Where the Snow Falls (Seasons of Betrayal #2) - London Miller Page 0,2

a point to avoid certain people. In his quest to get to the top, he had made plenty of enemies along the way—a hazard of the job, some would say, but most had been because of his own doing.

And when he had decided to cross the Boykov family in Chicago, he had made enemies for life. But they still had a decent relationship with Kaz, despite their hatred for his father.

Enemy of my enemy and all …

They had been all too happy to extend an invitation for Kaz to come to their city. He had been more than happy to accept, letting the eldest son know an approximate date he would be in town.

As long as Rus had done his part, everything would work out fine … As long as he was out of the state before Vasily caught up with him.

“You have to be careful, Kaz,” Vera said as they finally crossed the bridge to Coney Island. “It’s not just our father who has it out for you now.”

She didn’t have to remind him that now the Italians—or rather the Gallucci family—wouldn’t be as understanding if he showed his face in Brooklyn. They would make him bleed.

But where was the fun if he didn’t cause a little mayhem before he left?

Instead of the club, Kaz had given Ruslan an address to one of the few places that Vasily didn’t know about. Though it was usually known which businesses Kaz had his hand in, he had kept this one to himself.

As Vera turned the wheel, easing into the parking lot and circling the building, Kaz dug his phone out of his pocket. Turning the device over in his hands, he checked for a missed call or text. Nothing. He was almost tempted to send one of his own but decided against it. Violet still had a choice, and he didn’t want to take that away from her.

So he would wait, even if it killed him.

They had a plan, one that had been in the works for weeks now, and he just needed to see it through.

Shifting the car into park, Vera sat back with a sigh, staring out the windshield at the view of the harbor. “Are you sure this is what you want to do, Kaz? Is she really worth all this?”

Kaz didn’t offer a response, not initially. He knew that Vera didn’t actively dislike Violet, but she was skeptical, especially considering Violet’s family. Despite only being a year older, she worried about him just as much as his mother did, even when he didn’t need her to.

Glancing over at his sister, Kaz reached over to turn down the radio. “We wouldn’t be here if she wasn’t.”

Vera looked at him then, really looked at him, as though she would find an answer to her question in his expression. After a moment, she nodded and looked away.

“You know how to reach me if you need to,” she said softly.

Kaz leaned over to press a quick kiss to her cheek before he climbed out of the car and strolled to where Ruslan’s car was idling. His brother was still inside, his shadowy form just visible through the tinted windows, but as Kaz drew closer, the door swung open.

“Alive and in one piece … With as much noise as you’ve been making these last few weeks, I’m surprised you’re still walking around unscathed.”

“Not completely.”

Kaz didn’t bother showing him the new scar on his side because, by now, his brother should have heard about the incident.

“You know, there are easier ways to go out,” he said once he was standing at Kaz’s side, a thick manila envelope in hand. “If you want, I can shoot you now. Right between the eyes and it’ll be over in a second.”

“Rus—”

“Because when Vasily finds out what you’re doing—and that fucking bastard always finds out—nobody will be able to save you from him.”

Kaz shook his head. “He won’t come where I’m going.”

“No? But what about when you come back? You won’t be able to hide there forever.”

“Who said anything about hiding?” Kaz asked. “When Vasily comes to you, I want you to tell him exactly where I went. I want him to know.”

Ruslan looked at Kaz like he’d lost his mind. “You want him to know what?”

“That he started a war, and I plan to finish it.”

“Violet.”

“Daddy.”

Violet Gallucci smiled falsely right along with the greeting she offered her father. She much preferred to address him by his given name—Alberto—now, but that wasn’t what would make him happy.