Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 86398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
I slapped a fifty into Junior’s hand on my left. “Dad takes poor Tom’s drumstick very seriously.”
“Normally, I’d agree with you.” Junior sipped his wine as King lunged forward with his knife in Dad’s face. “But he’s getting scrappier.”
“Atta boy.” Tex clapped and leaned back in his chair while Mo smacked him across the chest. “What?”
Nixon and Sergio were already trying to find all the dark meat, using the distraction for their own holiday purposes.
And when I thought that Dad really would fillet King alive, someone pulled the turkey leg from his hand and took a huge bite out of it.
Tex burst out laughing. “And my other boy!”
Valerian sure did know how to make an entrance as he took another bite, swiped his mouth, and then handed it back to my very purple-faced dad.
The best part was that since Valerian was the Petrov boss, my dad could do nothing, and we all knew that after this last year when my dad went at Valerian with a steak knife—repeatedly—for marrying my sister—well, he probably deserved it.
I mean, a fucking serrated steak knife?
No thanks.
“Happy Holidays.” Valerian grinned.
Chase jumped to his feet only to have Violet, hug him, completely disarming what looked like attempted murder.
“Nice to see you,” Junior called out to Valerian.
“Yeah.” His green eyes lit up. “Sorry, we were late.” He tugged at the collar of his jacket.
Lipstick… correction, my sister’s lipstick was stained across his neck like a fucking stamp.
“My. Sister,” I grumbled.
Valerian winked. “Yeah, she is…”
“Son of a—” I jumped to my feet only to get shoved back down by Junior.
From across the table, Maksim cackled.
The other two tables were reserved for the younger cousins and associates, and by the looks of it, we were the entertainment for the night.
Of course, we were.
Chaos ensued, and something close to contentment washed over me as I watched my family fight and eat, fight some more, then pull out weapons that were supposed to be in the delegated weapon bucket at the door.
Seated next to me, Annie was quiet.
But smiling.
The necklace she’d given me dangled beneath my shirt, pressed against my skin. I’d wanted to kiss her then.
More than I’d wanted anything in a really long time.
But it felt… wrong.
Maybe because the necklace was about Claire while the gesture was all Annie, and I was having trouble sorting the two.
I slid my hand under the table and squeezed her thigh in what I thought was reassurance.
Instead, she jumped a foot, banging her knees against the table, and gaining the attention of every single adult and cousin, including an amused looking King who was chewing, mouth open, with a shit-eating grin on his face. “Got jumping spiders over there?”
“Got flies in there?” I nodded toward his mouth.
Mo, his mom, and my aunt smacked him on the back of the head. “Manners!”
“Oww!” King rubbed the spot and shot me a dirty look. “Manners don’t count when man eat meat.” He pounded his chest and ripped into it again.
“So civilized, my son.” Tex released a sigh.
Valerian and Violet grabbed their seats and started piling food onto their plates, and my palm was still pressed against Annie’s thigh.
I should have pulled it back.
But it was warm there.
Her skin.
She was in a short sweater dress, which meant I had nothing but smooth skin to touch, and I found that the more I touched, the more I wanted.
And it was such a foreign concept after so much shit that I just wanted to be selfish and keep that moment—her skin, for myself.
She jumped again, but this time I wasn’t the culprit. Nope, that was all Tank as he cursed next to her and jerked another glass of wine away from Kartini—girl was turning into a handful, and he’d just been nominated as babysitter. Sergio and Val were worried; ergo, Tank got the job of being full-time sin watcher.
Shit, I almost felt sorry for the poor guy.
Almost.
I smiled and took another sip of wine with my free hand and looked up to see my dad staring me down with a look of pure joy on his face.
My eyes narrowed. “Hey, Scary Dad, what’s with the creepy smile?”
He scoffed. “I’m never creepy, always sexy.”
“Sure, sure.” Mom patted him on the arm.
“It’s okay Chase, not everyone can be as sexy as yours truly.” Dante interrupted, earning a few sighs from that side of the table.
Back in the day, he apparently turned all the wives’ heads, my mom included.
I shuddered.
Old people were so weird.
“A toast,” Dad said, standing and shocking the hell out of me. When there was that much food involved, he rarely came up for air. “To our children…”
All the bosses and associates stood. “Hear, hear!”
Dad locked eyes with me and said, “Good to have you back, son.”
Stunned stupid, I could only stare back and give him a small nod as everyone sat down and continued eating.