Page 191 of Cashmere Cruelty

The one in the organ at the center of it. In that part of me I deluded myself into thinking I didn’t have.

What a cruel way to find out I do.

“Fucking—fuck,fuck?—”

“Motya!”

I feel Yuri’s hand around my wrist. His fingers are trembling; trying to keep me from hurting myself further—and failing. “Matvey, look at me.”

“Get lost.”

“Look at me.”

I do. If only to snarl at him again to get the fuck out of my sight—I do.

But then the words don’t come.

Because this is Yuri we’re talking about.

My brother.

Myfamily.

The only family I will ever have.

“Is that true?” Yuri rushes forward.

I open my mouth to speak, convinced that I’m the reason he came.

And then I watch him run right past me and into Petra’s arms.

“Yura…” Petra’s voice cracks. “You weren’t supposed to find out this way.”

“I’m glad I did.” He cradles her head with one hand. The other, he moves from her hip to her belly. “So you’re really…?”

“What are you looking so happy for?” Petra scoffs, but it’s weak. Undermined by the blush on her cheeks. “This isn’t good news, you know.”

“It’s a baby,” my brother replies, like it’s simple. Like it’s the easiest thing in the world. “How can it be bad?”

I watch the scene with my jaw on the floor.

“Yuri,” I growl in warning, gun tight between my fingers, “get away from her.”

Yuri turns. Then, for the first time in his life, he looks me in the eye and says, “No.”

I raise my gun high as it all hits me at once. “Blyat’, Yuri! You can’t be serious!”

Of all people. Of all the fucking people on this earth…

But there’s no mistaking it. It’s in the way he looks at her. The way his hand curls protectively around her womb.

The way he stands between us.

With a roar, I throw my gun to the floor. “God fucking dammit!”

Was it always this obvious? Like dominoes, the pieces start falling into place. Everything’s making sense now: every suspicious disappearance, every worried glance. Every time Yuri ran after her, or protected her from my wrath.

It wasn’t for my sake.

---