Page 33 of Bratva Menace

I bolted out of the warehouse without looking back.

CHAPTER EIGHT

LUKYAN VOLKOV

“Adog! A sheep! A fucking horse!”

Illayana pointed vigorously at her—excuse my French—piece of shit drawing on the whiteboard in the family room, getting more and more frustrated with every failed guessing attempt.

Sitting on one of the three-seater couches, Aleksandr chuckled, a smirk dancing on his lips as he took a sip of his drink. Drea buried into his side to keep from laughing outright, and he winced at the movement, a hand flying to the ice pack sitting firmly on his crotch. He cut me a scathing look—one filled with the promise of violence and retribution for his current circumstance.

He was still salty about that kick to the balls.

I ignored him, though, way too focused on the game.

“Come on, Lukyan. Are you serious?!” Illayana growled, pointing so hard the tip of her marker was disappearing into the barrel.

“Don’t blame me for this!” I exclaimed. “You’ve got a body, head, four legs, and a tail. That could be hundreds of fucking animals, and you expect me to guess them all? You’re out of your mind!”

“I thought you weren’t supposed to talk in Pictionary?” Autumn whispered in Father’s ear beside me.

Father snorted. “You’re not. But Illayana and Lukyan play by their own rules.”

“Illayana and Lukyan can hear you,” I snapped out of the side of my mouth. “Draw something more identifiable.”

Nikolai’s eyes were firmly on the stopwatch in his hands. “Fifteen seconds!”

“Come on! Hurry up!” I urged. My body was full of anxious, nervous energy as I began to pace up and down. “We’re gonna lose!”

“Then it’s your fault!” my sister snarled. “I can’t make this any bloody easier.” She drew another few lines that in no way helped me figure out what the image was supposed to be.

I started shouting out random animals, desperation filling me. “Frog! Cheetah! Lion! Rhinoceros⁠—”

“Time!” Nikolai barked, jumping to his feet.

Illayana threw the marker at my head. I ducked. “You idiot. Rhinoceros?! What the fuck—it was a cat!”

My jaw dropped. “A. Cat?! Are you high? In what universe is that blob a cat?! If you want me to guess a cat, draw some fucking whiskers or something!”

“You. Are. Useless⁠—”

“Alright, alright, enough.” Humor flashed in my father’s eyes. “Nikolai and Tatiana, your turn.”

Illayana and I plopped down onto the other three-seater couch at the same time. She shoved me with her shoulder. I pushed her back. She shoved me again. I thumped her lightly in the arm. She smacked me in return. The bitch fight started instantly, both of us slapping the shit out of each other.

“Next time, I’m getting Arturo to be my partner.” She grunted.

“Well, good luck to him. I hope he likes to lose because you’re a shit partner,” I spat.

“Don’t make me separate you two,” Father warned.

With a final push, we shoved away from each other. Of course, she couldn’t help getting the last hit in, punching me in the thigh with the side of her fist.

Fucking ow.

Arturo was meant to be her partner, but he got called away on some sort of business, so that meant I got stuck with her instead. In my opinion, it was a stitch up. Everyone knew we fought and bickered too much to be effective partners in any game.

Tatiana flicked her hands back and forth through the air. “Help me up.”