Violet’s eye caught the glittering oval diamond adorning her left hand a second before Kaz’s fingers curled around her jean-clad thigh and squeezed. That was enough to stop her from staring for the moment—something she hadn’t really stopped doing since he’d slid the ring down her finger with one of his signature smiles.
“Are you still irritated with me?” he asked, never taking his eye off the road.
“When did I say I was angry with you?”
Kaz chuckled. “You didn’t, but it’s easy to tell when a woman has a … certain attitude first thing in the morning.”
Violet passed him a look. “I’m about to catch an attitude.”
His grin only grew. “My point, thank you.”
“Is this about what I said—you being gone?”
“Yes,” Kaz replied.
“A phone call would have been nice.”
“What would I have said—that nothing was as it needed to be?”
Violet frowned. “Hello—you could have said hello.”
“You’re right.”
She hadn’t expected him to just come out with that omission, but she was grateful for it.
“Next time, call,” Violet said. “I worried.”
Kaz only nodded.
She took that as a battle won.
His hand only left her thigh for long enough to grab the wheel and take a sharp turn before it was right back in place, holding tight.
“Tell me,” Kaz started to say, “did Konstantin behave himself?”
Violet almost laughed.
Almost.
Kaz had posed the question with barely a smile and a dullness to his words. Yet an edge lingered right behind all the same.
“Define behave,” Violet murmured.
His grip on her thigh squeezed a little harder, making Violet laugh.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Kaz said almost conversationally, “because I do like Konstantin a great deal—old friends and all that are hard to keep loyal. But if he tried any of his crazy nonsense—even jokingly—I don’t mind making a quick trip back to Chicago. I could be back before the night was even out. Don’t test me on that. I really don’t mind.”
Not once had Kaz looked away from the road.
Not once had his expression wavered from his cool, calm appearance.
Violet reached over and patted Kaz on the cheek with her hand, feeling the scruff of his facial hair tickle her fingertips. “He behaved.”
Kaz smirked. “Good.”
“With me,” she added, considering Amelia.
“What does that mean?”
Violet quickly recapped the whole Amelia situation. She was vague because, frankly, she didn’t know much at all, and Konstantin hadn’t offered any explanations when she asked.
Kaz laughed when Violet finished. “Ah, his problem, yes?”
“Pardon?”
“He said he had a problem to take care of—nothing else. Seems like an easy problem to take care of if he wanted to.”
Violet swallowed back the lump in her throat. “You can’t mean—”
“Killing her? Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. She may be just a girl, but she is just a girl with a father who came into their territory and threatened them. She is just a girl who comes from the same family you come from. She is just a girl, Violet, but she is not just a girl at the same time.”
“Oh.”
“Mmm,” Kaz hummed noncommittally. “As I said, it seems like an easy problem to handle, and he’s not handled it yet, which means good things.”
“Good things,” Violet echoed.
“I think so.”
Violet wasn’t quite sure what to make of any of that, so she’d hope for the best, even if she seriously doubted Amelia gave a single shit about her.
History was what it was, after all.
Sometimes, it just went bad.
Kaz let go of Violet’s thigh again to grab the wheel as he turned on the blinker and smoothly pulled the car into a free parking space at the end of a street. He’d not explained much about their plans for the day, but Violet was happy to follow along blindly anyway.
She’d missed him.
Did it need a better explanation than that?
Turning in the seat, Kaz reached up to stroke her cheekbone softly. “This—your friend—is one of those things you’ll have to put aside and forget about, Violet. It’s not like you have any say what happens now.”
“That sounds cruel.”
“Of you or of me?”
“Maybe both,” she said.
Kaz sighed. “You’re right—it is. And this is just one thing, but trust that there will be more times, more people. But for right now, you and I are going to visit a friend’s restaurant and have a nice lunch together because there’s nothing else to do, and we have something to celebrate. Yes?”
Violet didn’t think it was that simple or easy, but she knew Kaz had a point.
“Fine,” Violet agreed.
Kaz turned away, stepping out of the car and rounding the front. Violet had just put her hand on the door handle when Kaz pulled her door open, a hand already outstretched to take hers. Stepping out onto the street, Violet looked around, recognizing a bit. Nearly mid-Brooklyn, she was pretty certain it would never be okayed from the Italians that the Russians were this far into their territory, if even for nothing more than a dinner that had nothing to do with business.
“Should we be this far up in Brooklyn?”
Kaz didn’t even blink. “Why shouldn’t we be?”
Well, then …
Violet smiled when Kaz pulled her closer to his side and walked them down the street toward a restaurant with a modern décor on the outside and a large front deck with seating for those who wanted to dine outside.
It was too cold for that, though.
