IVAN

I didn't understand why Anya forced me into these events.

A flash of pink caught my eye from across the marbled room. My dearest and eldest sister was entertaining some of our board members, smiling brightly and laughing at their terrible jokes. A glass of champagne was held delicately in her hand. I did not envy her.

It was a gathering of the ultra-rich and powerful in one place battling over useless old things in the name of charity. It was pomp and circumstance. It was an absolute fucking bore.

Mom had organised it as a way to keep herself busy. She was dressed in a grey gown that reached down to her ankles, her hair was swept into a complicated updo, held together diamond encrusted pins. If anyone looked at Sofie Farewell, they wouldn't even think she was a grieving widow.

Ever since the fight we had in the study, it's been awkward between us. I apologised with her favourite flowers and promised my best not to die but it wasn't enough for her. I think I made her see the truth that she refused to see. Anya told me to give her time to get used to her new reality. I just wondered how long my mom was going to take.

I took a sip of the complimentary champagne. It wasn't too bad. At least there was one thing good about this charity ball. There was still an hour to go before the auction started. Anya had her eye on a painting and as her dearest brother, I decided that I would try my best to get it for her. That is if Zoya and his spawn of Satan don't get it first.

Eddie and Felix stuck close to me like a pair of wings, both of them watching Zoya and his men like hawks. The man in question was seated at his table. His son, Arlo, is next to him dressed in a dark green suit. I wondered how someone like him could ever be Zoya's son. Zoya was black-haired and green-eyed when he was younger, the only thing that remains due to age are his eyes. His son had brown eyes, black hair, a chiselled face, and a pointed nose that could cut a cake. Arlo was almost like his father, he just lacked Zoya's mind. And his ambition. Both of them stopped talking and turned to look at me as If they knew I was staring. They both had a dead look in their eyes. I tipped my champagne glass at them and sent them a well-deserved sneer.

Zoya scoffed, turned away and had one of his men bent down to his level to whisper something into their ear. Arlo was still staring at me. I raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to do anything else. He got up, his chair scraping loudly against the marble floor and stalked over towards me. His father grabbed his arm but it was in vain.

I sighed, wondering what I would have to get mother as an apology gift if this went south.

Arlo was a former boxer, his gait was heavy and demanding. His hands were already curled into fists, ready to strike. I could hear the clicks of his heels as he approached me and I braced myself for a confrontation that would inevitably come.

"Arlo," I greeted coolly, resisting the urge to roll my eyes at his bravado.

"Ivan," he sneered. "I see you're still alive. How's the arm?"

I smirked. "You know what they say about Farewell's, we're hard to kill."

"They say that about cockroaches too."

I clamped my hand on Eddie's shoulder and pushed him back before he could reach for his gun. As much as I appreciated the loyalty and his offence on my part, I wasn't willing to start a fight in the middle of a charity auction.

Mom would hate it if we got banned again.

I put my glass down and pushed it to the side. "You sound like you would know a lot about that, Arlo. Want to elaborate?"

"That's enough," Anya hissed at me. She appeared suddenly, her smile replaced with bated teeth and a dark glare. "Ivan, stop it. Everyone is watching us."

I saw him looking up and down at Anya, his eyes less than predatory. I felt fury wash over me. I wanted to pull Anya back and keep her away from this prick. She's felt with enough because of me.

"Don't you think you should leave this to the men, Ms Farewell?" Arlo grinned at her, his eyes were less than welcoming. "Maybe there's not enough men in your family to handle things. Isn't that why they have you smile and flirt with your board members to keep them from jumping ship."

Her fingers dug into his arm like talons. I didn't know if she was holding me back or herself. I covered my hand over hers.

"I suggest you hold your tongue," Anya said in an icy tone, her expression was feral. "Or else, I will remove it for you. I'm my father's daughter, you ignorant little prick. I can hurt you in others ways than punching you in your insufferable face."

