“I told you.” Chase sneered. “What would happen if you touched her!”
“You did.” My smile was probably bloody. He’d gotten a few good blows in there. “But it’s not illegal to touch my wife, is it?”
“Before you pull the trigger.” Chase’s voice was a deathly whisper. “I’m going to kill him, then do whatever the hell you want to me. Phoenix, he dies first, then kill me, but I get to send him to Hell!”
“I wouldn’t.” Phoenix sighed like he was bored. “Since he saved her life and died in order to do it.”
Chase’s fist didn’t come flying. He held it over my head then slowly turned toward Violet. “Is that true?”
“Yes.” She didn’t look happy about it, though. What did I expect? “But because I think you actually might kill him, and I think Ash and Junior deserve that honor—I’m going to wait until you’re not on top of him to tell you why.”
That’s when I saw it.
The pain in Junior’s gaze as he walked over to us.
And the absolute rage in Ash’s. “Dad, I’m their king, remember? I get to decide what happens and who dies, and in this case, it will be my fucking pleasure to continue what you started—” He narrowed his eyes. “Also, you slept with my sister so…” He kicked me in the side and then pulled out a chair and sat. “Let’s talk. I have a funeral to go to and a person to kill.”
“Savage.” Maksim grinned at the spectacle and pulled out a chair while the bosses all set their weapons down on the table and sat.
My mom went and sat on my dad’s lap, waiting, her expression hurt, he was bleeding all over the floor from the gunshot wound in his foot, but he didn’t even seem to care.
I had put those tears there.
I had done all of this.
None of my cousins would look me in the eyes, and the worst of it, Violet went and sat next to Chase.
On the opposite end of the table like she’d already made her choice despite the ring on her finger.
Despite the hole in my heart.
I winced when Phoenix grabbed a towel and held it to my back. “Superficial, you’ll live.”
“Unfortunately.” Nixon finally spoke. “Someone talk now.”
Dante still had his gun ready to shoot, so clearly, nobody trusted me anymore, and he’d always been one of my favorites, closest to us in age, fun.
Now he looked lethal.
Great.
“Before we talk…” Andrei stood and then walked over to me; he knelt in front of my chair then pulled out his knife; it had the Petrov crest on it. I knew it well. He undid the buttons of his shirt.
I didn’t know he was going to do this here.
For all of them to see.
But I knew what he wanted me to do.
So, I too slowly unbuttoned my shirt, revealing the Campisi crest that had been tattooed there, right along with the Russian symbol beneath it, hidden in the ink.
“Blood of my blood.” Andrei’s voice shook. “Nephew.” His eyes bore into me. “True heir to the Petrov line.” He sliced across his hand and then brought the blade across his heart, doing the same then handed it to me.
I made the same cuts and then put my hand across his heart while he put his across mine.
“Blood over life, the prince… has returned as king, protect the Family, thrive, love, dance, drink… live.” He slid the crest off his finger.
I held out my left hand, the sickle tattoo seemed to glow to life as he slid the ring onto my finger.
And crowned me, king.
Boss of the Petrov crime Family.
And the Petrov Family line finally set to rights.
A weight seemed to lift off his shoulders as he kissed my right cheek, then wrapped an arm around me and pulled me against his chest.
“Regardless—” He stood and faced everyone. “—of what’s said today, he is the Petrov boss—and you owe him your allegiance the same you did me. We are thankful that I’m no longer divided between two families, now we can truly be one.” He said that last part with his eyes on Violet.
She held her head high and then lifted her left hand, heavy with my mom’s old ring. “One Family.”
Andrei nodded to her.
Gasps were heard all around the room.
I expected Chase to launch himself across the table and kill me.
Instead, he looked between us with a frown. “Not training under Nikolai, are you?”
“She’s training under someone…” Maksim joked, earning a seething glare from Dad and choked out. “Too soon?”
By the looks of Chase’s white fingertips, as he squeezed the knife in his hand, I would definitely say it would always be too soon to have that discussion.
“We’re going to need more wine…” Andrei went over to the bar, grabbed seven bottles, and put them on the table.
Once everyone had a glass or a bottle to chug from if you were Chase, Andrei sat and started talking.
“Last Christmas, Violet was kidnapped.”
Violet’s mom Luc gasped and reached for her daughter. Chase looked ready to break someone’s neck.
Phoenix continued. “She was dancing at the club. Tank was taken down, a few rogue Russian associates were there to kill Andrei.”
“Because everyone wants to kill Andrei,” Andrei said, making a face as he tossed back a gulp of wine in the most un-Italian way. “Good thing I am not easy to kill.”
“I wouldn’t go that far…” Chase smiled a cruel smile.
And I was back to wondering if I would live through the night.
Phoenix rolled his eyes. “You’re lucky I tolerate you—”
“I tolerate you too. I think this is what you call friendship?”
“Could you guys table the bromance for like five seconds?” Junior snapped. “What happened after that?”