“A week?” Kaz asked out of the blue.
Violet’s brow furrowed. “A week for what?”
“Do you need a week to plan something for a wedding?”
She damn near stumbled in her step, but Kaz’s stronghold kept her moving and on two feet at the same time. “That’s a bit soon.”
“No, it really isn’t.”
Violet tried not to sigh and failed. “Kaz, be serious.”
“I am. The longer we wait, the higher the chances become that something might happen. I want you protected, and this is one of the best ways I can do that for you.”
“And you want to,” she said teasingly.
Kaz kissed the top of her head. “And there’s that, yes. Do you really want to wait, krasivaya?”
Violet smiled. “Two weeks—maybe three.”
“Maybe three,” he agreed quietly.
“It’s not like we have a lot to do, right?”
Kaz didn’t respond.
Violet supposed his silence was enough of an answer.
Who exactly would they invite?
Who would stand for them?
Who would celebrate?
Silently, Kaz’s hand slipped up from her side to tangle in her hair. He kissed the top of her head again, keeping her close as he murmured, “As long as you are happy, then nothing else is important, Violet.”
“And what about you? Shouldn’t you be happy, too?”
Kaz laughed. “You should already know the answer to that.”
Violet did.
She made him happy.
And that was enough.
Kaz let go of Violet’s hair only to place a hand at the small of her back as they rounded the steps of the restaurant.
“A friend owns this?” she asked.
“An old friend.”
“It looks nice.”
“Do not give Alfie too many compliments; he’s the kind of man who lets them go to his head,” Kaz muttered.
Violet only rolled her eyes in response, but it was hard to tell if Kaz was joking with his serious tone.
Inside, the restaurant bustled with movement and chatter. The modern design of the outside reflected on the interior as well. At the entrance, a woman stood behind a black podium. A Bluetooth earpiece buzzed on the podium, but the woman didn’t bother to pick it up and put it in her ear as she looked up at Violet and Kaz’s approach.
“Mr. Markovic,” the woman greeted, smiling widely. “Alfie didn’t mention you’d be coming in today.”
Kaz passed Violet a look. “No business today. Is there a table open?”
“I can open one for you, of course.”
Violet couldn’t help the tiniest flare of jealousy that started somewhere in her stomach and quickly jumped up her throat at the way the woman so casually and sweetly chatted away with Kaz as she flipped through pages on her tablet.
Never once did she look at Violet.
Violet must have not been hiding her displeasure very well because Kaz snatched her hand in his own, his thumb sweeping over the oval engagement ring a second before he lifted her hand to press a kiss to her knuckles.
“Stop,” he murmured against her skin.
Violet acted like he hadn’t said a thing but smiled all the same when the woman’s gaze snapped between the ring on Violet’s finger and Kaz, whose attention was gone from the conversation altogether.
“If you don’t mind being closer to the kitchen—”
“Violet?”
That voice …
Violet didn’t want to cause a scene in an unfamiliar place, never mind one that Kaz clearly frequented for more reasons than just the food. So instead of ignoring the person calling her name, or spinning fast on her heel to face them, she turned slowly, offering a smile as she did.
“Nicole,” Violet said.
Nicole Carracci looked like a block of beautifully carved ice as her cold, blue gaze took Violet in, and then moved to Kaz, before dropping down to their connected hands.
“I was told you were in Chicago,” Nicole said coolly.
Kaz stiffened at Violet’s side. He had to know who the woman was, or at least, he should remember her from that night at the club all those months ago.
Still, he stayed quiet.
“I was,” Violet settled on saying.
“But here you are now,” Nicole replied, gaze narrowing. “I’m sure your brother and father would appreciate seeing you, given you just … up and left without a word.”
Violet didn’t bat a lash at the silent accusation in Nicole’s tone and words. “Oh, don’t worry. They’re not stupid men—they knew.”
Kaz’s tension softened a bit, but he’d moved just a couple of inches closer to Violet. She appreciated he was letting her handle the situation, but she wasn’t sure how much longer that would last.
“It’s too bad, though,” Nicole said.
“What is?”
Her former friend held up a hand, showing off a gold band encrusted with diamonds and an engagement ring to match.
Violet’s throat dried as she struggled for a response.
She hadn’t been gone that damn long for Nicole to get married.
Then again, she’d barely paid attention to her family or their going-ons and only put forth the bare minimum of effort and care when she was forced to before Kaz was released.
“You missed the wedding—Carmine would have loved to have you there,” Nicole said, passing Kaz a disdainful glare.
That time, Violet did react in a way she normally wouldn’t.
By scoffing.
Loud and hard.
“Right. I’m sure my brother minded that I missed his special day,” Violet said.