"Feisty." Arlo's men laughed at his goading. Fucking pigs, all of them. "It's a pity. You're wasted on your family. Maybe you should join mine." He grinned—-more like leered at her. "How about you and I get together? I heard that husband of yours died?"

Anya surged forward and raised her hand, slapping it across his face so hard that his head turned to the side from the force of it. The murmurs and whispers stopped, all I could hear was the echo of that magnificent slap and Anya's ragged breathing. She didn't flinch away, she only held herself high and glared at Arlo like he was scum on the bottom of her expensive designer heels. I couldn't have been more proud of Anya.

Anya grabbed her champagne and splashed it on him before he could say another word. Her eyes were cold and hard, I knew that I shouldn't get in her way and let her handle this. "You need to cool that head of yours, Arlo." She said. "Or else I'll have it served on a silver platter."

Arlo looked shocked. He held his cheek in his hand, glaring at Anya as if he wanted to tear her head off. "You, little bitch——!"

I had enough. I pushed Anya behind me and grabbed his collar. He yelped as I nearly lifted him off the floor. I got so close to his face that o could smell his aftershave. He barely looked phased by my hands slowly tightening their grip around his neck, instead, he looked smug—-as if this is what he wanted from me.

"You're just so easy to rile up, Ivan!" He laughed in my face. "Just like your old man, eh?"

"Ivan put him down!" My heartbeat was racing past my ears, my vision went red. I was so sick of this bastard and his father constantly trying to either kill us or ruin us.

"Yeah, Ivan. Why don't you listen to your big sister and put me down?" Alto said, glancing over at Felix. "Isn't that what your good at?"

"Ivan," Felix hissed into my ear. "There's people watching. Sofia is right there. Put him down."

I was aware that we were causing a commotion. I glanced past Arlo's head, staring at his father. Zoya was still seated, he barely looked like cared that someone was choking his son. His men, on the other hand, looked very nervous, glancing nervously between their boss and Arlo.

"For fuck sales!" Eddie swore at me. "Put him down, Boss. That asshole isn't even worth it."

I took a deep breath in, held in and let it out. "Look at me," I growled at him.

He did. His eyes were dead and green, like a wilting leaf. There was no life or sanity in them. I didn't care if he wasn't scared of me. I didn't need his fear. I just needed him to know that I didn't tolerate any disrespect towards me or my family—-Anya especially.

"Apologize," I told him.

"What?"

I tightened my grip. "I said: apologize." I pointed my chin towards Anya. "To her."

"Over my dead body!"

"I can arrange that." I grinned. "I'll make it slow too. You'll find that I've learned a few new tricks on making people beg for mercy."

"Fine!" He hissed out. "Forgive me, Ms Farewell."

"That's it?"

"That's enough," Anya said, her tone tired. "I won't forgive you. Now get out of my sight."

I could hear the clicks of her heels stomping away.

"Remember something, you son of a bitch." I whispered lowly into his ear. "Stay out of my way. Because the next time I see you, I'm going to make sure to pull a bullet in between your eyes. And I don't care what your father thinks about it."

My fingers loosened my hold and Arlo dropped. He stumbled nearly, falling over. One of his men reach out to help him but received a harsh hiss in disapproval. I jerked my head towards the other side of the room.

After he trudged away, Felix handed me a glass of water.

"Thanks." 

He scowled after Arlo. "Don't mention it, boss. I'm glad Anya put him in his place or I would've put a bullet between his eyes."

"I should've handled it better," I said, taking a few sips.

"I'd have done the same," he said. "Nobody disrespects Anya and gets away with it."

The rest of the charity auction goes off normally. Zoya doesn't even acknowledge me the entire time and I haven't seen Arlo anywhere. A part of me is relieved that he won't be making any trouble.

I stood next to mom while Anya was being her charming self with her colleagues. I think she deserved a break from networking and just needed to relax a little bit before she imploded all over the bright marble floors. Mom was smiling, introducing me to women from her book club and worst of all——their daughters. I forced a smile on my face, glancing around for an excuse to leave. There was no such luck.

