Page 10 of Vulnerate

I always thought he’d end up killing our parents and I’ve never understood why he hasn’t. They’re useless and Tali is probably ranked higher than them, but as I watch Vlad waiver between anger and hurt I think I know why he hasn’t. He thinks they might change. It must have been shit being him and being alone with them before we were born, so I let some of my anger slip away to end the argument.

He lets me go and I go back to the kitchen. Dani is sat playing with the necklace I gave her. As long as she never takes it off I’ll know where she is – there’s a chip hidden inside the stone-like resin. Once she’s mine I’m putting one under her skin. Or a tattoo. Yeah, that could work and anyone who looked at her would know she belongs to me.

She’s the only one with manners and picks up her plate, trying to clean up after herself. Taking it from her hands, I put it in front of the human trash can and stand.

“Tali will probably want to lick it clean. Come on, I’ll drive you.”

I don’t want her hands to be occupied with anything other than me so I take her backpack. It stops her lingering behind, and she has to follow me as she picks up her birthday card.

She always gets nervous when her parents come home. I don’t know if it’s because her mom is sick or something different. I wouldn’t piss on my own parents if they were on fire, but Dani is different, she cares about people. Dima stops her when she walks out the door behind me and slips her a smaller envelope. He doesn’t even bother getting her a card like Vlad does. It will be cash like always and he’s a miserable fuck who doesn’t even say happy birthday as he gives her it. Asshole.

Waiting until we’re locked in the car, I swipe the envelope Vlad gave her from her hand and open it while I’m driving. She swats against myarm without any real heat and protests, “That’s mine, you can’t take someone’s gift away.”

I already know there’s not going to be anything written in the card and hand her the money while I read the tickets inside. My voice isn’t strained now that I’m with her and I look from the tickets then to her beautiful face.

“I’m not taking it off you, I’m just checking what it is.”

She rolls her eyes at my explanation but leans over reading along with me.It’s some boring ass art exhibit with names that are old as fuck scrawled all over. There’s only two tickets, the prick obviously thought Tali would go with her, I keep one for myself before giving her the other one.

No one is taking my girl on a date for her birthday, she can spend it with me for once.

She kissed my cheek and slept on me so that has to mean something. I’m done waiting for her to come to me, she’s minenow. I relax as I turn into her street and watch her fight a smile as I tell her our plans.

“Be ready at three, I’ll pick you up and we can get something to eat before we go.”

There’s no anger in my voice because it’s worked out in my favor. I’m taking my girl out to literally watch dried paint but there’s no other way I’d rather spend my time.

Anger comes back as I pull into her driveway and I’m out before my tires have stopped. The fucking cunt should be dead. Leno’s slimy ass is breathing and has his tongue down Carly’s throat with a single fuck that I’m about to kill him. She moves back when she hears me and stops herself being collateral damage as my fist flies out before I’ve processed the thought.

He goes down from one punch. The coward stumbles trying to get back up. Three years I’ve waited to see him again after he fucking went behind our back to my father, spewing shit to try and get Vlad to lose his position and lose us because Len decided we’d needed to be back in Russia to be toughened up. But now, the coward is weak and he loses his battle to get back on his feet as my leg rocks back, meeting the target of his stomach.

Carly screeches right in my fucking face, “Get off him, you psycho!”

I turn to her with my fists clenched, but someone pulls on my arm.Dani doesn’t stop tugging until she’s a physical barrier and looks up at me, eyes filled with disappointment. It doesn’t carry into her voice or smile.

“Go home,please.”

I soften for my girl, but her bitch sister doesn’t let it stay as she opens her fucking mouth.

“Leave or I’ll call the police.”

I look down at the mess she’s trying to protect and laugh then shrug. “Do it. Does your dad know your fuck buddy of the week is strung out and has more debts than a country?”

She hardens in front of me. Her jaw tensing and nothing but disgust latches onto me. It’s not due to the information, she looks at my girl to check if she heard. Dani holds both of my wrists and faces off against her sister. Her voice is steel, and I lean forward with pride.

“They’ll both leave. Andhewon’t be coming back.”

She directs her disgust at Leno as he dazedly manages to stand. Her hands tighten around me when Leno gets up and he spits his dirty ass blood on the ground.

“Khuy tebe1, you broke the rules.”

The slurred threat isn’t due to being dropped, he’s high already and it’s the morning. I don’t give a fuck about them. Vlad will kill him, and he won’t be around Dani. She stays attached to me as I contain my rage, so she doesn’t get hurt by me.

“Do your worst, you fucking rat,” I spit. “Come near her again and I’ll bury you myself.”

He limps away, keeping all of his hate in his eyes like a true little bitch. Carly’s an even bigger moron than I thought she was as she leaves her sister alone on her birthday to run after him.

Dani doesn’t let go as she pushes me back to my car and she kills me with her sweetness.

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