25. Galena
GALENA
I heard them before I saw them, joking with each other as they came through the kitchen after they’d been buzzed in.
My brothers. It still felt strange to think that I had siblings, but I was starting to accept the idea.
It still upset me that my mother had known all along that Dimitri and Maxim had been out there and she’d never thought to tell me about them.
I understood more now about how their world worked—how dangerous and volatile it was.
Catching glimpses of its underbelly, like I had, made me realize she must have been scared.
Ilias told me that my mother came from Russia to work in America.
She came like many young women hoping for a better life, only to find out that with minimal skills and no family, she didn’t have as many options as she had hoped.
Somehow, she’d ended up dancing at a club and met my father, a move that had lasting consequences on her life she never could have predicted.
Maybe she worried that my brothers were the same type of men as Alexei Volkov.
That if she had allowed me the knowledge that I had family out there, I would have been doomed to a life as the mistress of someone like Alexei.
Beaten and trapped in the sex trade. Ilias was sure she had known about it.
She couldn’t have known that my brothers were nothing like that.
How could she? But I had to remind myself that I could be upset about time lost and still have room to understand her choices.
The air was tense, stretched tight from the blood shed today and the moments in the warehouse, from everything inside me that had come undone and been roughly stitched back together. Ilias had been watching me like a hawk.
Maybe I should feel guilty about killing Vairo and Bello, but I didn’t. If anything, I wondered if I was a psychopath because I felt no remorse. There were always those movies or books where characters said they felt nothing, and it didn’t change anything, but I felt lighter. Better .
Since that day in the alleyway, I felt as if I’d been thrown into a completely different life.
It seemed like things had changed from the time when I was just my mother’s daughter, someone she would read storybooks to and sit with at the table while I did my homework.
The life I lived then felt so far removed from this one.
“Galena.” Maxim pushed forward into the space, looking me over as if he’d expected to find me in a puddle of tears.
I moved before I could think, standing and walking to him to wrap my arms around him, chin tucked near his shoulder.
He froze for a beat, then squeezed me tight.
His hand rose to cradle the back of my head, and something inside me shifted.
Family. I still had family. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes.
When we separated, I turned to Dimitri. He stood with his hands tucked loosely in his coat pockets, offering a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He waited. “Well, little sister, you got one of those for me?”
Taking a step forward, he took his hands from his pockets and pulled me forward, wrapping his arms around me in an iron band as he gathered me in a hug. “Thanks for coming all this way.” It meant a lot to me that he’d made the trip .
“Of course I came. Not every day I get to tease another sibling. Now I’m not the youngest.” He tugged my ear and grinned. “You’ll have to come out to the West Coast to visit. Ilias loves it there.” Dimitri sent Ilias a sly look
“Whatever my wife wants. Of course, we’ll visit.” Ilias’s glare was all the confirmation I needed that Dimitri was goading him. I filed away the information for later: my husband wasn’t a fan of West Coast life. I wondered what that was about.
Settling back down next to Ilias, I curled into his warmth and tucked my feet under me, enjoying the banter as they talked business that I had no interest in.
So far, I’d gathered that my brother seemed to be involved in some weapons, and Angelo seemed involved in the financial aspect of everything.
I wasn’t very interested, if I were honest with myself. Old me would have been shocked that I was so unconcerned, but I couldn’t bring myself to care that they were criminals. I used to be such a little rule follower, and that hadn’t served me well.
Ilias rubbed circles gently on the skin just behind my ear, and I was almost tempted to close my eyes to lean into his touch when he asked, “You get anything from the source we brought in today?” That perked me up, and I sat up straight.
“Sang like a bird. He didn’t like Dima’s special attention.” Maxim chuckled darkly, but it only brought answering laughs from Angelo and Ilias.
“I wouldn’t want his kind of attention either. You’ve been hanging around Eli too much.” Maxim sipped his drink and nodded at me. “Eli is married to our cousin Veronica. He’s a little …”
“Edgy,” Dimitri finished, dangling a beer in one hand. “But he’s a good guy. We like him.”
I raised an eyebrow at Maxim. I was guessing there was a story there, but if I had to guess, most of it centered on over-protective man crap.
I was looking forward to meeting the elusive Veronica, whom I had heard so much about.
She sounded incredibly badass. “So, what did he have to say about shooting at us? Did Dino send him?”
“Yup. Apparently, Dino is running scared. Bouncing around Jersey, trying to keep ahead of us and offering small-time bucks to take shots at any of the Commission members. Maxim checked with Conall, and there was someone suspicious near his place yesterday that his men took down. ”
I shuddered just thinking about Dino Scarpato still being loose.
“So he’s still trying to stick it out?” Ilias and I had talked earlier about whether Dino would try to leave the country or fight it out.
He had told me there wasn’t enough support for him to fight.
It wouldn’t be realistic with all the mafias against him and the Commission members.
The only option he had was to go somewhere outside of New York, and even then, he’d find it difficult.
But I had an impression of the man from the alleyway with his gold rings and his cocky attitude.
That man didn’t have it in him to start over and reinvent himself.
Scarpato was a one-trick pony, and he would fight even if he knew he’d lose.
“For now,” Dimitri confirmed. “But he’s on the move. He’s running scared and making rash choices like sending shooters for a grand a pop. That’s stupid. He’s on borrowed time.”