The woman my mother was talking to finally left, pulling her daughter who had been undressing me with her eyes along with her. I breathed out a sigh of relief, searching for a tray of champagne.

Mom clicked her tongue. "It's not all that bad." She said, "She had a lovely daughter."

I snorted. "She was about to pounce on me."

She rolls her eyes, plucking two flutes of champagne and passing one to me. "I just want to see my son settle down. Is that such a bad thing, dear?"

"Asking me to settle down and parsing women in front of me are two completely different things."

Mom wrapped her hand around my arm and walked along the perimeter of the room, carefully observing her guests. "Do you know how I met your father?" She said. I knew the story and nodded but didn't want to interrupt her, she always told me on her anniversary. "Of course, it wasn't love at first sight. It was more.....interest. I was curious about this young man in front of me, who worked all his life and lived in a world of blood and death. I met him at a party similar to this. We kept running into each other over, and again and again, and again. At some point, I thought it was intentional but the more I learned about him with each encounter, the more I was certain of who he was as a person. Strip away the blood, the fancy suit, and the sheer stubbornness——I found someone worth having in my life."

"Why are you telling me this?"

She stopped underneath one of the pillars, allowing the shadows to cover us. The light of the ballroom was only a few steps away. "All I wanted for my children was to live a life that wasn't tainted in misery and blood. Perhaps that was naive of me. Even at my age, I can make mistakes."

"Mom—-."

Mom put her hand up to stop me. "Let me finish, Ivan." She said. "My only wish is for you and your siblings to be happy as possible. I don't have the right to ask anything else than that. This past year has been troubling for me and I've taken it out on you, for that I'm sorry."

I take her hand in mine and squeeze gently. "Look, mom. It's okay. I'm sorry I lost my temper that day. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you either." I sighed, glancing up at the painted ceiling. "I can't make the promise that I'll be safe but I can promise that I'll be careful."

She smiled, her blue eyes shining with unskilled tears. My mother was too prideful to cry sometimes. She cupped my face gently. "Ivan, as long as your safe and happy."

I smile. "Is that all it takes to keep you happy?"

"Maybe if you had a girlfriend, that could help too?"

I rolled my eyes. "Please," I huffed out, crossing my arms. I should've known she was going to ask about this again. Why am I not surprised? "Why are you and Anya so obsessed over my love life?"

"Because we want you to be with someone who genuinely loves you——all of you. Even the temperamental part. And the workaholic part. As well as the broody part too."

"I'm not broody."

She pursed her lips, giving me her infamous motherly look. "Sure." She said, her voice dripping sardonically. "Tell that to the lady you're currently interested in?"

"Who?" I asked, a bit confused. Was she referring to the girl who looked like she was going to eat me alive or the one before that who was aggressively flirting with me? "I'm not interested in anyone."

"Really?' Mom intoned, placing a finger on her lip. "A little birdy told me that you like a pretty young doctor. The one with the blue ribbon in her hair."

"Meera?" I asked.

"Oh? So it's Meera now." Mom looked absolutely delighted and I felt a small sliver of fear, the last thing I wanted was for her to get her hooks into this matter. Nothing was going on with me and dr Saravana——why did everyone think we had a thing? We've only met twice. (Thrice, if you include the part where I called her beautiful due to blood loss.) "When will you introduce me to her? I'm so curious. When did this happen?"

I scrubbed my hand down my face, praying for a distraction.

"Boss!" Eddie called out. I looked up, secretly thankful for him. I make a mental note to give him a bonus later. He came up to me, out of breath as if he had been running around the ballroom looking for me. "Hey, Sofia."

"Eddie," she beamed, handing him her still-full glass of champagne that he happily gulped down. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about the girl Ivan is interested in, would you?"

He made a confused expression. "Who? Meera?"

