Page 96 of Volatile

My heart changes its rhythm with him mentioning the baby, not drugs, they’re being weird fucks because of that. No name or a body but it feels like mourning.My heart is fighting with each beat, the rhythm is erratic and his jaw clenches as I feel fearful of my brother for the first time in my life. Many people are rightfully afraid of both of them, I should be too considering how we were raised, but it’s never happened before since there’s always been some warmth when they look at me.

Not now. Vlad’s eyes are fucking cold, arctic, as he grits, “You hit my daughter, and she is the only reason why you get that pass. Do it again, you even raise your fucking voice to her, and I’ll remove your fucking legs so that your knee won’t be an issue. Understood?”

I deflate and sit on the edge of the table. My voice lowers and I stare straight ahead to stop my chin dropping as I mumble, “I didn’t mean to do it, and I didn’t even know I did until she mentioned it. It’s just there in front of me, watching Stasi be kicked, them taking off their belts, and it won’t fucking go. Vanya told me it’s because of Rowan, but none of the fuckers had ID so I don’t know if that was who was there.” I look up, my eyes burning and my voice weaker. “They kicked her in the stomach and I couldn’t fucking do anything.”

I slide down to sit on the bench as all three of them stare at me with a mix of rage.

“I couldn’t stand or stop them,” I admit while I focus on Val, so he knows he’s a prick. “And she’s not a coke head, don’t give her shit when you know nothing about her life.”

He nods once, accepting it and I know it will never be said again.

Vlad and Dima do their weird marital communication as they look at each other, fanning the flames of the other’s anger. They don’t say anything, and I break their silent conversation with a bark, “What?”

They’re about to treat me like I’m a dumb kid so I stop them. “Stasi’s mine, they fucking hurt her, caused her to have a miscarriage, so fucking tell me because if anyone is going to kill the cunt, it’s me.”

Vlad sits beside me and grabs the back of my head, but he’s honest for once as he taps against his knee.

“Rowan isthesick cunt.” He looks up between my brother and me. “Do you want details?”

I look at Val and we both slowly nod.

Our parents, or the people who became them, get larger. Both Dima and Vlad harden, their breathing escalating and fists clenching as they give us sickening information.

“He sells people, for any reason,” Vlad says.

And Dima grits, “Dead or alive. He’s the one who owns TRR.”

They share another look while Val and I freeze at the memory of the fucked-up auction we witnessed when Vanya was searching for Nina. They abruptly stop and the tapping speeds up as Vlad says, “He’s put markers out for anyone in the family.”

Dima gets bigger and his knuckles crack from the force of his hands balling into fists. “The ones who grabbed you were trying to get in his ranks, stay the fuck away from anything to do with him.”

Val’s brows come together, and he looks between us all. “He can’t be that fucking big or bad? We’ve got this psychotic prick on our side.” He points at our older brother.

Who proudly smiles around his declaration, “And that’s one of the reasons he’s gone back into hiding, weak fucking suka.”

My voice lowers, unsure if I want to know the answer as I ask, “What’s the other reason?”

Our dads both answer at the same time with actual smiles on their faces full of pride.

“Vanya.”

“Vanya.”

Vlad straightens up and acts like a prick. “Go shower, you smell like horse shit.”

I can’t be let off that easily, even if they know about Stasi they’d rage and want their pounds of flesh. Seeing my confusion, Val’s voice drops to a whisper, and he looks away to hide his emotions. “I burnt the cunts alive just for being next to my kid.”

Vlad’s dumbass pride comes out around a shark-like smile. “I killed a few, or fifteen. Well, the first night, I’ve lost count since then.”

Dima laughs at his husband and shakes his head. Crazy fuckers.

Val’s rattling gets my attention and I perk up at the familiar sound. I have to force my face to stay relaxed and my fingers curl around the wood to stop me holding my hand out as he shakes out two pills. He holds them in his palm, out of reach like a cunt, and speaks slowly with his tone hardening. “They’re not the same shit as what you were taking, you get two and I’ll give you them.”

When he holds the bottle up to me, I know they’re detox drugs, fucking weak-ass pills that will stop me throwing up but nothing more.I still take them, and it settles my stomach while the pain radiates through my leg, but it’s enough to allow me to move easier and I can’t hide my fucked-up gait as I walk to the house.

I need my girl, I only settled when she was in my arms so I go through the side door and down to the basement to shower before I can hold her again. She’s not going to wrap around me if I smell of horse shit and there are pieces of hay stuck to my skin. I rush through the steps and grab a pair of shorts before taking the elevator up to our floor.

Stasi is already in bed when I come into the room. Her shoulders twitch betraying the feigned sleep she’s using to avoid me. She stiffens as I crawl in beside her and wrap my arm around her. My girl doesn’t sleep in big hoodies or sweats, it’s oversized T-shirts she’s stolen from me or nothing.But she’s in sweats and a hoodie, it doesn’t mean shit that they’re both mine when I know she’s deviating from her routine.

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