Page 67 of Viparious

I let them earn from my body so they could eat.

I let them pit me against grown fucking men to boast.

I let them do whatever they wanted, and he took her.

The crack as I kick into his ribs doesn’t register, and the bastard slides across the floor, hitting the wall.

“Why?! She was innocent, she didn’t fucking do anything to you!”

There’s no fight back. Yet, I can’t stop, all I can imagine is what I could have had. Vanya would have been with me, Valyusha, and Vitya. She’d have been happy. She would have loved Viktor and the horses. But he stopped me having it.She would have always smiled at me.

I wouldn’t forget her eye color.

I wouldn’t forget her scent.

I wouldn’t miss her.

A soft, tear-filled voice breaks through with one word.

“Vlad?” Turning towards the sound, Inessa is shivering, her clothes and hair are stuck to her, and the room is lighter. “Let him go.”

There’s no color on her face, but she doesn’t look fearful of me as I numbly blink. She walks towards me with her palms flat, hand outstretched in front of her, so I can see before she touches me. The soft smile she gives me is wrong and she pulls on my arm, adding more incorrect qualities to the air.

“Please, lapachka. He’s dead, I promise.”

She’s not supposed to beg. But I look down and realize she’s right. There’s blood everywhere, mixing with the smell of alcohol and gasoline.And Len is unrecognizable with his body awkwardly folded.

She guides me closer to her, and the sun is coming up. That’s why it’s light. It’s too early for it to be light, I only just got here. My brothers are standing near the entrance with wide eyes. There’s fear on their faces. Fear when they look at me when I’ve gone my entire life making sure they’re safe. But not my queen’s as she keeps walking me towards the bar and sits me down. When her arms come around me, vodka fills my nose, and it’s on her breath as she whispers, “You’re okay.”

She keeps repeating it and the burn in my broken hands is nothing to the one in my chest as I cup her face.

Speaking softly, there’s no order but a plea, “Go with Valentin to the hospital, meelaya.” The taste of alcohol on her cheek burns my lips as I kiss her cheek. I give her what will never be enough as I whisper, “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”

It’s a night of my failings, every single one being pointed out and I’ll never be able to fix them. But Inessa is alive, and she’ll live a long life. The apology has her moving in a haze, like it’s fucked with her head and she’s not capable of thought as I call my brother over.

“Get them checked over, private room, and no wait. She might need her stomach pumped.”

Nodding once, he gently holds her arm and guides her away.She sways on her feet, and he quickly lifts her as he chokes around his own promise, “You’ll be okay, hold on to me.”

Dropping my chin to my chest, my eyes and lungs burn. I went to that cunt for help, I made him a deal and he laughed in my fucking face only to kill her. Then he tried to kill my wife, the woman who fucking helps people, and has a heart bigger than her mouth. He couldn’t have done it alone. The chair splinters against the floor from the force as I stand, and the puddles of blood and flammables splash against my legs as I thunder towards the door.

Vitali blocks my path with his voice coming out too small, too childlike.

“Where are you going?”

It’s worry and I feel lighter knowing my task. My hand lands heavily on his shoulder and the pain shoots up my arm, but it’s not a deterrent. Smiling back at him, I tell him the truth as I stroke his hair like when he was a baby.

“To do what I should have done the minute you were born,” I smile, wonder filling my voice as I feel the first breath of relief enter my body, “make us orphans.”

He freezes and I brush past him, uncaring what happens. I take the steps two at time, ignoring the way it jolts my broken hands.

I can’t drive for shit, but I’d crawl over broken fucking glass to right this wrong. My hands are already swollen, making it difficult to grip the steering wheel, and I like the sting. The pain is grounding me in reality, stopping it all from sinking in. When it does, I’ll burn but everyone else will feel it before I do.

My brothers will make sure Inessa and the baby are safe for now. While I make sure history never fucking repeats itself.

* * *

Growing up,I was never allowed luxuries, even when the fuckers paid for their lives with my soul. Tearing pieces off for a price and selling them to sick cunts to satiate their fantasies. Now Anika has every luxury she could imagine, but no protection. The guards are fearful of the Vartanov name because it’s mine — not hers or fucking Len’s.That’s the reason they will all become deaf, blind, and mute to her screams tonight.

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