Page 148 of Bratva Butcher

I’d betrayed my wife, the sanctity of our marriage and everything our vows stood for. It was like I was drowning, unable to get my head above water. It muddled everything else within me until all I could feel was guilt and shame.

It was overwhelming.

And then came the anger.

Anger at myself. At Autumn. At everyone.

A dark cloud of fury washed over me, settling deep into my bones. The world snapped back into focus. My eyes locked on the door, hands clenching into tight fists at my side.

Girlfriend?

How could I have let this happen? How could I have let myself do this? Girlfriend?GIRLFRIEND? I had a goddamn wife!

The fury consumed me, right down to my fingertips and toes and I marched towards the door.

Aleksandr stepped into my path, his palms out. “Father, Lukyan was just kidding—”

“I was.” Lukyan nodded earnestly, panic in his eyes as he came up to his brother’s side. “I was just playing around—”

“Get. Out. Of. My. Way,” I demanded, voice cold and hard.

Aleksandr didn’t move. “Father,please. Don’t—”

I shoved him out of my path and slammed both of my hands onto the double doors, flinging them open.

Autumn stood at the foot of the porch steps, the smile dropping from her lips the moment she saw me.

“What the fuckare you doing here?” I snarled, the anger and guilt pumping through my veins making it impossible for me to calm down.

She took a step back in shock, eyes widening slightly at my outburst.

Yekaterina’s ghostly image appeared, swirling into view right beside Autumn. Desperation shone in her eyes.“Don’t do this, Dima,”she begged. Pleaded.

Uncertainty flashed across Autumn’s face. “I—”

“You think because we fucked a few times, that gives you the right to just show up at my house unannounced like this? In the middle of the day? In front of mychildren?” I hissed.

Her gaze flicked to Aleksandr and Lukyan behind me. “I-uh.” She shook her head as if trying to wake up from a daze. “I don’t, um, understand—”

No. Why would she? Why would she understand? She couldn’t possibly.

“No, you don’t,” I spat, leering at her. “You don’t understand. So, let me spell it out for you.” I stepped out onto the porch. Autumn retreated another step. “We’re not together. We’re notboyfriend and girlfriend. We’re not going to ride off into the sunset together and live happily ever after. We’re nothing. You hear me?Nothing.”

Autumn sucked in a harsh breath, pain flaring in her beautiful green eyes.

“Dima, please,” Yekaterina implored, voice laced with sadness and worry.“You don’t want to do this. Not really.”

I ground my teeth together.Ignore her. She’s just a figment of your imagination.

“Yes! I am!Yourimagination! Yours! And I’m telling you right now, this isn’t what you want.”

Autumn licked her lips, her gaze moving between my son’s and I. “Has something happened?” she asked, voice soft, almost calming, like she was trying desperately to understand what was going on.

More anger and frustration exploded in my body. I shook my head, exasperated. “You just don’t get it, do you? Howstupidare you?”

She winced as if I’d struck her.

“Father!” Aleksandr chastised.

---