Andrei sighed and shared a look with me that basically said I’m so sorry that you’re going to die now. Perfect. “Breaker, as you know him, was with me. We were approached by the men, they drugged her and said that I needed to prove that I was still the Russian boss—typically my father would—” He made a face. “—fuck one of the women or take their virginity as a consolation prize for himself, it’s a sick tradition, twisted even for my own men, and one of the old ways I’ve extinguished for obvious reasons. I had to choose between my loyalty to the Sinacore Family, my family, or loyalty to the Russians, and already as you well know, we’ve had men weekly trying to rise up and take the Family back from my grip because as much as they fear me, they don’t want my loyalty split.”
Violet locked eyes with me.
“I’m sorry,” I mouthed.
“I hate you,” she mouthed right back.
Well. It was worth a shot.
Pain pounded in my back, and now my skull felt like it was on fire as Andrei kept talking.
“Breaker has had full knowledge of his destiny since he could walk. You see, I’m the one who tried to kill him all those years ago—” He winked. “So sorry about that, by the way.”
“No, you aren’t.” I rolled my eyes. “You literally set my house on fire, but sure, you’re sorry. My mom died. But that’s on me,” I said gruffly. “Not you.”
“Phoenix found out about my plan because he knows too much and likes to check up on all of us. Trust me, he has trackers on all of you and friends in every high and low place.”
“I think that was a compliment.” Phoenix clicked his glass against Andrei’s. “All I saw was a scared little boy who thought he killed his mom and had nowhere to go, a boy that would be a target until he was able to fight back or take back what was stolen.” He eyed Andrei. “I took him in, gave him a new life, and the protection of Tex’s Family until it was time. The plan was to wait until he finished college and then let him slowly take the Family back.”
“Until I rose from the dead,” I whispered, staring into my wine glass. “Until that night when Violet was threatened, when she was going to suffer at the hands—” My voice cracked. “I couldn’t do
it, I couldn’t just stand there and let them hurt her. One of the guys started taking off his jacket, and I just lost it. She’s my best friend,” I rasped. “Was my best friend. I would do anything for her, and I knew there was a chance that they’d demand this, but I did it anyway.” I raised my head and locked eyes with Chase. “I went into that room with her. She was blindfolded, she was so brave. She asked for my name.” I swallowed, throat dry. “So, I told her my real name, Valerian Petrov. They were watching on the cameras. They demanded my identity, and after proving it—” I lifted my left hand where the tattoo stained my finger. “I tried to fake it, but one of these assholes came in and showed me his phone. A gun was trained on Chase, Luc, and Ariel at the Christmas party while he danced with Luc, a gun was trained on Andrei, a gun was basically trained on me. I had three minutes left, so once he was out of the room, I panicked. And Violet, perfect Violet, so calm and innocent, told me she forgave me before I even sinned. I took her virginity in a club while my own people watched, and I’ll live with that for the rest of my life.”
Chase slammed his hands onto the table and stood, his head was lowered. “And now? What are you now?”
“Married,” I whispered. “Because word of Valerian Petrov reached Seattle and they said if I didn’t take my rightful place and bring my Italian bride with me, the alliance with the Italians, despite what Andrei said, would be null. And Phoenix was right. Breaker had to die so Valerian could live, so all of you could live.” I stood. “So, if you want to kill me, kill me, but I would do it again and again, make those choices, even if it means you look at me like I betrayed you. When I was ten, you invited me into your family. Trust me when I say, killing off the son, cousin, friend you loved, was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, but love sometimes asks us to die.” I jerked my head toward the clock. “You’re going to be late. Bury me well.”
I couldn’t take it anymore.
I left the table.
I walked on wooden legs toward the basement door, stripping off my shirt and dropping it on the stairs, then stepped into the middle of the sparring ring, fell to my knees, and screamed.
Chapter Twenty-Five
In sickness and in health, in death and in life, but what about purgatory, darkness as they drive the knife. —Valerian Petrov
Violet
As far as funerals went, it was uneventful compared to the scene back at the house.
I mourned him while Junior gave the eulogy.
I cried when asked to put a flower on the casket.
I was inconsolable when I looked at the picture of him, so vastly different from how he looked now. I had so many questions, but I was afraid that by asking him, I’d fall in love with him all over again—and he didn’t deserve that love.
All of this could have been avoided if he’d just told me.
I would have run away with him.
But deep inside, part of me asked… at what cost? My dad would have killed him, disowned me, we both would have been in constant danger. But our love would have sustained us, right? Was that just my innocence speaking?
“You know…” Phoenix stood next to me while family members said their goodbyes and started shuffling out of the church. “You would have never been able to be together.”
I opened my mouth to tell him that wasn’t true but found I couldn’t lie, not here, not now. “I would have found a way.”
“Funny you should say that, because on the outside it appears to me that we did find a way, Violet. When you’re young and in love, you tend to get lazy—I saw you in the church that day with him. However stupid it may have been, that choice you made sealed your fate, so when you go home with your hate, remember your love did this—that tattoo is on your finger because you put it there. Not by accident, but by choice.”
He left me staring at him wide-eyed, mouth gaping. He didn’t even let me deny it because, how could I?
When I seduced Breaker?
When I loved him?
When I was on the verge of losing my mind trying to think of ways to be together?
