Page 27 of Fractured Empire

“Baby Vaughn,” Leo agrees, nodding once like he’s proud to introduce the infant. Putting his pale little hand over his heart he boasts, “My baby Vaughn.”

Rayna laughs lightly, the sound gentle and joyous. “Mister Leo here loves to claim people as his own. He calls our cats his too.”

“My kitties,” the child reports proudly.

I smother a giggle, folding my lips in.

“Hello, Uncle Apollo,” Bastian suddenly says, voice small.

I’m getting the sense that the boy is shy, but polite. His manners seem practiced, which is supposedly common amongst young heirs. Bastian will grow up to take his father’s place one day, and even through his bashful nature, he’s trained slowly to know what that means.

The extremely intimidating man softens his gaze to look at his nephew. “Hello, Bastian. Are you having a nice time?”

“Yes, Uncle,” he reports with a small nod. “Kat is nice.”

“Kat, is it?” Apollo echoes, tilting his head.

“It’s easier for kids to pronounce,” I say awkwardly. “My little sister, Gaia, she just turned six and has called me Kat instead of Katya since she was two.”

“Aww, I like that.” Rayna sighs happily. “Jade’s babies have nicknames for all of the uncles, too. Armani is a bit of a tongue twister for a toddler.”

“Mani,” Leo chimes in, as if he’s giving an example.

“Exactly,” his aunt agrees, smiling happily.

“Where are you from, Katya?” Apollo asks out of the blue, his deep voice switching from English to Italian.

My throat goes tight as I realize what’s happening. He wants to make sure I can actually speak the language. Is he considering me a candidate?

I almost balk at the idea, I’m supposed to be here to help Chloe keep calm and make a good impression. But it’s not like I can pretend I don’t understand. I can’t risk making a member of Linus Gabris’ family look like a liar.

“Slovakia,” I reply quickly, mentally switching languages. “But I’ve lived with the Gabris family since I was fourteen years old. I started learning Italian then, wanting to contribute to his family in any way that I could. He’s very good to my mother.”

Leo gasps, his little blue eyes blowing wide and sparkling. He reaches for my arm, holding on to my wrist to capture my attention. “You speak Italian?”

“I do,” I tell him, happy to have made him excited.

“Bastian.” Leo jumps up and swings his gaze back to his brother. “Did you hear, did you hear?”

“Certo,” he agrees shyly.

“Your family is Italian?” Leo asks, the words coming out so quickly they’re almost slurred and jumbled. It’s so cute that I can’t even answer him right away because I’m too busy turning into a pile of goo.

“Her family is Greek,” Apollo tells him as if to educate gently. “But she learned so that she could talk with families like ours. It’s a sign of respect, yes?”

“Oooooh,” Leo says, looking surprised as he digests the words.

“Have you met my family?” I ask, not sure what else to say.

Apollo nods, almost making a humming noise. “Your stepfather, many times. Some of my younger siblings are familiar with your stepbrother, too.”

“Oh boy,” I mutter with a wince. “Familiar in a good or a bad way?”

“They’re friendly.” He chuckles and I breathe out shortly, relieved to hear it. “We have no issues with the Gabris family.”

I knew that, of course I did. There would be no way that Chloe and I were welcomed here if the Morettis didn’t like my stepfather. Or at the very least, didn’t trust their working relationship. The families are at peace, and if Ares made an enemy out of one of Apollo’s siblings, that might not be true.

Ares isn’t exactly an instigator known for making enemies, but he can be a troublemaker when he’s bored. He likes adrenaline, entertainment, and gambling. He likes winning the most, and a lot of made men hate losing.