Donovan sighs in response, returning to tugging at his shirt.
Adrik Belsky is my mother’s twin brother former leader of the Russian mafia. His son, Alexei, recently took over. My uncle isn’t as intolerable as my mother, but my cousin is just as much a piece of shit as she is.
As we near the end of the long hallway, we catch sight of three figures standing in the shadows ahead, no doubt our uncle, cousin, and Alexei’s right hand, Maks Galkin, awaiting our arrival. Donovan gives up his quest to not feel choked by his own shirt.
It's been a few years since we’ve seen this side of the family; since our grandfather’s death, my mother doesn’t bother with them. Adrik never fed into her bullshit as their father did, and he handles her whining about as well as I do. We attended Alexei’s induction to leadership two years ago, and he took power younger than most heir’s do when my uncle got sick.
Adrik and Alexei share hushed words in what looks like an argument as we approach.
“Impatient are we, cousin?” Donovan quips, a menacing smile playing on his lips.
Alexei purses his lips, eyeing us up and down. He stands center, his light blonde hair slicked back, his black, three-piece suit out of place in the dank basement. My uncle is flanking him to his right, standing a few inches shorter than his son. I notice his light-brown hair losing its battle to the grey. Both men share my mother’s eyes.
Fuck, I hate those goddamn eyes.
To Alexei’s left stands Maks, the tallest of the three men. There’s always been something thrilling about Maks. His obsidian eyes are a window to a carnal soul, and his jet-black hair a mess of chaos, this man’s unhinged in the best possible way.
My bottom lip catches between my teeth when I see the blood decorating his clothes, and he responds with a knowing smirk. There’s blood smeared across his face, too, accentuating his deadly appeal. He wipes his face clean of the blood and sweat, and I force my attention away.
“Malia, my dear, so glad to see you.”
A menacing grin creeps onto my uncle’s face. I wouldn’t be surprised if he dropped this “rat” into Donovan’s lap so that I showed up to do him a favor. Maks is skilled in torture, but he’s not getting the job done.
“This isn’t a family reunion, and let’s get down to business,” Donovan says.
“So, you’re late, and now you’re making demands? Classic Olin.” Alexei snorts his disgust.
Donovan and I give him mirrored, wicked smiles. I might be the loose cannon of the two of us, but Little Brother can be just as sick if pushed. I just don’t require as much motivation as he does.
Disrespecting our name is a quick way to find yourself on both our shit lists.
“Can I shoot him, Captain Princess?”
My smile widens when Alexei shifts on his feet. False bravado is an unflattering trait all Belsky’s carry.
“Behave,” Donovan says.
“What’s the fun in behaving?”
“Right, business then,” Alexei interrupts. “We’ve had a couple of shipments intercepted by the feds, and some of them included stock for Nathaniel. We could snuff out who is behind it, but we can’t get him to crack on his angle.”
“Maks, are you losing your touch?” I turn my attention to the man removing his blood-soaked shirt, and he tosses the garment onto the table next to him.
Shooting me a side glance, he removes the contents from his pockets. “Maybe I was hoping you’d show up to save the day, gorgeous.”
I’ve had Maks under my control a few times, but it’s been years, and he’s grown even more magnificent in the meantime. The last time we fucked, was in a closet at Alexei’s induction. Since then, Maks has filled out more. His torso's planes are cut more than before, the veins snaking up his arms an intricate design on muscles carved from the gods.
“Come with me,” Maks says, turning to walk in the direction of the door behind them. “I was just warming him up for you.”
“Have fun, princess.”
Alexei’s words stop me from following Maks. He never approved of his best friend rolling around with me like it tainted my blood, or he was afraid something would build between us. I have half a mind to follow through, just to take Alexei’s crown, then slit Maks’s throat for the pure joy of it.
His calling me “princess” is a dig at my pride. He doesn’t agree with me being here instead of at home making my future husband a sandwich. Adrik has the same mindset, but my talents are useful to him at the moment.
I cock my head to the side, seeing a cruel smirk on my cousin’s face, his façade in place. Donovan sighs loudly behind me.
“Should I cut out your intestines to play jump rope with and make a game of it, cousin?” I narrow my eyes as I speak. “My bloodlust has me just bouncing in anticipation.”