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“Endless bowl of—” Ciro corrects.

“Fuck. It is like there are two of you now,” she snaps. “Now, what is there left to talk about. You have been here for hour.”

“There’s just a lot to unpack, Van.”

“I do not see any luggage.”

A loud, awkward snort blubbers out of my nose.

“He laughs now?” She looks horrified.

“He laughs now,” Ciro confirms, tilting his head apologetically. “Um. Did you need something? Other than this sweet dick, I mean.”

Yep. Still my brother. Crude as ever. Just way more badass.

“Da! I’ve been looking all over for you. We have problem. Reports are coming in of attacks all along the border to the south. Men have been taken.”

“Who?” But it’s clear he already knows the answer. Ciro’s face darkens.

“Pantheon.”

“Pantheon is attacking you?” I light up.

“They’ve been trying to trick us into negotiating for months.”

“All while scraping away at our defenses, raiding our ports. Fucking coward dogs,” Vanya adds. “Captains and the council want to meet with you in the war room.”

“When?” Ciro looks put upon.

“Yesterday.”

“Can I come?” I chirp, flinching back as Vanya reaches for her gun.

“This is going nowhere,”I whisper.

“In circles, mostly,” Ciro murmurs.

“It’s weird. I feel like I’ve been here before.”

“You have. Maybe don’t bring that up to anyone else.”

Oh. Right. The Mocro nearly burned this whole place to the ground.

And I was one of them then.

Not my best look.

“I can make it up in some capacity if they’ll just let me speak. Share what I know about Pantheon and Ananke.” Problem is, they may not believe me.

“Working on it. Gotta ease these old farts into helping themselves.”

Handcuffed and gagged with a bandana was not exactly how I imagined sitting in on the Bratva council. Apparently, it’s the only way any of them will put up with my presence in the room.

Ciro eventually talked them into removing the gag.

Not that it matters. My Russian is shoddy at best.

So I sit in the back of the room as they shout, point fingers, and occasionally throw things around me. Sometimes at me. By accident, I’m sure…