Page 82 of Daddy Brigadier

She exhales a cloud of smoke into the air, refusing to look at me or even open her eyes. “What do you want?”

I clasp my hands behind my back, mainly to hide the trembling. I’m not afraid of my sister. It’s not her I fear. It’s the worry that I’ve failed her as a sister, and that our relationship may be beyond repair.

“I didn’t know you smoked.”

“I don’t, but I needed something to take the edge off.” She sits up, the joint dangling from her lips, as she strides toward the table. Taking a long drag, she exhales slowly, her eyes locking onto mine. “I guess you heard the Brigadier dumped me.”

I pivot on my heel, meeting her with an indifferent gaze. I gulp, afraid that I’m the true reason for her heartbreak, but she doesn’t need to know that—at least, not now.

“I just wanted to see how you’re doing.”

Her eyes narrow at me, a spark of suspicion igniting. She tries to gauge my thoughts, but she’s never really understood me. “Go fuck yourself, Elise,” she laughs, but there’s an edge to it.

Lacey approaches, coffee in hand, her slight tremble evident as she carefully places it on the table next to me. A single glance from Ivy prompts her to dash to the kitchen for a second cup,which she offers to Ivy. Ivy takes a sip, raises an eyebrow in surprise, and responds to Lacey with an appreciative smile and nod.

I pull out a chair and take a seat, gesturing for my sister to join me. To my surprise, she doesn’t resist. Instead, she extinguishes the joint and quietly slides into the seat across from me.

Alexis appears emotionally drained, as if she’s in the midst of a fierce internal struggle that’s on the verge of breaking her. It pains me to see it.

Her head pulls back slightly, and a disbelieving laugh escapes her lips. “Why are you here, Elise? You’ve never bothered to visit me before.”

A heavy silence stretches between us, and my anxiety intensifies. “You’re still my little sister,” I say, reaching out to touch her hand. She immediately withdraws, pulling her knee to her chest and wrapping her arms around herself.

I let out a sigh and take a sip of my coffee. “I’m just trying to protect you.”

“Fuck you. You lost the right to tell me what to do the moment you abandoned me.” Her words are sharp, and while they cut deep, they won’t push me away. Not now.

I know I deserve her anger. After our mother passed away, Alexis left Seattle to be with me. All she wanted was my time, but I was consumed by my career in the cartel—making deals that were anything but legal. I didn’t want her entangled in this life. At twenty-three, I was still figuring things out myself. I only wanted what was best for her. I convinced myself that if I pushed her away, she would return to Seattle.

But the truth is, she’s more like me than we care to admit. Instead of leaving, she stayed. She learned how to be a killer and became the leader of her own squad. She did exactly the opposite of what I wanted.

She became me.

“I made a lot of mistakes, and I regret them, but I’ve always had your back, even when you thought I wasn’t.”

She shoots a piercing glare at Ivy. “Sending your minion isn’t the same as protecting me.” She stands abruptly, knocking her chair to the floor, and points a finger at me. “You should have been there for me!” she yells.

Alright, I see we’re diving into this now, and honestly, it’s long overdue.

“You’re my little sister. I wanted to take care of you, that’s why I started working for the cartel. I wanted to give you everything Mom never gave us. I didn’t think of the consequences. This life poses a threat to you.”

“Then you should have let me stay with you. Instead, you pushed me away, leaving me alone until I found my new family.” Alexis glances at her friends, who are stunned, standing there in silence, desperately trying to go unnoticed.

I walk over to her, gently but firmly holding her chin to make her meet my gaze. “And look where that got you.”

“You’re just jealous I managed to do this without you,” she shoots back, defensively.

“Jealous?” I scoff. “Let me ask you, Alexis, what did Petrov do to you?” I snarl, my grip tightening on her chin.

She jerks away, her eyes avoiding mine, an obvious sign that he hurt her.

“More importantly, why did he attack you?” I press, but we both already know the answer.

Guilt washes over me, a sharp sting in my chest, knowing that I’m the reason for her pain. I step back, turning to Ivy, struggling to hold back the tears threatening to spill.

Ivy grips my hand tightly as I take a moment to regain my breath, calm my nerves, and find my footing.

I turn to my sister. “I am the most powerful woman in organized crime.”