Page 3 of Volatile

He stops as the rest of the Albanian Enterprise come back and start their bullshit. If they’re so fucking obsessed with my brother, they should be on their knees, not me, maybe the neurotic fuck would let them suck his dick or just pat their heads.

More slack is put into the chains, and I’m dragged to stand. The extra pressure on my leg has my stomach churning and bile rises up my throat. The only thing stopping me from throwing up is a blinking red light opposite me. Staring into it, I remove myself from my body and let everyone see what Len created. My voice hardens to stop my brother reacting when he’s sent the recording, and I repeat the same shit Vlad said to Val and me when we were kids.

“Ni za chto.”1

It didn’t matter what the question was, the answer was always the same.

Are we going to die? Not at any price.

Will you leave us? Not at any price.

Do we have to stay with Len and Anika? Not at any price.

Same shit, different toilet in a childhood that created monsters and now breaks them.

1 Not at any price.

The Reckoning

vitali

three years later

My brother is a dickhead, both of them are, but Val has a special gene that makes his dickhead qualities more potent as I send a drink to the woman I’m currently eye fucking. He leans into me and asks, “You know she’s a celebrity, right? A model?”

He hides his bullshit behind his tumbler and Inessa catches my eyes, giving me a look that would fit a parent scolding their child. Seeing his wife’s attention is on us, Vlad decides to let his threats out as he stands from our reserved table and buttons up his suit jacket.

“No blood, it’s Inessa’s night.”

The charity event is boring as fuck and Viktor is happily eating his cake on the opposite side of the table so I can’t steal it. Dani turns her head to see who’s caught my eye and she whips her head back to me, ignoring Val trying to steal her attention.

“She’s really famous, does Inessa know her?” she asks.

“Yeah, it’s her new sister-in-law.” I drop my voice and lean back in my seat.

My innocent best friend doesn’t understand and a crease forms between her brows, getting deeper until I clear it up.

“Vlad has the heiress, Val has my artist, now I’m getting a model.”

Val laughs and shakes his head before looking over his shoulder towards the bar. I follow his line of sight to watch my future wife but regret it instantly when the Albanian fucks surround her. My knee twinges at the memory of the drill breaking through the bone; it’s been years, yet I can’t get it the pain to stop. And my brother can’t hide his hate which proves he has a heart, also that he loves me, the sappy prick.

“She’s one of them by blood, it’s not worth it.”

My mood instantly changes as one very specific woman walks past their group, uncaring about anyone else. Anastasia is my dream, she’s perfection, and I push out of my seat, ignoring the warning directed at my back. “Don’t bring rats to the door, Vitali.”

I’m not going to the model; she isn’t my match. Not when everyone says I’m a puppy. There’s only one coldhearted bitch that I want.

Anastasia may not be initiated but she shows her allegiance as she stands away from the members of the Conglomerate. Her back is to the wall and there’s a slight pause as she brings her flute to her lips when she sees me heading in her direction. I knew she wanted me; she can deny it all she wants but she fucking loves me chasing after her. One day, she’ll stop running and I convince myself that it’s going to be now as I stop in front of her.

Fuck me, she’s beautiful. Her dark hair shines under the lights, mimicking the deviance in her dark eyes. Men are described as tall, dark, and handsome, but Stasi ticks the same boxes. She’s only a few inches shorter than me in her heels and I take half a step closer, crowding her against the wall as I lower my head to kiss her cheek. Going to the other cheek, I keep my voice low, so no one else overhears my offer.

“Meet me outside in ten minutes and be ready to run.”

Her pulse speeds up and I slowly move back, watching how she masks her expression. I’ve been doing this for years and I’ve finally found the one thing that intrigues her enough to give in.

Every other attempt has been met with a no or some stubborn comment that means the same as the two letters. Not now. She doesn’t say anything at all, and I take the champagne flute from her fingers before walking away. Once I’m out of sight from anyone who could start any rumors in the pompous ballroom, I take the pills from my pocket and wash them down with champagne. I’m only supposed to take two when my knee flares up, but it will be fucked when I chase my girl, and she won’t escape me.

The manor house has an attached wood, and I wait at the tree line, watching the stone entrance for my girl to reveal herself. I’ve offered to take her on a date, she says no. I was even courteous on Vlad’s wedding and said I’d drive away from the venue if she wanted to suck my dick rather than go into one of the toilets, and she still said no. But with ten seconds to spare she slowly walks out of the large manor house and descends the steps even fucking slower.

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