I cleared my throat loudly, giving them a stern look that my mother brushed off. She smiles knowingly. "I'll let you boys ta;k, don't mind me."

"Sorry, Sofia," Eddie muttered sheepishly.

Mom just winked and left, stepping back into the light and quickly being enveloped in the crowd.

Eddie stood up straight once she was gone. "Boss, it's Nik." He said in a low tone, careful not to let anyone else listen in. "He's been roughed up."

"Who did this?" I asked, feeling a pit of dread in my stomach. I had a strong feeling that I knew but I didn't want to hear it.

"Arlo."

*****

I trudged up the stairs to the townhouse that Nat lived in, not caring how loud my footsteps were. My mind was filled with rage and my fingers shook like leaves. I couldn't even stop and think, I just had to get to Nik and go out and kill the men who attacked him like this. Zoya. I wanted to destroy him. No. I wanted to burn him to ashes and scatter him in the wind. It was terrifying how consuming it was, the urge to kill should never be so easy but here it was brimming inside of me. I squeezed my hands into fists.

I stopped in front of a familiar door, banging on it three times. I hoped that Nat would let me in. It's been months. She might be angry with me, hell she'd probably punch me in the face if Nik wasn't here. I mentally prepared myself, not only to face my sister but because I was dreading her reaction. The last time we were face-to-face......it didn't end well.

The door swung open, light spilling out into the dark.

I expected to see the familiar platinum locks of my sister, instead, I saw long tresses of black messy hair draped across narrow shoulders. A tired and weary face looked up at me before their eyes sparkled with recognition behind rectangular glasses.

Meera was a surprise. A welcome one at that. She was dressed in blue silk pyjamas and Her feet were bare, she looked as if she would rather be in bed than stitching up my kid brother. My eyes flickered down to the specks of blood on the edge of her sleeves and felt the print of anger come up, this time more intense and white-hot, replacing the shock.

It's one thing to have Meera take care of us when we're hurt, it's another when she's involved in the crossfire.

"What are you doing here?" I asked sternly once the shock wore off. "And Where's my brother?"

She glanced behind her nervously and stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind her.

"I live here," Meera said. "I just moved in."

"Since when?"

"Since last week." She said.

"Oh." I nodded, not sure how I was going to broach that topic. "Is he here? Is Nik hurt? I'm sorry that——"

"Ivan." Her voice was soft, placating. "You need to calm down before you go in."

Glancing up nervously, she raised her hands and hesitated for a second before her slender hand wrapped around my biceps, her fingers digging through the material of my jacket, gripping me firmly. She stared up at me with unflinching eyes. "Just.......Breathe," Meera commanded when I stiffened up under her touch. "Take a breath in, hold it for ten seconds and let it go."

"Meera, I——"

"Breathe, Ivan. Please. You look like you're about to punch someone."

I don't know what it was but I listened to her. Meera was shorter and weaker than me, I could have easily pushed her aside and barreled past her if I wanted to. I couldn't though. I don't think I could ever hurt her like that, no matter how angry I was.

Instead, I curled my fingers into a first and followed the instructions under her unyielding watch. Her eyes were dark and pretty behind her glasses, staring into mine. I wanted to look away from the intensity.

"Breath," she repeated. I could feel her thumb rubbing circles over the wool. "Slowly, through your nose."

I nodded, taking a deep breath in and counting to ten in my head. Meera was in sync with me, I watched as the locket that lay at the hollow of her throat rose up and down with each careful breath of air. With each number I counted in my head, my fingers curled open one by one. I repeated the process several times, my anger ebbing out of me like a low tide, leaving only a less frenzied mind than before. There was still resentment and a whole lot of guilt but the fury that burned so bright before was a dim flame in the back of my mind.

It was only Meera and me out here. Right now, she was the centre of my focus. She grounded me long enough to gather my thoughts and push them into neat little boxes in my mind. When she was satisfied that I wasn't going to break down her door, she let go of me. Her hands returned to her side, hiding away her blood-speckled sleeves from me.

