Page 64 of Unspoken

"And you?" Vlad turns his wrathful attention to Sasha again. "You know better than to leave the house while I am not in town."

"Are you saying I can’t go out anymore?"

"Not right now."

"I’ve been hearing this ‘not right now’ bullshit my entire life. When can I do what I want then?"

"This is not the time or place for you to be stubborn,bratishka."

"Don’t you fucking call me that!" Sasha’s voice pitches, grows impatient and uneven and I hate that I can’t take his hand to give him reassurance.

"You weren't here when I needed you," Vlad goes on. "You know better than to be unavailable."

Sasha's fists are out of his pockets now, clenched tightly and visible. A small act of defiance against Vlad’s commands. "I didn't think—" he starts, but Vlad cuts him off.

"You did not think? That’s exactly the problem. You never do," Vlad spits out, his words bullets aimed to wound.

"Fine, it was a mistake. Happy now?"

"Everything about this is a mistake," Vlad hisses, leaning forward with predatory grace. "Your recklessness, your disobedience. If it happens again, consequences will follow."

A silent oath to protect Sasha burns within me, scorching through the fear. But I stand rigid, desperation and resolve hidden under a mask made of stone.

"And you?" Vlad’s attention switches over to me. "Next time you decide to take my brother out for a midnight escapade," he continues with a venomous calm, "consider it your last act of employment."

My pulse hammers in my ears while I remain cold and unyielding. Because being anything more in front of a Soloveyis dangerous. Vlad’s threat hits me true, but I swallow down the fury rising in my chest.

Beside me, Sasha's breath hitches, a silent note of panic that only I can hear.

"And you," Vlad shifts his steel eyes onto his brother again, "if you pull another stunt like this, I will send you back to Aunt Irina?"

"Fuck you."

"Tell me something I have not heard," Vlad comes back.

"I’m not going back there."

"Yes, you are if I say you are. Perhaps she is a better family member to take care of you."

"Family, right." Sasha releases a bitter laugh. "Do you even know what it means?"

"Careful," Vlad warns, his voice a low growl.

"Fuck careful!" Sasha explodes. "This thing you call family is all fucked up because of all the bloody lies. Maybe you should start explaining yourself. About Papa. About how he died."

Vlad recoils as if slapped, his facade splintering for a fraction of a second but he puts himself together just as fast. "I am not sure what you mean, Alexander."

"Stop fucking lying!"

"You need to think about the words that are going to leave your mouth next."

As if he hasn’t heard the masked threat, Sasha blurts out, "You had him killed, didn’t you?"

Silent, dead, heavy, oppressing silence fills the room.

I feel like a third wheel all of a sudden. I shouldn’t be hearing this, shouldn’t be in the middle of this feud. Yet, here I am. Stuck. Witnessing things I could be killed for.

Finally, Vlad clears his throat and speaks. "You think I had a hand in our father's death?" Every syllable is measured, cautious, almost as if he’s standing on a box of explosives.

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