Page 10 of Bratva Menace

“It’s been a long time,” Adrian commented. At 6’5 and built like a pro football player, he was a beast of a man. Originally my father’s main bodyguard, he’d been in our lives for as long as I could remember. He had short black hair, deep brown eyes, and a scar that ran through his left eye.

When Illayana and I were kids, we used to call him Scar, like from The Lion King. He’d hated it, but never stopped us. We’d always thought of him as our unofficial uncle, since our real one was a fucking asshole with a capital A.

“It’s nice to see,” Nikolai commented, his blue eyes following Autumn and Father around the dance floor. “I feared he would spend the rest of his life alone.”

“Me too,” Aleksandr grunted. The chair groaned underneath him as he shifted forward, placing his elbows on the table and clasping his hands together. “He deserves to be happy, and I’m glad he could find that again. Even if it is with someone who’s fucking crazy. Have you seen her kill list?”

My body shot up with excitement. “No. Who’s on it?”

“Some pretty impressive names. All I can say is I’m glad she’s on our fucking side. Otherwise, we would all be in serious trouble.” His eyes flicked to me. Held. Aleksandr didn’t have to say what he was thinking. My usually unreadable and stoic brother was focused solely on me, and that could only mean one thing.

“Don’t, Zander,” I warned.

“It’s not too late, Lukyan. You don’t have to go.” He was trying to talk me out of going to Russia—again—and my patience with the whole thing was about to fucking snap. “We can come up with another way.”

No. We couldn’t.

My grandfather’s most recent infraction was the final straw in a war that had been brewing between him and my father for years. There was no going back. Something had to be done, and I was going to be the one to do it.

I knew Aleksandr was only saying that because he wanted to protect me. He feared the unknown. Feared what might happen to me if I walked into the lion’s den without him.

Regardless of all that, I couldn’t deny the fact that it hurt.

It hurt because I knew that if it were Nikolai in my place, he wouldn’t have been saying those things.

He trusted Nikolai. Had faith in Nikolai. Believed in Nikolai.

Me?

I was just the idiot class clown of the Bratva. I knew that was what they all thought of me. They made no attempt to hide it. And yes, in part, I was. But that wasn’t all I was.

I was so much more.

But no one could see that.

That was why I was so determined to do it. To show them all that while, yes, I did enjoy fucking around and having fun, I could also be serious and mature when the occasion called for it.

Aleksandr must have sensed the inner turmoil I was going through because his eyes softened just a touch. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Again, a nice sentiment, but the lack of trust was really starting to grate on my fucking nerves.

A few replies came to mind. Thanking him for his concern despite the underlying insult in his words. Cussing him out. Brushing it off with a smile or a joke.

I went with one he would have expected of me.

One side of my lips hiked up into a playful smirk. “I’m your favorite, aren’t I? No, no, no, don’t deny it. It’s okay. I know I’m everyone’s favorite.”

Aleksandr shook his head. “I’m serious, Lukyan. If Grandfather finds out you’re trying to kill him, death will be a kindness compared to what he’ll do to you.”

“Then he won’t find out.” I shrugged lazily. “I can be sly.”

Nikolai scoffed. “We know.”

“Hey. I take offense to that tone.”

“Oh, do you?” He flicked a french fry at me. It bounced off my chest. “Cry me a river.”

I picked up the fry and popped it into my mouth. “You guys need to relax. I can handle it.”