I wondered how warm her hands would be on my skin. I remembered the hazy memories of her, brushing her fingers through my hair and looking at me with wide concerned eyes. I placed my hands behind me to stop myself from reaching out, to touch her.

I didn't like what I was experiencing, it was unpleasant and I felt like I was teetering on the edge of something. I liked having control in every aspect of my life but with Meera, she threatened to throw me off balance. I didn't know if I should resent her for it or not. It's not her fault that I'm such a mess on the inside.

"Better?" Meera asked.

"A little bit," I admitted. I nervously glanced around. "Where's Nat?" I asked, the question burning on my tongue.

She adjusted her glasses."She went out to get something for me. I'm sorry, she's not here at the moment." Meera lied effortlessly. She then quickly turned around and opened the door.

I wrapped my hand around her wrist to stop her from leaving. "You shouldn't have to lie for her, Meera. She should know better than that."

"It's okay." She gave me a placating smile. Meera didn't pull away from me like I thought she would. "She's just scared but I'm sure she'll talk to you one day. It's not my place to say this but Nat still cares about you."

"I'm not angry at her, I never have been."

"Ivan, please." Meera pleaded, tugging me forward. "Come inside."

"You shouldn't be getting involved." I frowned, pulling her closer to me. "What was Nat thinking?"

Her eyes widened a fraction of a bit. Meera was shorter than me. She had to crane her head up to look at me. I could bend down and kiss her. I snapped out of that train of thought. No, I did not need that right now. The smell of her perfume wasn't helping things, now free of the scent of antiseptics it was all I could smell. It was floral and sweet.

"I know," She said softly. Meera glanced down at my hand that encircled her wrist. "I'm sorry. Anya told me to not get involved with personal things. But I needed a place to stay and Nat offered......so......" Meera shrugged. "I could look somewhere else to live?"

"No. I didn't mean it like that. Don't apologize to me." I countered. That was the last thing I wanted. "I just want you to be careful. Our issues can be......overwhelming to most people."

"Overwhelming?" Meera snorted, amused. "Ivan, it's okay. Fighting with your siblings is something I can understand. It happens."

"No, it's not that."

"Then what is it?"

Sometimes I wished Meera never met me. I wish she wasn't so kind and compassionate. I wished I could tell her everything that burdened me. I wished that she held onto me and never let me go. She was good, plain and simple. I wish I could know more about her; How she liked her tea. What her favourite movie was? Where she likes to go for lunch. Who was her favourite singer was. Everything. I'd only just met her and I was greedy for anything about her. But honestly, the reality was harsh——and a bitch truly. Meera has her issues and her problems, I couldn't add mine into the mix.

I sighed for the millionth time that evening. There wasn't anything I could do about this. I've always been good at keeping my emotions and thought separate from each other. This was no exception no matter how much I wanted to fight against the instinct.

"It's nothing," I said, hoping to change the subject. "Don't concern yourself with it."

Meeras eyes flickered over my face, looking for something. I hardened my face hoping that she would find nothing. All I could think of was....my family.

"Are you sure it's okay if I stay here?" She bit down on her lip. "It's not weird for you?"

"Meera, please. I shouldn't dictate where you live or who you talk to. Don't leave somewhere where you are happy and comfortable just because of me and my issues with my siblings." I did something a little reckless—-or brave. I slid my fingers down from her wrist. "Do you remember what I said at the diner?"

Meera's lips curled into a smile—a very small one—-that shouldn't affect me as much as it should have.

"Yeah?"

"That you'll be careful. That if anything happens, you ask for help. It doesn't matter if it's a small thing or a big thing." I repeated. "Okay?"

She nods. "I know."

"Okay, then! Glad we've moved past that!" I took another deep breath in and let it out. This night had been way too long and I just wanted to go to sleep. "Anything I should know before I go in?"

