Page 144 of Vicious Behaviors

Shit. She’s right. While my father is on—let’s call it—good termswith theBratva’s Pakhan, the Firm is not. From what Jude has told me, Mikhail’s right-hand man and brother, Aleksandr Petrov, has been nothing but a menace to them, eating away at their turf, gaining more traction and power by the day. They are one death away from going to an all-out war. Something Mina wishes to prevent at all costs, but won’t hesitate to engage if the Russians end up killing the wrong person.

The second Mina’s cousins see Kirill swagger over to Stella, Remus and Rolo cut through the crowd like knives.

“Remus. Rolo. No,” Mina’s sharp voice rings out before they can take another step.

The vein on Remus’s forehead looks like it’s about to burst, while Rolo’s fists flex at his sides, and he bares his teeth. Jude and Mina hurry over, dragging them back to a safe corner of the room before Mina’s leash slips entirely.

Frankie, of course, lights up when she sees her uncle here. She bolts toward Kirill, throwing her arms around him, Lucky trailing close behind with a scowl carved into his face.

Izzie and I hang back, watching the scene unfold. I stay alert, scanning the room for anyone who might take offense at Kirill’s audacity in coming to our home on a day that is supposed to be sacred for the Outfit. The syndicate’s goodwill in tolerating theBratva’spresence in Chicago only goes so far. Everything has its limits.

Kirill might be theBratva’sunderboss and not my favorite person on earth, but just by the way he’s looking at Stella right now, there’s no denying his feelings for my sister are real. Onthe other hand, Stella is all ice, treating him like any other guest, instead of the party-crasher that he is.

After paying his respects to my parents and murmuring a few words in Stella’s ear, Frankie pulls him into the crowd, eager to parade her uncle around. I catch the playful curl of my mother’s lips as her eyes follow him, making Stella’s jaw clench harder.

To my chagrin, theBratvabastard eventually makes his way over to us, his grin smug even as thecaposaround us glare daggers at him.

“You Romanos throw terrible parties,” he says by way of greeting, swiping a champagne flute from a waiter and downing it in one gulp.

“Ironic,” I shoot back. “Since I don’t recall my mother putting your name on the guest list.”

“I figured it was implied, seeing as everyone here is celebratingmygirl.”

Izzie tightens her grip on my arm, holding me in place before I do something I’ll regret later, like killing my sister’s boyfriend.

Sensing the tension between us, Frankie quickly tries to broker a peace treaty. “Uncle. Marcello. Please be nice. Let’s not ruin the day for Stella. Besides, we’re all family here.”

“He might be your uncle, Frankie. But he’s no family of mine.”

“Yet,” Kirill has the gall to wink at me. My fury spikes when his attention moves away from my scowl and shifts over to Izzie.

“So the rumors are true. You bagged yourself a Fed.”

“Former Fed,” Izzie corrects, “I don’t work for the FBI anymore.”

“Good timing, too. Since I was planning to kill you next time I saw you.”

“Uncle!” Frankie gasps, eyes wide in outrage for him saying such a thing.

“No need to scold me,plemyannitsa.It’s not like I’m going to kill her now.”

“I would love to see you try,” Izzie fires back, with a mocking smirk.

“Sass. I like her.” He chuckles, his eyes gleaming. “Women with fire in their veins always make life more interesting, don’t you agree?” He grins smugly at me and then, almost absentmindedly, turns to look at Stella again. For a moment, something soft, almost regretful, clouds his dark eyes before he returns his focus back at me.

“Just be careful, Romano. In my experience, the ones who set your blood on fire are usually the ones who cast the coldest shadows too.”

The silence turns heavy, too heavy, coaxing Frankie to jump in, desperate to break it.

“Um… come, Uncle. Let’s go find Darius. He’ll be excited to see you.”

Kirill nods, but not before leveling me with one last parting remark. “If you love her, hold on tight. Women like her are like embers. You might think you’ve tamed them, but they can flare up without warning.”

Only once Kirill disappears into the crowd does Izzie finally release my arm.

“Seems to me like Stella’s giving him a run for his money,” she says, exhaling in relief now with him gone.

“Good. Let him sweat. He doesn’t deserve her anyway.”