Page 44 of Sinful Wrath

Though it seems there was a side of him that none of us saw.

“The affair between our father and Katya Ivanov resulted in a child,” Alexei explains. “A son.”

I feel as if the ground has given out from underneath me.

The glass in my hand slips through my fingers and goes crashing to the floor, the vodka sinking into the cream carpet as I stare at Alexei.

Danil’s eyes are wide. “But…But he never said anything… How is this possible? I don’t understand.”

“Our father fucked another woman, that’s how,” I snap at Danil. “Do you need a fucking sex ed lesson or something?”

“Mikhail,” Dimitri warns, but I ignore him.

“Why am I not surprised.” I run my hands through my hair.

“What happened to the kid?” Danil asks.

Alexei shakes his head, sadness clear in his eyes. “Initially, it was recorded as a stillbirth, but it turned out that the child survived.”

“Igor was the one to cover it up,” Dimitri adds. “If there was no record of a living child, it meant he was free to do with him as he pleased.”

“We have another brother… Fuck. Is this a good or bad thing?” Danil asks.

“We’re still trying to work that out,” Alexei replies.

I barely hear them. I feel as if I’m underwater, my lungs crying out for air as I forget to breathe.

I have another brother.

“How long have you known about this?” My voice is barely above a whisper.

Their answering silence is deafening.

I’m on my feet in an instant, my hands balled into fists that I’m eager to slam into Alexei’s jaw if he doesn’t start explaining himself. “How long have you fuckingknown?”

“I planned to tell you when I got back from Russia a few months ago.”

“You’ve known about this formonths? Are you fucking serious, Alexei?” My body is vibrating as I stare down my oldest brother. “I thought you would have learned your lesson after you kept our father’s affair a secret.”

“Dimitri and I decided that the less people that knew, the better.”

“We’re not justpeople, we’re you’rebrothers!” I yell. “And that meansallof us, not just Dimitri.”

I run my hands through my hair as I pace back and forth.

This is the second time they’ve kept a huge piece of information secret, information that regards my own fucking father. It makes me wonder what else they’re keeping from me.

This is just more confirmation that Alexei and Dimitri don’t see me as a senior member of this family.

And I’m fucking done.

“This shit stops now. Danil and I aren’t teenagers anymore. We deserve to be included ineverydecision,everyconversation that happens regarding this bratva. It’s not fair that you’re leaving me out of major discussions when I’m sacrificing so much for this family. I’m marrying Massimo Conti’s daughter, for fuck’s sake! Doesn’t that prove that I’ve stepped up? What more do you fucking want, Alexei?”

“This.” He folds his arms over his chest. “I’ve been waiting for you to stand up and demand more from me. It shows me that you're ready. So, once you and Lucia are married, I’ll make sure you’re given more responsibility.”

I wasn’t expecting Alexei to accept my demands on the spot, but I’m grateful for the respect he’s finally showingme. It’s something I’ve craved my entire life, and not just since our father died and he took over as head of the family.

For so long, it was always Alexei and Dimitri making decisions, and I always felt like I was on the outside.

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