"Don't yell at him. I don't think that's what he wants to hear from you right now." Meera warned and without waiting for a response from me, she finally opened her door.

I waited for a beat, processing her words and walked in after her.

Nat's——and now Meera's——apartment smelled like new paint.

Nat wasn't there but everything in the apartment reminded me of her.

The entrance hall was different than I had remembered it. I glanced around, taking note of the weird cat painting on the wall. Gone were the depressing grey walls with peeling wallpaper and dirty linoleum floors. Now there was colour; clean, open, and less suffocating.

The apartment was modern and sleek, like something out of those interior decorating catalogues Dimitri liked to order.

I walked into the living room, following behind Meera. She had her arms wrapped around herself to keep warm.

I felt something brush past my legs. I instinctively reached for the gun, swivelling my head around.

"Oh!" Meera exclaimed, her hand in front of her mouth. "Pharaoh likes you."

"What?"

I looked down to see a giant grey cat slink past my legs, rubbing its head on my trousers. It—Pharaoh—looked up at me with yellow eyes, blinking lazily before resuming his loud purring.

"Hey there, young fella," I said, reaching down to scratch behind his ears. "I didn't know Nat got a cat."

"She didn't," Meera said, picking up the feline. It made a weird sound that was mixed between a meow and a hiccup. "He's mine."

"You didn't mention that at the diner."

She smiled. "You never asked."

I started to take off my overcoat but stopped halfway through. Should I even give her my coat? Would she think it was strange? I shrugged it back on.

I didn't expect a tearful reunion or a welcoming smile. It still hurt. I was hoping that I could at least see Nat. Even if she was still angry at us, she could've at least just silently glared at me. That would be more preferable to her absence.

Nik was laid out on the couch with his arm in a makeshift sling and a blanket draped over him. Pharaoh jumped from Meera's arm and scuttled underneath the couch. Meera placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered something to him. Nik just nodded at her, his voice was quiet as he asked her something. I watched the interaction with fascination.

It was quiet and tense. I stood there quietly, not quite sure what to do with myself. Meera excused herself and went into the office room, fiddling with something on the computer.

"Hey, Ivan." Nik sat up, wincing slightly "Fancy seeing you here."

"C'mon, kid." I wrapped an arm around his middle and helped him up from the couch. "Let's get you home."

"You're.....you're not mad?" Nik asked, looking up at me with an unguarded expression.

I sighed through my nose. "No, I'm not mad at you. Why the fuck would I be mad at you?"

"Because I fucked up."

Nik looked like he was expecting me to yell at him. He looked anxious, even with the pain Nik was scared of me. Dad was a good man and we loved him but he was harsh with us when we made mistakes. Nik was the biggest troublemaker in our family. He got the most punishments. The harsher the punishment, the thicker your skin would be. That's what dad said. One time Nik had gotten into a fight in school. I was in my senior year of high school, and Nik was in the eighth grade. There was a shed on the property. One of our grandfathers had built it as a hunting shack in the woods. Dad had taken Nik out and left him there. Nik was scared of the woods, he hated anything related to camping or hiking.

Dad knew that well. He told him he'd come back in two days.

I remember when He finally came home after two stressful days of worrying. Nik look traumatized. His hair was a mess, his eyes were hollow, and there was mud all over him. Dad didn't even give him any comfort or say a single word, he just left and went back to work.

"Nik, it's okay. You didn't fuck up. Arlo did." I reassured him. This was my kid brother. I'm supposed to protect him. And I'm doing a shit job of it. "You can tell me everything later. Let's just go home."

I bid Meera good night and made my way down the stairs to the car. Eddie opened the back door while Felix supported Nik's other side. The three of us hobbled down the steps of Nat's apartment complex and carefully placed him in the seat.

