The Underbosses House Cat [M/M]

32 - Thirty - Two - Ilya Russo's Point Of View.

Breakfast was sombre, and my mother wasn't exactly friendly with anyone. She was livid about the state of events last night, and finding out about Viktor and I fighting earlier in the day yesterday. It thrilled me to go home finally, after we finished eating. My mother kissed my cheek and gave me a gentle hug. My father gave me a strong hug and Vito a handshake. Viktor nodded at Vito and gave me a gentle hug, avoiding his wound.

Alessio, Lev and Nikita left before breakfast, and that had put Viktor in a mood.

"Drive safe. Call when you get home," Viktor said.

"Will do. Take it easy." I muttered, getting into the car and closing the door. Viktor exchanged a few more words with Vito before he got into the car. I wanted to know, but not enough to actually ask about it.

On the ride back, I kept thinking about what I overheard from Viktor and my father before I got to the dining room. They had been discussing last night's shooting, and a motive. Viktor, in plain English, had confirmed my suspicions when he said he had a lot of enemies that were just looking to shoot him. Despite that, I felt Viktor knew more than he was saying. He had to. He was just far too comfortable being shot at.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Vito said, as he drove his eyes still on the road.

"Viktor knows more about the shooting than he is letting on."

"Oh absolutely. Lev and Nikita said the same damn thing before they left this morning."

"If Lev is saying that, then he must know more about this too, or at the very least, heard something." I muttered.

"Maybe, but it could just be professional intuition."

"Who knows? I just trust that Viktor will take care of his problem with no issues for the rest of us." I said, stretching out in the car seat and yawning.

"As do I, Ilya," he said, setting his hand on my knee while he drove. I sighed and looked up at him, a reassuring smile on his face. We were silent for the rest of the ride, both of us knowing that whatever was going to happen, Viktor would handle it.

It also brought to light my own current issues. The very reason all this had happened, the one who did this to me. He was making moves, and I had no clue where or what they were. But he knew enough to make me uncomfortable. Perhaps it might all be tied together, Viktors attack and my attacker. Chances were, though, that this was a mess of Viktors' own making.

Inside, the complex was quiet, except for hushed Russian. It wasn't Lev's voice, rather that of Nikita. I told Vito to go on ahead. I wanted to listen to what he was whispering about in Russian, hidden away in a corner. I didn't know Nikita enough to trust him, so this was the best way to figure out what his intentions were.

"I'm not asking much, Yura. Just find out who took the fucking shot at Viktor Russo. That should be easy enough for you."

The voice on speaker phone was speaking back to him in Russian, saying that he could find out, but it would take time and he was more interested in why Nikita wanted to know who it was.

"Yura. It's simple. Viktor Russo belongs to me. The only one who will kill him will be me, and when I choose to. Not a moment before."

I rounded the corner and cleared my throat. Nikita's eyes went wide, and he was quick to end his call. "Whatever game you involve Viktor in, you best make sure my parents aren't hurt in the crossfire, Nikita. Lev won't save you from me."

"I have no intention of killing Viktor." Nikita said.

"Is that so?" I said, taking a page out of Vito's book.