Page 40 of Bratva Menace

“But you did with me.” I didn’t phrase it like a question, but he answered it as if it were one.

Body stiff, jaw locked, Aleksandr grunted, “Yes.”

Even though I already knew what he was going to say, it still hurt.

Knowing my big brother didn’t believe in me, thought I was nothing but a disappointment, cut deeper than any blade ever could. There was just something about letting down your older sibling that hit different.

Sadness took over Aleksandr’s usually cold and hard features. “Ya prosto ne khochu, chtoby s toboy chto-to sluchilos’, bratishka.” I just don’t want anything to happen to you, little brother.

I smiled, but it was all fake. “I have enough self-awareness to understand I am part of the problem. I behave and act a certain way, so you assume that is all I know how to be. It’s not. I can be just as serious and ruthless as you, Aleksandr. The difference between you and me is that you wear that shit on the outside. I choose to hide mine. Maybe try to remember that before you completely write me off next time.” I turned and walked away, not even giving him the chance to hurt me with whatever his reply would be.

CHAPTER TEN

LUKYAN VOLKOV

“Do you want me to hit you in the face with a chicken drumstick again? Coz I fucking will. Try me, Butcher.”

My head rolled along my shoulders until I caught sight of my father and Autumn sitting on the other side of the plane. Music blasted in my ears from my AirPods. Even so, somehow, against all fucking odds, I could still hear every single word coming from them.

The way they were arguing, I had no doubt people back on land could hear them.

The flight time to Russia was estimated to take between twelve to fourteen hours. We’d only been in the air for three, but it felt like it’d been a goddamn week with Mr. and Mrs. Bickerson over there.

Seriously. They needed to get a new form of foreplay. Otherwise, I was going to shoot myself in the head just for the peace and quiet.

“Go ahead, try it,” Father growled. “This won’t be like last time, devil woman. I’m not cuffed or tied down.”

Autumn smirked, fire dancing in her eyes. “You wanna be?”

I chose that moment to cough. Loudly. Autumn’s gaze moved to me, and a tinge of red stained her cheeks. She cleared her throat awkwardly.

“Sorry, Lukyan.”

Father smiled, leaned forward, and flicked her nose playfully. “Behave.” He gave her a light kiss on the side of her lips before getting up and coming over to join me.

I looked out the window as he took the seat opposite me. Clouds floated by, the light of the sun that beautiful mix between orange and red.

“How are you going?”

I took out my AirPods, since the fuckers weren’t working anyway. “Fine,” I replied instantly, the lie falling from my tongue so easily. I’d gotten disappointingly good at concealing my true feelings from my own family.

“You don’t seem like yourself. Does this have anything to do with why you didn’t want to say goodbye to your brother?”

Sometimes, it really annoyed me how observant my father could be.

The final goodbye had gone pretty much exactly how I expected. Tatiana cried—hormones. Nikolai gave me a one-armed hug and told me to be careful. Illayana tried to be tough, but I could see the unshed tears in her eyes. Arturo said nothing, but nodded slightly, which I was interpreting as, You’re the man, Lukyan. I wish I could be more like you, Lukyan. Drea talked a mile a minute, trying to give me some last-minute pointers on how to hurt someone with just a few touches here or there.

And Aleksandr…Well…he tried to say goodbye, but I was firmly in my petty era, and honestly, didn’t feel like talking to him after what had happened earlier that morning.

I won’t lie. The hurt that flashed in his eyes when I turned away from him and boarded the plane without saying a single word almost killed me.

I was mad at him for the shit he’d pulled and the constant lack of faith he had in me. But no matter how angry I was, I still loved him, and hated being the cause of that look on his face.

Father was staring at me, waiting for an answer.

“I wanna go over it again,” I said instead, ignoring what he’d asked altogether.

His lips pursed slightly in what I guessed was mild irritation. I could tell he didn’t want to drop the subject. The mission took precedence, though, because of the danger it posed.