Viktor
Alessio glared daggers at me across the table. He was probably thinking of multiple ways to mutilate my body.
And I was thinking of multiple ways to not only escape his wrath but also Ayla’s cries.
She had long stopped crying, after several minutes of Alessio trying to calm her down. But her quiet sniffles were breaking my heart a little bit. There was lots of confusion clouding my fucked-up mind.
After taking our seats, I saw the other guys coming forward. Phoenix slapped me behind the head, almost causing me to hit the table.
“Welcome home, fucker.”
“That’s a nice welcome, asshole,” I muttered, rubbing my head.
He shrugged before taking a seat beside me. “That’s the only welcome you’re getting. Don’t expect me to kiss and make up. I don’t swing that way.”
I looked at Nikolay, watching him take his seat on the opposite side. “It’s nice to have you home,” he said in acknowledgment.
“Well, it’s nice to be home.”
Maddie and Lena came forward, joining us at the table. Poor Mama Lena. She looked pale and confused. It was time to give her break.
“Don’t worry, Lena. I’m okay. We’re okay. It was business,” I explained quietly. Her eyes widened, and she nodded mutely.
That was all the information she needed. It was business.
In other ways, it was our business, and she didn’t need to worry herself about it. Those words explained everything.
“You boys will give me a heart attack one day. Give this poor old lady a break, will you?” she replied gruffly, glaring at us.
“Sorry,” Phoenix mumbled around his spoon before continuing to stuff food in his mouth.
My stomach rumbled at the thought of food. Staring at my plate, I sighed in relief. “I missed your cooking, Lena.”
She nodded before sending me a small smile. Lena couldn’t stay mad at us for long. It was impossible.
Damn, was I glad to be home.
At the thought, everything came crashing down and then stilled. How fucking stupid was I?
This wouldn’t last long. I had to go back to Solonik. I had to leave my family again and crawl back into the hellhole I was trying desperately to escape from.
Well, this was the true definition of fuck my life.
Feeling frustrated, I concentrated on the plate until Maddie’s voice broke through the silence. “Ayla, why aren’t you eating?”
My head snapped up to see Ayla staring at her plate, but instead of eating, she was only pushing her food around. My heart tightened a little at the sorrowful look on her face.
“I don’t feel very hungry,” she answered softly before sending Maddie a tight smile. It didn’t convince anyone. And sure as hell not Alessio.
Alessio was seated between Ayla and me, so I was forced to lean across him. “I didn’t mean to say that, baby girl. You misunderstood my words. I didn’t call you fat. You are the most beautiful girl,” I whispered, hoping this time she wouldn’t cry.
Ayla nodded but didn’t meet my eyes. Alessio pushed me back into my chair with a low growl. His frown told me he was majorly pissed that I had hurt Ayla with my careless words.
Everyone continued eating, but from the corner of my eyes, I saw Alessio leaning forward and whispering something in Ayla’s ears.
Then she blushed.
Even the tip of her nose turned red—whether in embarrassment or something else, I didn’t know.
But when Alessio’s hand disappeared underneath the table and Ayla’s breathing changed, I got the idea.
My hands fisted on the table, the feeling of jealousy suffocating me again.
She bit on her lips, looking so sexy and innocent at the same time. The way her cheeks colored beautifully, the slight shakiness of her hand as she brought her glass to her lips, I got the idea so fucking well.
Every time I gazed into her face, I tortured myself with the impossible. I let myself believe in a fantasy where it was me. Not Alessio. But me loving Ayla.
It was me touching her.
Not my brother.
Until even the fantasy felt like it was strangling the air out of me.
Fantasy would always be a fantasy. It could never be reality.
And that was my fucking problem.
I couldn’t have the reality I wanted, so I tortured myself by dreaming about it. Every fucking day. Every moment I saw them together, happily married.
“Viktor…Viktor…”
My name brought me out of my reverie, and I turned toward the voice. Maddie smiled cheerfully before speaking again. “Evaline is coming back.”
At my sister’s name, the tightness in my chest disappeared a little. “Does she know?” I asked, looking at Alessio.
