Page 114 of Chaos

“Your father killed my sister, and my dad? And you let him live?”

I shake my head, trying to wrap my thoughts around this as the anger churns inside of me.

Nikolai gives me a stern glare and nods, looking at his daughter in his arms.

Children’s wails fill the room. They’re upset because of me.

Lara plucks Elena out of Nikolai’s arms.

He stands, crossing his arms formidably across his chest. “He’s the biggest crime lord in Russia, Jax. That is why we all left, to build our empire and tear his down. We will get our revenge, the smart way.”

My dad was in the bratva. Everyone fucking lies to me.

“How did you know it was me when you came to New York? Is that why you offered me the job with Mikhail?”

My head is spinning. So many unanswered questions and holes in my life. Even my own father had a secret life. A whole other life.

Nikolai clenches his fists.

“We’ve been watching out for you since his death, Jax. Katerina wanted to meet you. We saw you after Kai’s?—”

“Don’t fucking mention his name,” I spit out with venom.

I was starting to think of these guys as family. I guess they really are, but I don’t feel any part of it.

My gut sours.

I need some air.

Pushing past everyone to the door, I gulp in the hot Vegas night and try to calm myself down.

Why didn’t my dad ever tell me about her? What else was he hiding? He worked with Ivan? I’ve heard the stories of how ruthless that man was.

My head feels like it’s going to explode.

How different would things have been if I had known her?

Nikolai still hates his father for killing her.

Squeezing my own fist tightly makes my knuckles crack with new hatred for Ivan.

Pain courses through me.

I lost someone else. Today of all days.

My whole family. Gone.

How many more around me are going to die tragically?

God, this hurts!

Pacing outside Nikolai’s house, this is the first time I’ve really craved a cigarette.

Kai used to joke that if we had sisters, we would marry each others. That way, we’d really be brothers.

Fuck. He was more family than any of my blood kin.

A cool hand touches my back. “Jax? Are you okay?” Sofia’s voice is normally soothing to me. But tonight, I feel like my skin is on fire and I’m a powder keg.

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