our own. Design it to our needs. She’ll want to be close to you and Zeno, though.” His gaze flashes to Vanessa. “I’ll also be speaking to him about purchasing land in Italy, between Ostia and Rome, so she can go back and forth between both countries and her mother and feel at home wherever we end up.”

My heart shatters for the brother I never quite saw as having this. It might be mean to say, but he’s barely looked at women—or men. People. He focused so much on his technology and surviving our father that seeing a future beyond any of that seemed unlikely.

Vanessa moves to his side and hovers her hand, as if about to touch him but smart enough not to. “Consider it a gift then. Both pieces of land are yours. Zeno will want her wed before she moves in with you, though.”

“I’m aware.” A tentative and rare smile graces my brother’s face. “Besides, the house needs time to get built anyway.”

“Damn,” Dimitri mutters, rubbing his chin. “Who’d have thought?”

“But I want to buy them,” Lev continues, ignoring Dimitri. “I don’t want it given.”

He’ll provide for her in the way he can. Emotions might be difficult, but building a house says as much as a few sentences can.

Vanessa opens her mouth to argue, but clamps it shut. “Alright. We’ll discuss a price.”

It’ll be low, knowing her.

She turns away and hooks her arm into mine to steer the four of us back in the direction of the mansion. “Life’s weird. We came here to talk about your papa’s death, and it ended with the option to rip up my father’s headstone so Lev can have the land.”

“Isn’t it better this way?”