Page 44 of Dark Bratva Christmas
My dad still isn't here, but that's not surprising. Lord only knows what—or who—he's doing right now.
We take our seats at the table and are served our first course of the meal. Leonidas’ take on pirozhkis. We all excitedly bite into the food, commenting on how Leonidas took something so simple and common, turning it into an upscale dish. What is usually a sandwich you could eat with your hands has been turned into an elegant pot pie filled with a soupy version of the filling and a delicate, flaky crust.
It's impressive, and I know my father would think so, too…
If he was here.
“How are you two getting along?” Polina asks between bites.
I turn to Matysh and raise an eyebrow, not knowing what exactly he would tell his parents. I've grown up in this lifestyle long enough to know that the truth isn't always the best option. If they hear how he's been behaving lately by attacking people for dancing with me or flirting with me, they might not approve.
But then again, I don't think Matysh would care.
“It's been rocky.” Matysh puts his fork down and stares at me. “We're still getting to know each other. But you know how business works.”
“I'm sure it doesn't help that this wasn't a marriage of love,” Dimitri says, looking between us with a wariness in his eyes that strikes me. Not long ago, he was saying this looked like a good thing.
Why the sudden switch up?
Matysh stares at his father with a stoic expression, then goes back to eating after taking a slow breath. I wish I could read his mind to see what's going on behind his eyes. He’s so fucking impossible to read.
I take one more bite, and as I chew, the doorbell rings.
My father is here.
Matysh’s eyes fall to his hands. His body tenses in front of me as he grips his cutlery in his hands. One of the house staff answers the door while all of us stay seated, and I hold my breath waiting for something to happen.
Maybe merging families was a terrible idea.Of course, it was. I already knew that though. I didn’t fucking ask for this. Theymademe.
“Hello,” my father enters the formal dining room. Matysh is the first to stand as he's the man of the house. I follow as we'rehosting this dinner together, and I meet my father’s gaze as he walks around the table to me. “Catarina.”
“Papa,” I give him an expectant hug, feeling no warmth from it.
He then turns to Dimitri. “It’s been quite a long time, hasn’t it?”
My heart beats rapidly in my chest as Dimitri stands up, leaning heavily on his cane as he walks around the table to hold his hand out.
All of us stare while my dad contemplates accepting the gesture. When he finally does, I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders.
“This is the start of a new era,” Dimitri grunts. They pull their hands away from each other and everyone sits back down at the table.
“It is indeed,” my father agrees, nodding his head in thanks as a plate is brought out for him. “These are the first steps toward forgiveness.”
My skin burns. Everyone at the table sensed the underlining meaning of the sentence.
Dimitri stares at him, his blue eyes cloudy and weak, but still filled with an ire he’s spent years cultivating for my father. “Forgiveness? I thought this was about peace.”
“Can it not be both? A debt paid and a new beginning?” My father stares Dimitri in the eye, unblinking.
Oh, shit.
These two have needed a conversation for a very long time. Instead of meeting up to discuss their differences like civilized adults, they've been ordering strikes at each other and killing off allies, stealing and claiming it as repayment for some undisclosed debt.
It’s like two fucking grown toddlers at war. It’s ridiculous. But this is the way it works in this world.
I catch Matysh's eyes across the table, and I see the fury brewing behind the cool blue irises. He has no love for my father, either. This was supposed to be a peaceful dinner with no business talk, and my father immediately disregarded that rule within minutes of arriving.
Typical.
