Chapter Twelve #2
"Do not forget, bije," he says, in a voice so low it's more of a hiss, like a serpent.
His glittering eyes are snake-like too. "You are not irreplaceable.
You are here to spread your legs and be a dutiful wife.
You are not particularly valuable." Father chuckles, a sick rasp of humor.
"I am sure there's other concessions I can make instead of you. "
His silver-handled cane comes up and taps me on the cheek. It's not a light tap. I stumble, and the front door opens and the stately front steps of the house are filled with furious rush of women.
"Don't you touch her!" Mom hurries down to put an arm around me and pull me away.
My father's black gaze shifts to her. "I am here for you, Allegra.
" Two of his men step forward and she makes a small sound in the back of her throat.
"You have been here too long," he continues.
"You have worn out your welcome. Our daughter will not properly acclimate into her new position with you hovering over her, allowing her to stay weak and spoiled. "
"Mom is not going anywhere with you," I say sharply. Moving in front of her now. "She's not your wife. And she has done nothing to blacken the Krasniqi name. Unlike…"
Oh God I'm gonna spit it out. I can't stop myself.
"Unlike your son, your golden boy, Luan. The one who ended your empire. Remember?"
His cane comes up again. The shadow of it falls over Mom and me as a new car roars up, slamming to a stop.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?
" It's Dmitri. His voice is sharp and carries across the lawn as he strides over to the bristle of bodyguards, his contingent of security following him.
"These women are here under the hospitality of my wife, my mother and Violet.
You have no place here. If there's something that you require, you will deal with me. "
He kicks my father's cane out from under him and catches it.
Father lurches and his bodyguard steps forward quickly to support him.
Dmitri is spinning the cane casually between his fingers, like a baton.
Like a majorette spinning her baton in front of a marching band and the vision is so incongruous that I have to slap my hand over my mouth.
Giggling would be such a bad idea right now.
"Any threats or abuse made against a Morozov wife - or their mother –“ Dmitri nods to Mom, "would be considered a direct attack upon our Bratva.
" He's cold, his words spearing into my father like icicles, his voice as frigid as his eyes.
"You are welcome to return with me to one of our clubs, and we can have a drink to cement our families' warm relationship.
" Dmitri makes each word sound like an insult.
"Or, you may retire for the night. I am sure you need your rest, Dritan. "
Father doesn't move. He doesn't even breathe and for a moment, I wonder if he has slipped this moral coil and the only thing left is his horrifying human shell, still standing upright.
Then he moves, chuckling thinly. "I am afraid you must return my cane, Dmitri.
" He's managed to inject the slightest tinge of warmth in his tone so he doesn't sound as much like a walking corpse.
"I have no need of a drink, but my wife's jet is returning to Boston tonight and she must be on it. "
"If I remember correctly," a deep voice comes from behind us and Alexsey is there, followed by Roman.
"If I remember correctly," he repeats. "Allegra is your ex-wife and no longer under your control.
She is welcome here as an honored guest." His tone is emotionless, and I know he doesn't care about my mother or me in the slightest. But he cares deeply about the disrespect of my asshole father trying to throw his skeletal weight around.
Alexsey steps closer and I suck in a deep breath.
He's covered in blood; splattered across his face, running down his neck.
His shirt might've been black at one point, now it's a sticky burgundy.
Even his hands are streaked with gore. Roman doesn't look much better, and Violet's horrified expression tells me this was not in the plans for tonight.
"Oh, a good night I see," Dmitri’s sharp, amused tone seems to guarantee that he's just gotten started.
He looks at his two brothers irritably, not shocked or disgusted in the slightest. "Were you two playing with your food again?
Get in the house, for fuck's sake. Your neighbors must be losing their shit right now. "
Alexsey and Roman look at each other, chuckling over some secret joke, but they do go into the house and we all slowly follow.
Mom and I are more or less holding each other up, too shaky to walk on our own.
The Morozov guards circle my father's crew as they get back into their SUVs.
The black fleet of armored cars drive silently away, like the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Then the street is quiet again, just the sounds of city traffic and the soft tread of dress shoes as the Morozov guards resume their patrol.