Nik didn't protest when I buckled him in. It was possibly the quietest I've ever seen him. Eddie closed the door, rounded the car and slid in next to him. I doubt Eddie had any quips for the situation."Do you want me to drive, boss?" Felix asked. His hand was on the door handle, patiently waiting for my answer.

I raised my hand. He nodded and opened the door quietly.

"Thank you, Felix," I said.

I placed my hand on the door frame and just as I was about to get it I turned back. On the third floor of the building, a light was still on. I didn't know if Meera could see me but I raised my hand to wave before stepping in.

There was a light dusting of snow. It made the roads slick and the windows foggy.

"So," I said, glancing into the rearview mirror. Nik was still sulking away. "Do you want to tell me what happened now or later?"

"Does it matter?"

I shook my head. "No. But it would save me time to hunt down the bastards who did that to you."

Nik's expression was that of concern. I could tell by the furrow between his brows that he was debating with himself. I knew that was a losing battle, Nik knew what a relentless madman I could be if I wanted to know the truth about something.

One way or another, I'll find out.

"Nikki?" Eddie nudged his side gently. "C'mon, the day something. Anything. I've never seen you this quiet before. It's freaking me out.

"Was it Zoya?" I asked, eyes forward. I could hear Nik make an angry sound in the back of his throat.

"No, not Zoya," Nik finally admitted. He wrapped his arm around his stomach. The bruises were going to feel awful in the morning. It's not pleasant being kicked there. "You were right. His shit stain of a kid. That fucker, Arlo. Some of his boys cornered me on neutral ground."

Felix was quicker to respond than I was. He slammed his fist down on the dashboard.

"Damnit!" He exclaimed loudly. His frustration was bleeding all over the place. "Boss, we need to go to the Council."

Ah, yes. The Council of old fuckers and mooches dictate how every clan in the city can run their families and businesses. I'm sure they'd be happy to see me waltz in and demand Zoya be punished. That is if they don't shoot me on sight.

Fuck my life. Sometimes I wonder why did I even bother to turn this family legitimate. It was more trouble than it was worth.

Even if I did go to the Council, I doubt they would listen to me.

"We can't." I reminded him sharply. "We're not part of that anymore. I can't go and say 'Hey, Asshole. Do you mind punishing Zoya over there for not only trying to kill my brother once but twice? Oh, and don't mind the fact that we're not gangsters anymore.' Yeah—-I'm sure that would go down good."

"It's official," Eddie said from the back. "We're fucked."

"What about Simon?" Felix asked.

If I wasn't driving the car, I would lean over and throttle Felix. You know what, that was more tempting than killing Zoya right now.

We had one golden rule: Don't mention his name.

"What about that bastard, Felix?" I gritted.

"Well....." he hesitated when he saw my face. Felix gulped visibly.

"Go on?" I insisted.

"He could get us in. You know, since Anya and him used to be—-"

I nearly swerved the car into the opposite lane. "Absolutely fucking not!" I roared at him once I regained control of the wheel. He shut his mouth and shrank back in his seat. "Are you fucking insane?! I nearly died a few weeks ago! I don't want to die again!"

Nik started laughing hysterically which only soured my mood further. "Could you imagine what Anya would do to us if she found out we asked Simon for help?! That fucker broke up with her over a fucking text and ghosted her for six months. She'd skin us alive! And then hang us in the foyer as a warning!" He wipes a tear. "But it is a good idea though, Felix. Not bad."

"What?!"

"Ivan, C'mon. He's not wrong." Nik leans forward, a familiar glint in his eye that meant he had a crazy idea. "Simon, I hate that bitch as much as you do, maybe even more but he's useful. Plus, he owes us for not giving him a well-deserved dirt nap."

I didn't like where this was going. "No way."

"Yes, way!"

"This is a bad idea."

Nik lifted his arm that was still in a sling. "Tell that to my arm." He said. "So what are you going to do about it?"

I sighed and looked out past the road. "Well, if you put it like that I don't have much of a choice now, do I?"