Page 74 of Bratva Knight

I exhaled heavily, turning back to Illayana. “She finally told you.”

“Told you what?” Lukyan asked.

“Youshould have been the one to tell me, Nik.You!” She shoved me hard in the chest, forcing me to hit the back of the couch. “I can’t believe you would keep something like this from me. Both of you!”

Anger pulsed through me. “Don’t make this all about you, Illayana.Don’t. This was between Tatiana and I. It had nothing to do with you.”

“Nothing to do with me?” she breathed out, aghast. “You’remybrother. She’smybest friend. He wasmy—” she cut herself off, shaking her head. “Don’t act like this doesn’t involve me. It fucking does.”

Aleksandr walked into the room, most likely having been alerted to the brewing confrontation by Illayana’s loud, angry voice. “What’s going on here?” His wife stood at his side, watching on with a frown on her face.

Illayana spun to face him. “Did you know?”

“Knowwhat?” Lukyan demanded.

Aleksandr’s gaze darted between the two of us, assessing the situation. He must have figured out what she was referring to, because his shoulders dropped slightly, head tipping forward.

Illayana’s breath hitched. “You did,” she choked out in shock. “You knew…and you never said anything?!”

“Illayana—” Aleksandr began.

“He told you?” Tatiana cut him off mid-sentence.

“Told youwhat?” Lukyan growled, cutting in again, his eyes flicking around the room. “I swear to God, if someone doesn’t tell me what’s going onright now—”

“Shut up, Lukyan!” we all yelled.

His lips set into a firm line but he didn’t say anything else, keeping his mouth shut.

“Not by choice,” Aleksandr quickly said to Tatiana. “I…overheard the argument you guys had here a few weeks ago.” He was defending me, trying to make it clear to Tatiana that I didn’t betray her confidence and tell him when she expressly told me not to say a word to anyone. There he went again, always looking out for me.

“This is unbelievable,” Illayana hissed, her anger climbing. “I didn’t realise this was the type of family we were. The type that kept huge, life-changing secrets from each other. Well, I’m glad I know now.”

“Stop being childish,” I snapped. “This heart-breaking moment happened toTatiana and I.Stop making it all aboutyou.”

“Oh, that’s it.” Illayana took two steps back, putting her fists up. “Get the fuck on your feet. I challenge you to the ring.”

“Illayana, no,” Tatiana said, shaking her head, her hands in the air in a calm, surrendering gesture.

She should have known what a waste of time it was, trying to reason with my sister when she was in a mood like this. The only one who could probably calm her down was thousands of miles away.

“I’m not going to fight you, Illayana.” There would be no point to it. She wouldn’t win, and it would just piss her off even more to lose. I could alwayslether win, but I was pissed off too, and wasn’t willing to concede to her bratty behaviour.

“You act like you have a choice in it. You don’t. Either get up and come to the warehouse or I'll fight you right here.”

I scoffed, not believing a word she said. She knew as well as I did that we weren’t allowed to fight in that room—

Illayana charged, slamming into me, her hands wrapping around my throat. The couch tipped backwards and we tumbled to the ground, grunting on impact.

Son of a—

Illayana punched me in the jaw, pain shooting across my face, then she went right back to strangling me. She had the advantage, basically sitting square on my chest, using her weight to keep me down. But I was done placating her.

I gripped both of her wrists tightly, hard enough to make it hurt. She winced. I twisted outwards, forcing her to let go and then I reared forward, smashing my forehead into her lips in a brutal headbutt. Illayana cried out but recovered quickly, latching her teeth deep into my forearm, biting me.

“Ow! Illayana!” I shook my forearm, trying to dislodge her. She locked her jaw, refusing to let go, like she was some kind of rabid dog. She was certainly acting like a bitch.

I stuck her across the side of the face—once, twice. She finally released me from the death grip of her teeth, and I went to strike her again.

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