Page 51 of Thorns of Lust
I swallowed the lump in my throat, burying all the feelings deep down.
“Yeah?”
“What are you wearing?” It was an odd thing to question. My eyes lowered. I wore Adrian’s sweatpants and white t-shirt. It wasn’t the hottest nor most flattering look.
I returned my attention to my brother.
“On the day of the funeral…” My voice cracked, remembering that day. The pain was still fresh, although healing.I think.Maybe I graduated to the next stage of grief. I sighed shakily, realizing I was probably fooling myself. “You said something,” I rasped as I continued.
He wasn’t good for you. Not anymore.His monotone voice repeated the words over and over again, like an echo in an empty room.
Alexei nodded, but in his typical way, he didn’t elaborate.
“Why did you say that?” I questioned, watching him. Not that I expected my brother’s mask to crack. It never did - for anyone - but his wife and son.
He studied me wordlessly while I held his gaze. But I didn’t squirm. I didn’t break eye contact. I was ready for whatever was coming my way.
“You’re not going to like it.”
My lungs closed up, but I refused to stop now. I came for some answers, and I refused to leave without any.
“There are many things I don’t like, but I deal with it,” I choked out.
His eyes remained on me. A heartbeat passed.
“Adrian transferred your part of the company to his own name.” My brows furrowed. I shook my head, confusion clear on my face.
“How?” I didn’t sign any papers transferring ownership to Adrian. Granted, I wasn’t interested in the company, but I’d never sign it over without speaking with Vasili first.
“You must have signed the agreement.”
I shook my head vigorously. “I didn’t,” I claimed with conviction. “I always read every document I sign. Vasili pounded it into me. I swear, I never signed it.”
But you signed funeral papers with that weird niche plate inscription and you don’t remember, my mind whispered. I wasn’t willing to admit it. Not yet.
“Vasili wasn’t happy about it when he found out,” Alexei continued in his cold voice. “He confronted him the night of your accident.”
I remembered seeing Vasili and Adrian argue the night of the Halloween celebration, Alexei standing there in his usual form. The moment I approached them, they ceased talking and I thought nothing of it.
“Why didn’t Vasili say anything?” I breathed and Alexei’s gaze flashed with something fierce. Dangerous.
“You didn’t need to deal with that stuff.”
“But didn’t he wonder why I would sign over the company without talking to him?”
Alexei shrugged. “Once Adrian died, it didn’t matter.”
I winced at his words. But in typical Alexei fashion, he didn’t apologize. He wouldn’t have meant it, and somehow I appreciated it. I’d rather he gave it to me straight than bullshit.
“Who does the company belong to now?” I questioned.
“You.”
He watched me with eyes of the palest frozen oceans, the dark secrets thriving in his depths, while only confusion danced in mine.
“But–” There was something he wasn’t telling me.
“There is a clause preventing us from erasing Adrian’s name from the legal papers.”
