Page 25 of Vulnerate

“I can’t even speak Portuguese.”

It’s a stupid argument when she’s literally black and blue. What does a language matter?

Brushing it off, she breathes easier and steps back. “It’s fine, you’re a fast learner. And all the family speak English.”

I want to stay here, with Val and Tali, in my life where I at least have some of my comforts. But everything is changing, and she obliterates the relationship with my two favorite people.

“Don’t even think of telling them where you’re going.” She sniffs but there are no tears and I move back when her nostrils flare. “Have you seen my fucking face?! They nearly killed me.”

I hate myself for wanting to ask why.She’s my sister, my loyalty should be to her, still there’s a voice in the back of my head saying none of this makes sense. Turning cruel, she hits me with her words and points at her face.

“I’m not the one with the money andthisis what they did. What do you think they’ll do to you? You have your trust, and you’ll access it fully when you get married. Remember, they’ll do anything. Stay the fuck away from the bastards.”

My face falls, she’s developed some sibling bond that she’s never had before as she stares at me and looks to the necklace Val gave me. Hervoice is higher pitched as she curses, and I move back in time to get out of her reach.

“You stupid fucking bitch! Did you let one of them claim you?!” Her injuries slow her down and she grabs the wall for support as she gives up on causing bodily harm to inflict it verbally. “You’re a fucking idiot. If they claimed you they’ll never let you go, it’s how it works with them. You’ve made us lose everything because you wanted to be one of their little sluts?!”

My throat is closing up and I manage to get out a croak. “It’s not like that.”

The bitter laugh has my organs jumping within my body as she shakes her head. “Yeah because you’re not the slut. You’re the one paying for it. You’ll be dead as soon as you marry one of them.”

No. Val wouldn’t do that to me.

She keeps mentioning marriage and the echo of her cruelty mixes with the softness of Val’s dreams. He wouldn’t know that my parents changed the clause of my trust. But they beat the shit out of my sister after I told them that we don’t have the money to pay them back.

I’m so stupid. I believed him but he was doing everything he could for his family. He never gave a fuck before, obviously I’m the idiot who thought he was being genuine when he’s not capable of caring about anyone. I hate him and I hate Tali for not telling me. Everything is under a microscope. It was all planned and he probably told Zoe to attack me so Vlad could be the savior. Tali wouldn’t look at me when we were eating breakfast and he didn’t talk to his brothers.

They’ve put their own family first and I’m not part of it. Now I’ll do the same for myself, not my family because they all left me. The only person I have is me and I’ll be fine on my own away from these toxic assholes who just use everyone.

Worthless, stupid Dani who always gives everyone chances when all people do is use you, all they care about is money, just like my parents. They couldn’t stay for me, so why would any of the Vartanovs?

NINE

Valentin

eight months later

Opening my passport, I check it for the thousandth time to make sure it’s mine. I’ll drag Dani back with me if I have to. She can’t just fucking disappear. I don’t give a fuck if her family have died, Dani belongs with me.

She’s nowhere in the States and I’ll search the entire of Brazil until I find someone who knows her family.The tracker is a piece of shit – or she’s thrown my gift away. It’s easier to believe that I gave my girl a shitty gift rather than the alternative that she doesn’t want anything to do with me.

My phone rings at the same time as the announcement goes off for my flight and I answer automatically seeing Vlad’s name.

“You stupid little shit! I told you not to fucking lie if it ever happened and you fucked up.”

His bark is loud enough to have my ears ringing, and I hold it away from my face to protect my hearing. When the murmuring stops, I pull it back, confused as fuck at whatever’s crawled up his ass now.

“Get the fuck home. Now Valentin. If you make me come find you it will be worse.” He doesn’t say anything else and ends the call.

I can’t even ask Tali what’s happened. He’s pissed at me and probably ecstatic about my impending death. Fuck them both, if Vlad wants to kill me, the neurotic bastard can follow me to Brazil. I can’t even guess what could have pissed him off when he’s 90% rage. I put a pause on dying for now as I go towards my gate, but Tali’s call comes through next. He hasn’t spoke to me since Dani left and I answer, hoping he's stopped being pisses at me, but he sounds panicked and there’s no hate in his voice.

“Get home, Vlad’s pissed. Whatever you did has him in a meeting with Maximoff.”

I haven’t done fuck that would involve the Pakhan. I’m a teenager and I haven’t even got my stars for fuck’s sake.

My feet argue with each other, — go to Dani or go home — I don’t have her exact location, but she has to be in Brazil. She doesn’t have any other family and she’s not with us. She wouldn’t be around the fucks her sister keeps as company. My girl is too intelligent, and she would have come to us, me. Tali’s voice is in my ear, the worry in it urging me to go back and making my decision for me.

“Don’t be a dick and come home or it will end up being worse.”

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