Her sarcasm couldn’t be contained.
Even Kaz smirked but hid it by glancing away.
Violet wasn’t done quite yet, though. “But hey, good for you, Nicole. You finally got what you wanted from my brother, right?”
Nicole’s cold smile melted away, leaving a scowl in its place. “You’re the only one who seems to have forgotten what famiglia is, Violet. So while you have your fun and cause a mess, the rest of us still have a duty to do.”
Because that was all Nicole would ever be to Carmine.
Just a duty.
A wife.
Proper. Acceptable. Respectable.
It didn’t have to be for love. He didn’t even have to like her.
Only the rest of la famiglia had to do those things.
“I’ll let your father know you’re back in town,” Nicole said, buttoning up her trench coat. “I’m sure he’d love to know I saw you here.”
Kaz finally decided to step in, clearly having decided that he’d heard enough. Of course, he didn’t do it in the way Violet expected. Like earlier with the too-nice woman at the podium, he simply lifted Violet’s hand with his own, making sure that ring on her finger was clearly visible, and brushed her knuckles with a kiss.
Nicole’s gaze caught the ring, narrowing.
“Do that,” Kaz said simply.
Nicole turned on her heel and left the restaurant without another word or even a look over her shoulder.
Strangely, Violet felt better after her old friend was gone.
But not entirely.
Kaz had yet to relax. “I’m starting to think—as much as I enjoy Alfie’s restaurant—that he might have his hands in too many pots.”
Violet’s brow furrowed. “What?”
“Nothing.”
A throat cleared behind them, drawing their attention back to the woman standing behind the podium. She looked a little more wary than she had before when she said, “If you’re ready, the table is open for you.”
Kaz looked at Violet and then offered the woman an apologetic smile. “Not today—another time.”
Violet didn’t understand. “Why can’t we eat?”
Instead of answering, he put a hand on her lower back and guided her out of the restaurant and down the few steps to the sidewalk. Only when a few passersby were long gone out of earshot did Kaz say, “How long do you think that girl was out of the restaurant before she had your brother—or better, your father—on the phone? No, we’re not going to stand around and wait for someone to come make a scene.”
Ah.
“I’m still hungry,” Violet muttered.
Kaz nodded. “How about the diner?”
She didn’t even have to ask which one he was talking about.
“Okay,” she agreed.
“Kazimir?”
Kaz’s head lifted at the call of his name, a smile quickly growing as he took in the woman coming down the steps of the restaurant toward them. Violet recognized the woman instantly, though she’d only met her once, and it hadn’t exactly been a good meeting.
Vera Markovic.
“Vera,” Kaz greeted.
Vera gave Violet a quick look and a tight smile before turning her attention solely on her brother. “Rus said you were back in town.”
“Trying to keep quiet, yeah?”
“I can see why,” Vera replied.
While she didn’t look at Violet, there was no doubt in her mind Vera was talking about her.
Kaz tugged Violet a little closer to his side. “Be nice.”
“Be careful,” Vera shot back. “Ma’s having a fit, you know.”
“I can’t help what Vasily did.”
“You should go see her, maybe.”
Kaz’s thumb swept back and forth over Violet’s back, soothing and calm. “I will. What are you doing around here?”
Vera raised a brow, shrugging. “Seeing a friend.”
Why did it feel like the whole conversation between Kaz and Vera was laced with things Violet had no clue about?
“Visit Ma,” Vera repeated.
“I will,” Kaz assured. “Soon.”
Vera nodded at Violet’s hand resting on Kaz’s arm, her gaze zoning in on the engagement ring. “And don’t forget to tell her about that, brother.”
Times had changed since Kaz was back at his family’s seaside mansion. It’d been almost a year, if he thought about it, and he could see the passage of time. There was a distinct lack of cars in the driveway, only the one Mercedes his mother favored.
Driving up the cobblestone, he parked beside the car, killing the engine as he glanced over at Violet. “Breathe. They’ll love you.”
Irina Markovic was nothing if not respectful. It didn’t matter whether she disliked someone or not. She put on a proper face and played the part, but while Kaz felt confident that his mother and sisters would like her just fine, under the current circumstances, he wasn’t sure what he would find on the other side of that front door.
But they would need to get past it because Violet wasn’t going anywhere.
After going around to her side and opening her door, the pair walked the short distance up the flight of stairs where Kaz then rang the doorbell and waited. It wasn’t long before the door was swinging open with Nika standing on the other side.
She looked tired, resigned to whoever she would find standing there, but when she caught sight of Kaz, her face split into a grin as she threw her arms around him, nearly taking him back a step. Before he could fully appreciate the moment, she was stepping back and slapping him in the chest.
