God of Pain (Legacy of Gods #2) by Rina Kent

“You didn’t have to. We could’ve eaten anything,” I say.

“Nonsense. It’s been months since you guys came home and there’s no way you’ll eat just anything.” She ushers us into the kitchen with Yan’s help. Ogla, our head maid, greets us and I give her a hug. Something she’s found blasphemous for the past eighteen years, but I’ve slowly trained the stern Russian lady to accept them.

“Where’s Papa?” I ask Mom while I help Ogla fill plates that look no different than a feast for an army.

“In his office with Kolya.” Mom plants me on a seat and places my favorite salad in front of me. “You know how he gets with work.”

“Let me go call them.” Jeremy has barely finished his sentence when Papa strolls into the kitchen with Kolya—his second-in-command—in tow.

Papa has an imposing, intimidating presence that calls for everyone’s attention whenever he walks into a room. I’m lucky enough to be his daughter, so I’m never the subject of his wrath, but I know that people tremble at the prospect of being in that position.

After he hugs Jeremy in greeting, he regards me with a soft smile. “Anoushka.”

I run into his arms, and while they’re not as soothing as Mom’s, they’re safe, like a fortress.

It’s moments like these that make me glad to be home. Moments of normalcy, of warmth, and peace.

Of family.

Even if we’ll never be the conventional type.

We all sit for dinner, Kolya, Yan, and Ogla included. Boris, another guard in the close circle, would’ve joined us, too, but he’s apparently not in the house.

We’ve always considered these guys our extended family. The ones we go to whenever our parents are unreachable.

They’re our godparents in a way.

Mom, who’s beaming from ear to ear, doesn’t stop pushing all sorts of food in our direction. Her happiness is contagious, to say the least, and so is her energy.

“How’s everything at school?” Papa pours himself a glass of wine.

“The usual,” Jeremy answers with a shrug. Needless to say, he made the guards report back that the fire that took place was minor and nothing to worry about. Otherwise, Papa and these ruthless guys would’ve come over and buried the Serpents with their own hands.

Especially if they’d found out my and Jeremy’s lives were in danger.

I push my glass in front of Papa. “Me, too.”

He levels me with a look that would bring a mountain to its knees. “You have your juice.”

“But I’m already eighteen. People drink at this age in the UK.”

“This is not the UK and you are not English.”

“Well, I’m half Russian and people drink at eighteen in Russia.”

Mom raises a brow. “She has a point.”

Papa slides his attention to her and all I can do is watch as a different, cryptic emotion blossoms in his eyes. I’ve always loved the way he looks at her, like she’s his world. How he searches for her when she’s not there. It’s like she’s his air and he has to see her every moment.

My papa might be heartless, but he’s the best husband and father alive.

“Don’t feed her lies, Lenochka.” He pins me with a stare. “I’m three-quarters Russian. That makes you about a quarter Russian.”

“One-third at worst.”

“Still a no.”

“Let her have some, Boss. We need to prepare her for all the vodka.” Yan fills my glass with wine and narrowly escapes having his head chopped off by Papa’s glare.

Then he pretends not to have noticed the murder attempt and gets engrossed in his food.

“Didn’t you have eat not two hours ago?” Kolya calls him out on his bullshit point-blank.

“So what? Food tastes so much better with the kids around.”

“That’s true.” Mom sighs. “I’m so happy you guys came back, even if it’s just for a few days. Apparently, you’re all grown up and don’t need to visit your mother anymore.”

“Of course not.” I side-hug her. “We’re just too busy with school.”

“And other things,” Jeremy says casually while cutting his steak.

I make a face at him and he just remains in his blank mode.

We agreed that he’d let me talk to them on my own. Which I’ll do in the morning because I’m too drained for that conversation tonight.

“Oh, I know.” Mom rubs my hand that’s on the table. “I’m glad you made friends. They looked nice.”

“They’re the best ever. We’re having a lot of fun on campus.”

“Not too much fun, though, right?” Papa levels me with one of his stern fatherly looks again.

“Oh, Adrian. Let her be,” Mom chastises. “Tell me all about the fun you’ve had.”

I chatter on and on, interrupted by Jeremy's semi-threatening objections whenever he feels like I’ve veered too close to the subject we’re here for.

We stay around the table for a long time, even after we finish dinner. They fill us in on Yan’s antics with Kolya, Boris, and Papa. Mom comes to his defense, which displeases Papa, judging by the subtle threats to Yan’s life.

By the time we retreat to our rooms, it’s super late.