Russian Roulette: Family secrets [2021 version]

Ch. 6: Don't fucking start with me!

Vasili drove up in front of the apartment building Gareth had directed him to and parked the car. Mackenzie already stood outside, waiting, but he took a moment to just admire the vision she was. Fucking hell, she had turned into something extraordinary.

All of a sudden, he understood Gareth's frustrations.

Back when Vasili had met her the first few times, he had understood she was a gorgeous woman. Sweet, intelligent, and despite her size, which he had felt she was unhappy with, she had been beautiful and with a lot of sexiness to her. A sexiness, he might add, that Gareth had responded to. And unlike many other men, Gareth had not cared about her size.

The boy had wanted her.

Sadly, Mackenzie had hated herself, and nothing Gareth had said or done had changed that back then.

But now...

Fucking wow!

A little over four and a half years earlier, Gareth had taken her to meet some of his closest guys to gently introduce her to his life, after they had been friends for three-four months or so.

Everybody had known something was up when Gareth had told them he would bring a woman. He had not before and not since done that. And most curious of all, they had not slept together. Gareth had stressed that she was an important friend and nothing more.

They had all been on their best behavior to not scare her away and let her come to terms with Gareth's extensive involvement with the Russian mafia. Even Phoenix, that grumpy sod.

But she had taken them by surprise.

Mackenzie had not been happy, not by a long shot. She had raged like a little, pissed-off Chihuahua when the proverbial cat came out of the bag. Gareth, of course, had tried to explain to her that his mother was Russian, and she was his connection to that part of his life.

In Gareth's defense, he had done everything he could to convince her she would never be in danger as his friend. She would not have to be involved. He had just felt it was only right to let her know because he, at times, would go off the grid or be in danger.

Gareth had wanted her to know him, all of him, not just the businessman. To be true friends, they were to have no secrets.

Vasili had been proud of Gareth that day when he overheard Gareth explain himself to Mackenzie. The lad had been right. Friendship meant no secrets. He had also understood that Gareth had wanted the friendship foremost. Gareth's personal interest in making Mackenzie his queen would lead to nowhere if they were not friends.

It had been a shock for Mackenzie to discover that Gareth was The Dragon of the Underground. Funny enough, not for the reason they all had thought.

When she had revealed her father was the notorious Vittorio Sante, better known as The Angel Maker, they had been taken aback, especially Gareth.

Mackenzie thought she had found a man who was not involved with anything like her father, and then she had walked into the one person, probably just as bad.

Or worse.

Mixing the Italian and Russian mobs was an absolute no-go. It had never happened before, and it would have been explosive if it became commonly known.

But they had been in love.

Vasili knew as much.

Vasili had known Gareth since birth, and that boy loved Mackenzie like she was the other half of his soul, even if he had not once admitted to it.