Theo wrinkled her nose as she settled on the couch. “I hope he is scared. Dick waffle. Just wait until we catch that fucker.”
Maxim let out a little chuckle. “You can’t set this one on fire. You’re preggars.” He gave me a wink. “That’s her go-to move, sestra . She’s a bad influence.”
Theo shot laser eyes at him, but Angelo beat her to it and flicked Maxim’s ear. Hard. “Shut the fuck up, fratello . My wife can light someone on fire whenever she wants to.”
Ilias shook his head at me as if to say, Don’t ask . All I wanted to do now was to ask his sister about who she set on fire. It sounded awesome. Gave me ideas.
Theo plopped onto the seat beside me dramatically. “Galena. You look like you’re about to vibrate through the floor.”
I didn’t argue. My limbs were jittery, and it was hard to pretend I wasn’t exhausted and beginning to fray at the seams. She immediately reached for my hand, her fingers warm, and her palm smooth and reassuring.
“I like you for my brother,” she said, nodding once as if making an official declaration. “You’re very stabby in the eyes.”
I blinked. “Um. Thank you?”
“She means you have a good resting murder face,” Vaso offered from the doorway, grinning. He carried two bottles and looked pleased with himself. “Which, in this house, is a compliment.”
Maxim raised a brow. “I thought you weren’t old enough to drink. ”
Vaso scowled, indignant. “Hey, asshole. I’m a year older than you, and I wouldn’t waste my money on booze.” He made a face. “I raided Ilias’s fancy cellar.”
Evgenia clucked her tongue over at us and waved.
“Dinner.” She was carrying a massive tray of what looked like roasted chicken surrounded by potatoes and herbs over to the huge kitchen table.
The smell alone nearly brought me to tears.
“No shrimp because Theo said she’d vomit.
Come and eat. You’re too skinny, too loud, and none of you know how to listen. ”
“Speak for yourself,” Angelo muttered, helping Theo settle into one of the cushioned chairs. “I listen just fine.”
“Liar,” Theo and Ilias said in unison.
Laughter erupted as chairs scraped back and plates were passed around.
It felt unreal—this table full of people who were strangers not too long ago, and yet here I was with this makeshift family.
It was oddly comforting to look across the table at the two men who were my blood, feel the hand on my thigh, and realize that I was forming a different kind of family bond with the man I married.
Maxim handed me a plate. “Eat, Galenka .” The old Russian nickname was one my mother had called me when I was young. A diminutive of my name that sent a stab to the heart, but it was a good pain, a reminder of her.
“You’re doing the overbearing thing again.” Dimitri reached for a roll and tore it in half. “She’s not going to fall apart if she doesn’t eat a piece of chicken immediately.”
“She’s had a big day, hasn’t she, you dick?” Maxim shot back. “Forgive me for worrying.”
“ She’s eating now, everyone shut up,” I said dryly, spearing a potato before one of them could start a full-blown sibling fight.
I wouldn’t tell them that I loved it, all the nagging and worrying they were doing.
All of it. The noise. I’d felt so alone in my little storage shed after I’d left the house when Leland had died.
I hadn’t admitted it even to myself, but I hadn’t really known what to do.
Now, this wrapped around me like a hug, enveloping me in what felt like love.
Evgenia leaned against the doorframe with a contented hum as we ate.
She refused to sit and have dinner even though Ilias had encouraged her to.
She said she wanted to get home and watch the Turkish soaps, and the boys would have to clean up.
Her eyes met mine, crinkling with warmth.
Emotion welled up behind my eyes. I ducked my head, taking another bite so I wouldn’t cry.
“Where’s Cora and Vasily?” I hadn’t intended the question to sound serious, but a heavier silence fell over the table, and the joking faded.
Maxim cleared his throat. “Vasily has croop right now, and Cora wanted to keep him at home. I asked Conall and Frankie to go over and stay with them since Frankie is a nurse. Conall wouldn’t let her go on her own because of this Scarpato business.”
I looked over at Theo, who was sitting by Angelo with one hand resting on her stomach, as if a nutjob on the loose was a walk in the park. She caught my eye and read the worry there.
“It’s perfectly safe. These places are fortresses,” Theo said breezily. “Frankie can’t wait to meet you.”
Maxim caught on right away to my concern.
“All of our places are built with precautions. Safe rooms, bulletproof glass. Security. Once you’re inside, you’re safe.
” His eyes glinted with a predatory gleam.
“And there also might be men stationed in the houses nearby. If someone were to try to take over our homes, they wouldn’t get very far.
Don’t you worry. We protect what’s ours. ”
“I see. Well, I won’t worry then. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to anybody because of this thing with Dino.” The thought of it made me sick, especially the idea that he would hurt anyone else.
“He won’t. Everyone is completely safe.” The surety in Maxim’s voice led me to believe him, so I allowed my attention to be diverted when Kostas cleared his throat.
“Let’s enjoy and relax. Evgenia has dessert,” he said, nodding towards her. Vaso was helping Evgenia bring out another dish that looked like soft donuts drizzled with honey. There was even baklava.
Finally, I gave in and enjoyed the conversation and the food, leaning into the body next to me.
I wanted to forget about the blood and guts—the gore I saw earlier today.
Licking my fingers clean after my last bite, I was about to push my plate away when I caught Ilias watching me, his eyes hot with unmistakable desire.
My thighs clenched together, and I suddenly wished our little gathering was over.