“You going home?” Vic asked.

“Guess I should. At least to make sure my apartment’s still there.”

“Maybe it won’t be that bad.” And Livy appreciated him trying to make her feel better. It actually gave her a brief moment of hope—until it was dashed by Shen.

“Uh . . . Livy?” He glanced up from the laptop he’d been working on even while they ate breakfast.

“What?”

“I was searching around . . . about your cousin . . . because, ya know . . .” The panda shrugged. “Crazy girls usually mean hot sex and I wanted to see what she looked like.”

Ira sneered. “All these years, Shen, and you still disgust me.”

Shen ignored his friend’s sister and pointed at his computer screen. “Is this her?”

Livy walked around until she stood behind Shen and the Barinov siblings stood behind her. Then, together, they all watched the horror unfold.

It was especially horrifying when Melly, while guzzling back another glass of vodka and orange juice, admitted to the PC camera Livy used for online meetings, “You know what? I totally am not supposed to be drinking right now. I think the judge said that.” Melly thought for a moment, her eyes gazing up at the ceiling. “Yep! Totally not supposed to be drinking. I think it’s part of my probation or whatever.” She shrugged. “Well, like, who’s going to find out? Am I right, girls?” That’s when Melly leaned back and Livy could see her other female cousins that Livy’s mother had sent over to “take care of Melly” in the background, including Jocelyn—who Livy thought knew better! And the whole group of them were already drunk and out of control.

Fists in the air, the She-badgers began chanting, “Chug, Melly! Chug! Chug! Chug!” And Melly did.

“Is this live?” Livy asked.

“No. It was posted a few hours ago.”

“Right.” Livy nodded, knew what she had to do. “Okay. Thanks for breakfast.”

“Where are you going?” Vic asked.

“Back to the apartment. I’ve got people to kill.”

Vic shook his head. “Anyone else, Livy, and I’d assume they were just being overly dramatic. But you . . . I’m pretty sure you’re going to kill them.”

“Yeah. I’ll get away with it, too. By the time I’m done, it’ll be like they never existed.”

“That’s an option,” Vic told her, trying to be reasonable. He was always trying to be reasonable, which made her think he was much more bear than cat. “But I have a job for you. It’s very important.”

“Whitlan’s daughter again? Seriously? Can we not just leave that girl alone?”

“We need you to check her apartment, which wouldbe much safer than dealing with your cousin right now.”

“Breaking and entering could still put me in jail, though, Barinov. If I get caught.”

“But much less time than first-degree murder.”

He had a point.

“It’s not like your cousins are going anywhere,” Vic added.

Not until they’d slept off whatever they’d drunk. And if they’d added some snake poison for that little extra kick, they could be out for days.

“We’ll do this together,” Vic offered.

And Livy couldn’t help but snort. “You? You’re going to break in with me? ’Cause I don’t exactly see you blendin’ into the walls.”

“Shen and I will be your backup.”

Shen finally looked away from the tits Melly had decided to bare on camera. “Wait. How did I get in the middle of this?”

“You’re the one who keeps wanting to be my partner,” Vic snapped at his friend.

“Yeah, but—”

“Just do what I tell you, panda.” Vic smiled at Livy. “Okay, Livy?”

Livy took a breath. “It’s probably a good idea. That way I can more carefully arrange the murders.”

Vic nodded at her statement. “See? That sounds like a good plan.”

But Ira gawked at her brother. “That really sounds like a good plan to you?”

“Better than the first one,” he shot back.

CHAPTER 6

Once Vic had Livy’s solemn promise not to suddenly run off so she could eviscerate her cousin, he slept most of the day. Not even bothering to change, but dropping facedown over his bed, fully clothed. He woke up when the scent of his sister’s garlic chicken snaked up the stairs to his bedroom. But he waited until his nephew climbed up on his back and tugged at his hair before he actually opened his eyes.

“Uncle Vic, Mommy says dinner is ready.” Vic didn’t move, so his nephew tugged harder. “Uncle Vic! Uncle Vic! Dinner!”

When Vic still didn’t move, his nephew leaned over to see Vic’s face. That’s when Vic unleashed his fangs and gave a low-volume roar.

Igor squealed and laughed, trying to quickly get off Vic so he could make a run for it.

Flipping onto his back, Vic caught his nephew around the waist and tossed him up in the air.

Igor laughed while kicking his legs and swinging his arms until his mother yelled up the stairs, “Would you two stop fooling around and get down here for dinner? Now!”

Grinning, Vic stood, tossing the boy over his shoulder and taking him downstairs to the kitchen. He plopped Igor in a chair, adding a few phone books so the boy could feel as tall as he would likely be one day, and looked around.