Page 132 of Viripotent

My little finger lifts and my mind changes the pattern of a lifetime adding Inessa to the list.

Everything goes silent and I come back to reality to see what’s stolen their attention. They’re not looking at me, but the screen and my body hardens with the fucker’s cheap shot. I should turn Inessa’s ass red for fucking distracting me. I’ve never had one of those pricks get close to touching me, never mind land a damn hit.She tenses next to me. Her breathing escalates, and she fully grips my hand. Her nails dig into my palm, and she doesn’t look away from the screen.

Like he can hear my thoughts, Valya shakes his head and doesn’t act like a toddler for once.

“How the fuck did he manage to get close to you?”

Because the woman at my side currently holding my hand fucks with my head and makes me weak.

For the first time since leaving Sankt Peterburg, I was distracted during a fight. It wasn’t because my brothers weresleeping in the changing rooms, but Inessa wasn’t home. Even if I’d trust my brothers with everything I have, it didn’t ease my mind when they carried her unconscious body away.

The front door opens, and I pull Inessa closer to my side on alert. Seeing Dima walk in I relax, but then his fucking irritating junior follows behind with Katya at her side. There’s a bruise forming on Ana’s cheek and it’s joyous, she’s an annoying little shit. No wonder her parents abandoned her at birth and fucked off. If she was my kid, I’d swan dive from the Empire State Building to get the fuck away from her.

Inessa leans into me when she sees us glaring at each other, and her lips don’t move with her low order.

“Be nice.”

I’m confused as to who she’s talking to, I am not a nice person. It’s not part of the fabric of my DNA and my tongue is allergic to it unless it’s sarcastic. Fitting my lips next to her ear, I keep my voice low, not wanting anyone to hear.

“I was nice to you in the bathroom, want me to do it again?”

She never blushes in front of other people, and she doesn’t now, pretending I didn’t say anything.

The queen comes out dressed in a robe with damp hair and not a lick of makeup, she doesn’t look anything other than what she is because her royal title is something that flows through her veins. She crosses one leg over the other and folds her hands on her knees as she straightens her spine, speaking directly to Ana who is laid on my brothers.

“Why do you and Vlad hate each other?”

I knew Vitya would adopt her, he does it to everyone, but Valya surprises me when he hates everyone. But he doesn’t move pipsqueak’s legs off his thighs.

She sounds like a teacher and Valya laughs like the answer is obvious. Pinning him with a look that says shut the fuck up or spit it out, he chooses the latter.

“She’s a mini Vlad, obviously they wouldn’t get on.”

Fucking prick. After all the shit I’ve done for him he has to fucking insult me by comparing me to the pipsqueak.

Before her annoying voice can taint the air, my phone rings, flashing an unknown number. Answering on the last ring, I stay silent. It’s not my private number, but I don’t owe the fucker anything, whoever it is. One voice I haven’t heard since the night Viktor was left at the gym comes through and every muscle in my body turns rigid.

“You should be careful who you leave your nephew with.”

Everything around me is silent, either my mind has muted it, or they sense the deadly rage coursing through me. My voice comes out unaffected, trying to buy time to get the dumb fucker to give something away.

“I didn’t know they had cell service in whatever hole you’ve been hiding in Leno.”

I hold my hand up when Valentin moves forward, and he balls his fists, but keeps his mouth shut.

He’s not high, there’s too much clarity in his voice and there’s not a single sound in the background of his call.

“His eyes have darkened since he was baby, you know I told Carly that he’d have the same dead eyes as you and your brothers.”

Something shuffles on the other end of the phone, and it sounds like a body dropping until Viktor’s voice comes through, “I’m not scared of you, I’m a Vartanov and we don’t kneel.”

Any pride I could feel is replaced with my heart battering against my ribs and I can’t look at my own brother.

Leno’s laugh comes through and I’m going to rip him limb from fucking limb.

“You’re the son of a drug whore, kid. You’ve got it in you to kneel, so act like your mommy.”

Viktor rages and promises death.

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