Page 3 of The Enemy of My Enemy: Pt. 2

“He’s got a point,” Kasimir agreed.“Not only was the arrangement rather rushed, giving no one any real time to digest the idea, but you can’t just command people to trust her, Viktor.Despite her legal last name, Aurora is and will always be a Marchetti, and the hate that our people have for her family has been nurtured for years.”

Before I had time to give his statements some real consideration, my father was there to throw more logs on the fire.“There’s also a very plausible chance that it could be someone from her camp.I can’t imagine that the Marchetti family members are any happier about your marriage than our own people are.”

“So, we’re back to the possibility that it could be anyone,” I drawled out, frustration crawling at my throat.“That’s a lot of fucking help.”

“Viktor-”

“Don’t,” I snapped at my father.“Do not tell me to relax or that you understand how I feel, because Ican’trelax, and neither of you can possibly know how I feel.”

“Fair enough,” my father replied, talking to me like I was about to take a match to the entire world, and he wasn’t necessarily wrong.“Nonetheless, you need to keep your head in the game, and it’s worrisome that I need to keep reminding you of that.”

“Someone tried to kill my wife!”I thundered.“I watched a video of four men putting their hands on her, hurting her and trying to end her life, so don’t fucking tell me to get my head in the game!It’s theonlything that fills my thoughts since the second that I saw what they did to her!”

Just then, Kasimir began humming that familiar tune, and my father shot me a look that wasn’t that of a concerned father.He was looking at me like the Korolev Pakhan, and no matter the current situation, he wasn’t about to let me ruin everything that this family had built, and letting Kasimir loose on a murdering spree would do just that.I was also very aware that I was the only one that could pull my brother back from wherever his mind was taking him.

“Despite how it came to be, Aurora Marchetti is my daughter-in-law, and I will make it clear that I have also taken this attack on her personally,” my father said, silently urging me to take the baton in an effort to calm Kasimir down.

“Okay, let’s...let’s continue to make discreet inquiries until I’ve had a chance to speak to Aurora,” I suggested.“Since she understands Russian, she might be able to narrow things down for us.”

Kasimir immediately stopped humming.“And what makes you so sure that she’ll be willing to speak with you?I mean, if she thinks that you’re the one who tried to kill her, why would she want to have anything to do with you?”Before I could answer, he added, “Not to mention that those brothers of hers aren’t going to let you anywhere near her, never mind Roman.”

I hated how he sounded so reasonable about it, but I still had an answer for him.“Because they all want the same thing that we do, and I’m counting on them wanting to avoid a war to get answers.After all, that’s why Aurora and I got married in the first place, remember?”

Kasimir scrunched his nose, and it reminded me of when we’d been little boys.“I don’t know.Stefano Marchetti doesn’t appear the reasonable type.”

“Oh, really?Do tell,” I deadpanned, shooting my brother a look.

My brother grinned.“Hey, I only call them like I see them.”

Luckily, despite his cheekiness, Kasimir was no longer humming, and since I didn’t need any more shit to deal with, I considered that a small win.My father was also no longer glaring at me, so there was that.

“Let me worry about my in-laws,” I told him.“I actually only need to get past Roman to talk to Aurora.Santino and Stefano will not go against the Marchetti Don, no matter what.”

“Well, I’ll keep questioning anyone who might know something,” Kasimir stated.“Let me know what theadskaya koshkasays.”

“Do not call my wife a hellcat,” I drawled out.

“Why not?”he quipped.“That’s what she is.I mean, I saw the video with you, Viktor.It’s quite clear what she’s capable of.”

“If you’ve nothing more to offer, leave us, Kasimir,” my father instructed, and once again, my brother just grinned before heading out of the office.

Once he was gone, I looked over at my father.“I’m going to keep calling Aurora, and if she refuses to speak with me, then I’ll go to Roman.”

“She’s his only daughter,” my father said pointedly.

“She’s my wife,” I countered.“She’s my wife, and the Italian man in him won’t ignore that.”

He gave me a terse nod, but it was clear that he didn’t quite believe me.“Very well, if you’re convinced that I don’t need to step in, then I’ll step aside until you ask otherwise.”

“Thank you,” I replied sincerely, needing his support on this more than I’d ever needed it before.