He shook his head. “Since the day I came home and announced your death, she left and never came back again. Nikolay has been keeping an eye on her, though. To make sure she’s okay.”
Nikolay nodded in quick acknowledgment before he focused on his plate again. I reminded myself to thank him later. If it was Nikolay keeping an eye on my sister, then I knew she was in the best hands.
“She has been mourning your death, Viktor,” Ayla whispered. She reached out and placed a hand on mine, giving it a soothing squeeze before pulling away.
I missed her touch instantly.
“We couldn’t tell her the truth. It would have been too dangerous,” Phoenix explained.
Nodding, I faced Maddie. “You told her I’m back?” I questioned.
She confirmed with a nod. “Eva is already in the city. She’s dealing with a business contract for the law firm she is working at. When I called her, she said she’ll be here in thirty minutes. I explained as much as I could quickly so she doesn’t, you know, try to stab you to death.”
I took a deep breath before releasing it again. “That’s very helpful.”
She winked. “I might have given her some ideas, though.”
Fuck my life again.
These two were psychopaths.
Ayla snickered, and I caught her wink too. Annnnd…they have corrupted Angel too.
Great. Just fucking great. What an amazing family.
With multiple killers, throw in some made men, then add some crazy women who are probably psychopaths, mix it well with a walking potato…and we had one big happy family.
I wouldn’t change it for anything.
“She should be here any time now,” Maddie continued, looking toward the entrance.
My eyes followed her gaze, and speaking of the cheeky devil, there she was.
“I’m giving you a head start, Viktor. Run while you can, because I’m about to chop you to pieces, you fucking bastard!” she bellowed by the entrance before throwing her handbag on the floor.
Why? Why is it always me? my mind screamed as I stood up. I faked a shudder at her glare as she stomped forward.
I was almost scared she was going to be true to her words. Oh, the horror.
Rolling my eyes, I opened my arms for my sister. She was too cute to chop me to pieces. That job should be left for Nina, our little assassin, with a mind just as fucked up as the rest of us. And damn, she was good at her job.
Evaline ran into my arms, and both of us stumbled back before I regained my footing again. “I missed you too, little hedgehog.”
“You little shit…I am so mad right now,” she snapped seconds before busting into tears. “I am…going…to squeeze the life out of your balls and…and…murder your small dick.”
I winced at that image. Fuck, what ideas did Maddie give her?
She was a fucking savage in her attacks as she started punching my chest.
I couldn’t help but laugh as I restrained her crazy-ass movements. “Please spare my dick and balls. I need it to reproduce some Viktors in the future. Without it, we’re doomed!”
“I’m not joking!” she screamed, punching me right in the eye. Well, damn. Bullseye.
Never underestimate the power of an angry woman.
I quickly stepped back when she went for my dick. “Okay, Evaline. I think that’s enough. You don’t want me to punch your boobs.”
She gasped, her glare fiercer now. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“I would if you touch my preciousness.”
Evaline was silent for a moment before her tearwork came yet again. “You…have…no…idea what I went through,” she sobbed brokenly. “I thought…you died. I thought I lost you.”
Walking forward, I pulled her into my arms. “It’s okay. I’m fine and very much alive. I’m sorry, Eva. It was needed.”
She looked up at me, her face red from crying. I swiped her tears away while whispering, “It was important for the family.”
The seriousness in her eyes came back at my words. “And family always comes first,” she whispered back with a nod.
I smiled, my chest puffing up proudly at the fact my sister had the same beliefs. Each word had been drilled into our heads since we were little kids.
Family comes first. Always. Protect the King. Protect the Queen.
“Correct, little hedgehog.”
She nodded again as an understanding found its way into her eyes. A small smile appeared on her lips. “I am not sorry about the punch, though,” she said with a shrug.
Laughing, I gave her another hug. “I know you aren’t. Hell will freeze over before you ever apologize for this punch.”
I felt a hand on my back, and already knowing who it was, I let out a small, breathy sigh. I turned around to see Ayla standing there. But her eyes were focused on Evaline.