“Ma’s been worried sick about you! You just leave and don’t say anything. We thought you were dead, asshole. Why—” In the middle of her tirade, she finally seemed to notice that Kaz wasn’t alone. “Is this her?”
“Violet, meet my sister, Nika. Nika, this is Violet.”
“Huh … you’re prettier than I was expecting.”
“Don’t start,” Kaz muttered low, his words in Russian and meant only for Nika to hear.
“What?” Nika responded in kind. “I meant it as a compliment.”
Sometimes, she had a tendency to come across as rude even when she didn’t mean to. “Where’s Mom?”
“Where she usually is,” Nika mumbled as she finally moved to the side to let them in.
Glancing back at Violet to see how she was handling all this, he gave her a squeeze before leading the way inside, following behind Nika. The place was just as clean as he remembered, the floor polished and gleaming with fresh flowers in vases around the room.
At first glance, everything looked the same.
But Kaz could see what was beneath the surface.
Irina made a habit of rearranging the rooms, constantly changing the décor to fit whatever mood she was in, but everything he saw had been in place the last time he was there—like it had all come to a standstill.
“Ma?” Nika called out once she cleared the doorway to the kitchen. “Kaz is here, and he brought Violet.”
Irina Markovic sat at the dining room table, a mug of coffee cupped in her hands, and her gaze trained on the windows beside her. For just a moment, though she tried to hide it, he saw the fear and worry in her eyes.
Realizing almost belatedly that she wasn’t alone, Irina quickly set down her cup and got to her feet, smoothing her already perfect hair. “Kazimir, what have I told you about just showing up?” she chided him, even as she came forward to cup his face, kissing both his cheeks. “You know better.”
“I was worried about you,” he said by way of an answer, not bothering to mention Vasily or Vera.
“You should be. Who doesn’t visit their mother in months?” She didn’t mention his time in jail. She probably never would.
“I’m here now. That should count for something, no?”
Irina’s gaze flitted to Violet, but unlike his sister’s, hers remained unexcited. “Violet Gallucci, I presume.”
Violet was quick with a smile, releasing Kaz’s hand to offer it to her. “Yes, very nice to meet you.”
Irina accepted her hand without question, a pleasant smile spreading, at least until she glanced down and saw the ring adorning her finger. Like any woman who turned her cheek to her husband’s dealings, his mother gave no outward reaction.
Releasing her hand, Irina asked, “How long are you two staying? Dina should be home soon, and I’m sure she would love to see you.”
Glancing at Violet, he tried to gauge her reaction to his mother’s words. “We’ve got time.”
“Excellent. Nika, would you mind getting Violet something to drink? We’ll be along in a moment.”
Nika didn’t hesitate to turn away and follow their mother’s orders, but Violet hesitated at his side. It wasn’t lost on her that Irina was doing this so she and Kaz could speak alone, especially since it came right after Irina saw the ring.
“I won’t be long,” he said in her ear as she walked by him, heading in the same direction Nika had taken.
Once they were out of sight, Irina lost the mask. All the anger, frustration, and fear she had been feeling over the last few months came pouring out. “Kazimir, what have you done?”
“Ma—”
“Don’t. Have you any idea what you’ve caused?”
Kaz reminded himself that this was his mother, and she was feeling the effects of the chaos around them too. “Nothing that wasn’t already in motion long before Violet stepped foot in Rus’ club. None of this is any fault of mine. Vasily didn’t take off because of her. He took off because of what he did.”
Irina shook her head, looking far more frustrated than she had moments prior. “You were just a boy back then, Kazimir. You have no idea what Gavrill was like when he wasn’t playing the part. He loved you boys, but he was a tyrant on the best of days.”
Kaz blinked in surprise, but not because of anything she said, but because of what she didn’t say. “You knew. You knew what Vasily did.”
“Does she not know the moves you make, Kazimir?”
“Don’t turn this on me. He—”
“Was doing the same thing you’re doing now,” Irina said. As she stared at him, he realized it wasn’t anger in her eyes but sadness. “I make no excuses for who your father became after what he did, but don’t pretend your motives aren’t just as selfish as his were. He wanted that seat and was willing to do anything to get it. You want that girl and look at what you’re doing, Kazimir—ready to tear your own family apart and spill the blood of innocents to keep her.”
Kaz was rarely struck quiet, but his mother very rarely, if ever, raised her voice to anyone—and whether she realized it or not, she was yelling loud enough for the entire house to hear.
But he didn’t quiet her.
And he didn’t know why.
“Whether you want to believe it or not, we both know the truth.”
Not able to help himself, though he knew he wouldn’t like the answer, Kaz asked, “And what’s that?”
Irina shook her head, disappointment clear. “You are your father’s son.”