Roses & Ruin

Chapter 47 (Lexi)

As much as I begged Boris not to do it he went and told my father about the attack on the Italians that I was involved in. I heard a lot of yelling behind closed doors. I flinched every time they started reaming out someone new. They wanted the Italians to be held accountable for risking the life of a Petrov because of business the Russians aren't involved in.

    I asked Andrei about it and I guess they want to move their operations into Philly, which is Irish territory. Since the Italians wanted the Irish gone anyway, they have a deal to clear out Philly for both the Russians and Italians to take over and share new channels through their trades and ours.

    I say 'ours' like I have any part in all this. I just know because I'm a Petrov of Russian blood, I'll never be considered one of them. As in, the Italians. Even if I do marry in. I'll always be the outsider.

I was in the living room of this new house us Petrov's have been staying in. I guess it's my father's house now. At least whenever he's stateside. I heard the doorbell ring and I was surprised to have visitors at this time of night. I was even more surprised when I saw Anthony walking in with Mia's brother. I forget his name now.

They had several goons behind them, but they were checked at the door. Vitaly doesn't like guns in the house if they don't belong to his own men.

"Mr. Petrov" Anthony greeted my father with a head nod and an extended hand. My father didn't shake it. Instead he wore his perpetual glare and folded his arms behind his back to look at the two of them. My brother's weren't involved yet. I don't know where they were.

I could see Anthony's jaw tighten with the blatant disrespect my father showed him by not shaking his hand.

"Care to explain to me why my daughter was at some safe house of yours in the middle of a goddamn mob war?" He asked him right there in the foyer. He usually conducts business in an office of some kind, but he was clearly impatient for answers.

"Sir, we had an incident this morning that we presumed to be an immediate threat. Based on that incident we decided it best to put the girls in one of our safe houses as a precaution. We were correct to assume because later this afternoon that safe house was attacked by a large group of Irish, whom you know have issues with the Italians" Anthony spoke the most formally I've ever heard from him.

He hadn't even glanced my way once, even though I was quite visible in the entryway behind my father. I understand why. I'm supposed to be nobody to him. It would also be considered disrespectful to Enzo if Anthony was caught eyeing me one too many times.

It was Mia's brother who spoke up just after Anthony finished, "And we didn't notify you because it was made clear that you were disinterested in being involved in Irish business" he told Vitaly.

Vitaly stared between the two of them for a few tense seconds before he turned on his heel and expected them to follow him to his office. That's when I saw my brother's surface. I quietly followed, trying my luck at entering the room with them. I was stopped at the office door by Dmitriy. He looked over at my father to see what he'd say about my entering.

"Otets, I'm involved in this. I'd like to be here to speak my piece" I told him in Russian so he wouldn't view my speaking out to be me disrespecting him in front of his business associates.

"Leave it to us" was all he said.

I tried to protest, but Dmitriy stepped closer to me forcing me to take a step back. It was enough to get me into the hallway where he promptly shut the door on me.

I wanted to curse them out. Instead I placed my ear to the door. It was Anthony's voice I heard again. Sexy. Deep.

"You also made it clear that Lex- Aleksandra was now under the care of the Italians she's marrying into, upon your request for this contract agreement" he made a good point. I heard some movement and then silence. It got my heart pumping.