“And then you did, and instead oftalkingto me like a motherfuckingadult, you hid it from me.Youandher.”She blinks back angry tears.“You both shut me out.”
Now we’re getting to the truth of why she’s so pissed.She feels betrayed.I could go on and on about how she brought that on herself.This wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t made me promise to never go after Leah.
Instead, I say, “I didn’t want to hide it from you.And I promise to never hide something like that from you again.”
“Because you’re going to fuck another one of my best friends?”Her laugh is bitter.“Oh, wait, you can’t, because you took the only one I have.”
“Christ, I’m nottakingyour friend, Danica.She’s still your best friend.She’s waiting for you to call her because you said you needed space.”
“Great, so it’s my fault.”She looks down, but her shoulders are tense.The towel on her head droops comically.
“It’s not your fault entirely.I should’ve been honest.Leah should have, too, although I have to admit, I didn’t want her to tell you.”
“Yeah, okay.”
We’re getting nowhere.I know my sister, and right now she’s in a cycle of self-blame.We’ll have to resolve these issues later.But there’s another reason I need to talk to her.I don’t know if she’s talked to those Salding guys since that night, but hiding the truth hasn’t protected her.
I reach down to scratch Cackle behind the ears, because he has determined it’s safe to be out again.“There’s something else you need to hear.”
Danica’s gray eyes flash like chips of ice.“What is it?”
“There’s shit you don’t know about Granddad.”
“Are you trying to distract me from Leah?”
“No.Fuck.I’m trying to explain—I want to tell you everything because I’m fucking worried, okay?”I point at the tattoo on my biceps, the crown and dagger.“This is more than our family symbol—the Aseyevs are a gang.”
“What?”She shakes her head and laughs.“What the fuck are you talking about?Is this some kind of joke?”
“No joke.Organized crime.And Granddad is in charge.”
“Yeah, no.”Danica half-sits, half-falls on the couch.“No way.”
“Weare,” I insist.“I didn’t realize it when Mom allowed me to get the tat.Granddad suggested the design, saying it’s something all the Aseyev men wear.Mom said it was fine.”
She pales.“You’re serious.I remember back then.Dad was pissed after you got the tattoo.”
“Yeah.”
Almost to herself, she says, “I was hoping to surprise Granddad.I wanted it for a while.And then I wanted to make up after the big blow-out, convince him that…I don’t know.Fuck.It was impulsive.I just feel like our family is imploding.I wanted to do something to make it feel like I’m still a part of the family.”
“Dani…what the fuck are you talking about?”
She lifts her pant leg.
Right above her ankle is a smaller version of my crown and dagger.The ink looks fresh.
“So.”Her laugh is bitter and false.“Guess I’m in the gang, now.”
* * *
Leah
Gage leads me to the bar in Low Vice.Betty’s making drinks and she waves hello.
Gage keeps his hand against my lower back, but he doesn’t make a move to sit next to me.“I have to do some work in my office.Dmitri will be working tonight, too—so no, he can’t hang out with you except on his breaks.”
“Well, what am I supposed to do, then?”
