Like how I knew that the night my father had sold me, they had stood in the other room, doing nothing to stop him. Granted, they had been children too. But they knew how to shoot – we had all been taught how to shoot and they could have used a gun. Or a knife. Or anything. Fuck, they could have at least asked for my father not to get rid of me – not to send me off to the worst years of my life.
I would have put a bullet in my father’s head before I let him hurt them.
They had not offered me the same curtesy and for that alone; they were dead to me.
Before the pair could continue trying to force me into dealing with their presences, I pulled the knife out of my sleeve, needing the weight of something in my hand to feel calmer – aweapon on hand to feel safer. I wouldn’t use it right away, but if they touched me again, then their flesh was fair game.
“Get out and don’t come back. I have nothing to say to you and I do not care to speak to you again. You are nothing to me, and you always will be.”I snapped, knife handle digging into my palm.“I did not need or want to see you, and I don’t know why you came here.”
Vissarion shook his head, and I noticed his hands were in fists just like mine had been and wondered if he was struggling with a temper too.
I hoped he had one.
I would use it to bait him into anger so that I could kill him.
“No. We can’t do that; not until you’ve heard us out.”He said, voice a little less harsh.
“I said no.”My jaw ticked as I turned away from them, heading toward the door until I saw Kiril shut it.“Seeing as I can do that now, I really wish you would respect it.”I glared at the blonde demon.“Move out my fucking way, you useless piece of shit.”
Hewasuseless at being my bodyguard. A good bodyguard would have made the men leave me alone. A good bodyguard would have ensured I wasn’t carrying weapons that I was more than happy to use.
Kiril shook his head.“The boss said to keep you here until he comes back, and I don’t disobey orders.”
“What a good dog you are.”My knife lifted, and I pointed it his way, not caring for if it made me look crazy.“Did you do the same thing for your old bosses? Did you bark each time they ordered you to speak?”I laughed at him.“You are a pathetic little bitch and I’m not surprised you’re here. You don’t have the balls to be a real gangster man. You’re too much of a sheep.”
To be fair, my judgement wasn’t correct. If Kiril was a sheep, then it would make him a very good soldier. The Bratvaalways loved dogs who loved being on a leash and were loyal to none but their master. But still, I felt like being a bitch, so I would be.
“My dad was the leader. I did as he said until I put a bullet in his skull.”He drawled, arms crossing over his chest, entirely unbothered.“Your friends here did the same to your father when they found out what he had done to you. Maybe you could at least hear them out?”
I moved close enough I could push the tip of the blade against his stupid big chest, right where his unfeeling heart would be.“Are you going to make me stay here?”
I didn’t know what he knew about me or where I had come from, but he instantly blanched and shook his head, his tone harsh as he said,“No.”
“Then move. Move or I will ruin your life and make you regret the day you first looked at me.”It would have been easily done.
There were more ways to hurt people than death.
I had learned long ago all the twisted things humans could do to another being they wanted to break.
He ran a hand over his face.“You aren’t a prisoner here, Yeva. This was just a request – it was meant to be a nice thing for you to see friends again.”
The blade dug deeper, pushing firmly against his skin as I fought the urge to continue my reign of anger and cut his heart out like I had dreamed about doing. A few drops of blood stained the fabric of his shirt and the sight of it filled me with a smug satisfaction. It was just a shame that it wasn’t enough to make me calmer – it wasn’t enough to stop me from needing to escape.
“I have no friends here. The only friends I have are the girls upstairs and the dead. So move out of my fucking way and send those bastards back to the icy hellhole they crawled out from.”I hissed.
The idiots behind me both got to their feet instantly, tempers flaring. They’d been angry as boys – it was one of the many things I’d loved about them – but as adults I did not enjoy such things even if I had wanted to use it as an excuse to hurt them.
Angry men scared me, and I didn’t want to be scared again.
“Your father told us you were dead – he had a funeral for you and everything.”Daniil said, as the pair of them launched into a story of their lives and the bullshit tales they listened to as I paced the room, unable to sit still or face leaving when I wasn’t sure if I would truly be allowed to go, or if I would be followed.
The men were watching me. Always watching. I could feel their presence like a noose around my neck and though it ought to have made me feel something – perhaps even happy – it did nothing but anger me more.
How dare Daniil and Vissarion come here and see me?
How dare they think I would want to see them?
How fucking dare Kiril, the dickhead stranger, try to tell me I had to stay here and listen?