When I mourned the loss of him?
I denied nothing.
Because Phoenix was right.
I had chosen this too.
And it was time I faced that choice head-on rather than projecting all that hate onto the one man who had saved my life and my dad’s, my families.
Valerian. Petrov.
One more night…
I hung my head and sighed.
“We’ll find a way out of this,” Tex whispered as he put an arm around me. “You were taken advantage of, I won’t let him—”
“Tex.” I looked up at him. He looked exhausted, dark circles marred his face, and his lips were pulled tight like he was going to growl any second.
“Would you ever have let me marry Breaker, as the Capo?”
He clenched his jaw shut and avoided my eyes. “No.”
“Even if I loved him?”
“Oh, if you loved him well…” He said sarcastically. Then he released an exasperated sigh. “Violet, we have rules for a reason. Junior and Serena nearly died because of it, but even I wouldn’t have prevented you from someone you truly loved. I would, however, have sent you far, far, far, far away, beat the shit out of him, made him wait seven years for your favor, and then given him someone else.”
“Um, isn’t that in the Bible?”
“Is it?” His face softened. “When it comes to our children, especially the girls, we get protective, as far as I’m concerned, nobody deserves you.”
“Nobody deserves you either.” I nudged him.
He barked out a laugh. “Vi, you are everything to me, you’re more daughter than niece, I guess now you really are in a roundabout way my daughter,” He gave his head a shake. ”How could you ever think that there would be a man worthy of the love you give us? It doesn’t exist; everything is secondhand. My love for you, however, is so vast, so wide, so insurmountable that if you came to me, truly came to me and told me you loved him—I would have found a way for you to be together even if it meant going to war with my own family, just maybe don’t tell the others that, we don’t want mutiny.”
“Good thing, then,” I whispered, “that you didn’t have to.”
He stopped walking. “You love him.”
He didn’t ask it, he declared it.
“I loved Breaker,” I admitted. “I kind of hate Valerian.”
“Love doesn’t change just because a name is different, Vi. You either love him for who he is and has always been—or you let him go.” He kissed me on the cheek and walked off to shake hands with someone who looked like he killed people for breakfast and sprinkled their blood on his cereal.
Tex always did like the scary ones.
I thought about his words the entire ride home. It felt like a lifetime ago when I had come home from another funeral when I’d mourned the loss of Claire and the loss of the old life I thought I wanted.
The SUV pulled up to Nixon’s.
Food would be prepared.
Wine would be guzzled, not sipped.
And I would have a choice to make.
My chest hurt from all the breaking, and I wondered if I even knew how to forgive him after everything.
A small part of me understood the secrecy—but what really hurt the most was that he was my best friend.
And he never trusted me with the truth.
I loved him.
And he had kept this from me for all those years. Then, when finally given the opportunity, he had decided I couldn’t handle it, had decided I wasn’t strong enough. And he’d kept it from me.
He was wrong.
I wasn’t innocent, Violet Abandonato.
I was brave, Violet Petrov.
His wife.
The more I thought about it, the angrier I got until I walked into that house, stormed past my mom, and yelled at Junior. “Where is he?”
“Oh shit,” Maksim muttered.
“Downstairs, probably beating the shit
out of Ash because he said please.” Junior smirked.
Serena and I made eye contact, Izzy walked up sandwich in hand, Maksim took it, and then we all charged down to the basement.
There would be blood.
And it was going to be his for daring to put me in a corner for my safety.
By the time this was over, he was going to be the one cowering.
Fucking kneeling.
At my feet.
His Russian queen.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Spilled blood, broken heart, she had it first, from the very start. —Valerian Petrov
Valerian
“Again!” Ash screamed.
His nose was broken. My first hit had been a bit hard, and I wasn’t really thinking, and then he hit me back, breaking mine.
So, both of us could barely breathe through all the cartilage and blood loss in our noses, my right eye was bleeding, the wounds on my back had cheerfully opened up, spilling enough blood to make the mat slippery, and Ash was still coming at me.
“Ash.” I dodged his punch. “I told you I was sorry!”
“Sorry doesn’t cut it!” he roared. “You’ll fight me until you pass out, and then you’ll do it again and again, and one more time because you SLEPT WITH MY SISTER, fucking faked your own death, and somehow she’s still not happy! What the hell did you do?”
A few of the De Lange recruits were currently training over in the corner since Nixon had given them full access to the gym—they all stopped sparring and stared in shock as Ash threw another right hook catching me in the side of the head and making me stumble toward the ropes.
“Nothing to see here,” I grumbled as Tank, our FBI recruit, winced in my direction like he knew it hurt too much to talk. “You’re going to traumatize all the new blood, Ash.”
“Good.” He sneered. “Maybe one day they’ll help me kill you. We’ve been busy for the last few days. So much dying does that to people, makes them prepare for war. You did that.”
I blocked his next hit with my forearms then kicked him in the stomach, sending me onto my back. I jumped up as fast as I could, and my vision doubled for a second as Violet walked into the basement with Izzy, Junior, Serena, and Maksim. They all looked way too happy to have just attended my funeral.
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