“Come and join us for breakfast,” she said, smiling. Evaline moved forward before wrapping Ayla in a hug.
“God, I missed you so much. Sorry for being a total bitch and leaving like that,” my sister muttered before pulling away.
Ayla shook her head. “No. It’s okay. It was understandable.”
With the little fiasco now over, we moved to the table again. The rest of breakfast went like usual.
Just like before. Like nothing had happened.
As if that one year never happened.
We were a family again.
***
I followed Alessio silently into his office. Phoenix and Nikolay followed behind me, and they closed the door.
It was late at night, and everyone was asleep. It was the perfect time to discuss business. The rest of the day had been catching up with everyone else. We had no time to talk about why I was back and what the next move was. Or if there was even a next move.
Alessio seated himself behind his desk, and he released a long breath. Now that I studied him better, he looked tired and stressed out. Something was weighing heavily on his shoulders.
Before he met Ayla, nothing mattered except becoming a richer fucking man and playing games with the less fortunate souls who thought they could cross us.
But now…he had a wife. A daughter. And another baby on the way.
And his perfect little family had just been threatened.
No wonder they said love was a weakness. It really was. Love was a twisted son of a bitch who fucked us all up. We fell into its trap without even realizing it.
It was a simple rule. Don’t fall in love.
Isaak and Lyov were right. This was the moment I wished we had listened to them.
I looked at Alessio again and noticed where his eyes were staring. A picture of Ayla on his desk. She was laughing while staring at the camera. In the background, I could see the creek.
She was happy.
And I knew, when Alessio took that picture, he was at his happiest.
The thing that Ayla taught all of us was that love could be a weakness and multiple shades of fucked up, but it was still someone’s strength.
She taught Alessio that.
She taught me that.
“He’s going to pay. For whatever he has done, he is going to pay ten times worse. He will pay for even thinking about hurting Ayla,” Alessio muttered, breaking the silence.
His voice was rough and held the edge of anger. When his eyes met mine, I saw the killer there. I knew his fingers were itching to end Solonik’s life. But not now.
Not before we knew his real plan, or whatever Valentin was planning behind closed doors.
He might have thought of me as his heir, but he never trusted me fully. There were things I still didn’t know. And to know them, I had to become the Devil. I had to become part of his little puppets and play along.
“What’s the plan now?” I asked, moving forward.
Alessio looked away from the photo, his eyes meeting mine. He leaned back against the chair before crossing his right ankle over his knees.
“Go back there. And tell him I sent you to spy on him.”
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and I heard Phoenix swear under his breath.
“Here’s the thing. We need to play his game. He thinks you’re coming here to gain our trust again. It’s simple. I hate you and want you to show your loyalty. Tell Solonik that I have given you a way to gain my trust again. All you have to do is spy on him and give me information. Of course, he’s going to think that you’re still on his side. Two birds with one stone. This way you can stay with him and figure out what he’s planning. In the meantime, he’s going to think that you’re playing me and giving me false information. He’ll think I have grown weaker. Except it’s just the opposite,” Alessio explained masterfully.
“That makes sense. It could work if you play it well and make it all believable,” Nikolay pointed out.
“After all, he needs you on his side. He’s desperate for it. Without you, Solonik can’t move forward with any plans,” Phoenix added.
I had done this shit for a year, and I knew I could do it again. I just had to fuck Solonik’s head up a little and kaboom.
“For how long?” I simply asked.
“Just keep playing, Viktor. A game never stops until there’s a winner,” Alessio replied, leaning forward. His elbows rested on the table, his chin on his entwined fingers.
The furious look on his face could make anyone whimper. “And this game won’t end until one of us is dead.”
Alessio stared at me straight in the eyes before continuing, his voice low. “In the end, only one person will be standing and left breathing. And there are only two choices. Me or Solonik.”
I heard the silent, unsaid words. The true meaning behind what he said.
In the end, only one person would be standing and left breathing. And there were only two choices. Alessio or Solonik. My King or my enemy.
And everything depended on how well I played this little fucked-up game.