Page 19 of Volatile

I grab her ass and press her into my bedroom door and she fucking moans. In turn, I do the sound back and grind into her stomach.

“Fuck, sweetness, don’t make noises like that.”

A switch goes off and she pushes me away as she says, “I’m on my period.”

Fuck me, I thought I’d actually fucked up. Picking her up by the back of her thighs, I throw her on the bed. Her heel gets caught in the sheets, making my job easier as I grab her other ankle and pull her legs apart. My head is aiming for my happy place when her palm slaps against my forehead. She’s pushed me away twice now; her ass is going to be red for another fucking reason.

“I said I’m on my period.”

I clearly don’t give a fuck as I move her hand out of the way and kiss the inside of her knee. My tone comes out playful, trying to put her at ease, as I wag my brows, “There’s nothing wrong with a little seasoning.”

Using two fingers, she pushes against my forehead and monotonously says, “Every time you open your mouth, I question my life choices.”

She’s not in the mood to fuck so I lay beside her. I enjoy Stasi’s rare company and if I had unrestricted access to it I’d never be bored. I miss sleeping beside someone, the mundane shit of knowing someone’s there. After years of having Dani in my bed, my body still isn’t used to waking up alone and that has nothing to do with fucking. It’s connection and knowing I exist. Stasi and I only give each other that when we fuck, and I turn my head to offer, “Shower then? Warm water will help if you have cramps and it’ll be easier to clean up.”

Her laugh is silent and I’m about to force out the sound when she turns rigid, dread pulling her beautiful features down.She moves mechanically, her hand going to her phone and answering a call while she hates every second of it. I pull her into my side and kiss the top of her head as I eavesdrop without meaning to when my name is mentioned.

“Why didn’t you tell me you got your hooks into one of the Vartanov boys?”

Fuck me, is that how people actually talk about us, like we’re some prize at a fair while spreading rumors my brothers beat their wives and keep them locked in the stables. Her mother is a cunt and sells the fake image of a good wife and mother so well it’s easy to forget how the wives of the Vory conduct themselves. The men with the title aren’t the masterminds they make themselves out to be, it’s always their wives who are the brains while the Vory are a figure to show everyone.

There’s no opportunity for Stasi to answer and she folds in on herself as her cunt of a mother continues running her wretched mouth.

“You need to learn to control yourself around other men. If he finds out how easily you go to another he’ll lose interest, remember that a man wants a whore to belong to him alone or it’s an embarrassment. I’ve sent you a juice cleanse, stay on it for the next three months to keep him, Marta mentioned that you’ve put on too much weight.”

Her mother is shameless, and my anger grows at the fucked up shit she’s saying to her own kid.

“You should have started it months ago so you don’t show up Marta at her wedding but what can we do? We’ll have to find something that fits your larger frame at the dress fitting, you won’t be able to match anyone else and it’s too late for you to have it sucked out like last time. This is why it’s important that you keep on top of it.”

Stasi doesn’t put the phone down. She twists away from me as though hearing fake faults is normal as I try to grab her fucking phone. If she takes any of the suggestions on board I’m killing her mother to prove them wrong.

“Yes, mother. I’ll be there.”

The strain in her voice isn’t physical despite fighting me off and she abruptly ends the call. She throws her phone with more force than required and fixes on me as her eyes flare with fire.

A woman’s beauty is only ever magnified with rage, it’s not bloody like a man’s, it’s sharper and more brutal.

“You’re such a fucking prick,” she huffs, “now she’s going to be crawling up my ass!”

The offer to make her an orphan sits on my tongue, but the world turns white as she smacks me in the face with a pillow, stopping it leaving. Grabbing her hips, I sit her above me so she can’t attack again and let her rant. She’s exquisite on a normal day, when she comes alive and cusses like a sailor it’s even better.

“Everyone is expecting you to be at the engagement now. Why did you have to put your big fucking head in my business?!”

It’s a punishment for me more than her. I couldn’t think of a worse way to spend my time than around the stuck-up older fucks in the Bratva. I may be a Vartanov, but they hold hierarchy over whatever they’ve attached to my name and as long as I’m not a Vor they’ll look at me with the same disappointment Len did. Which reminds me that I haven’t pissed on his grave in a while, I’ll go once Stasi has calmed down.

“What did she mean by last time?” I ask in fear of what she’ll say.

Her mother has fucked with her head because she doesn’t push me away, mentally she’s exhausted and she doesn’t have the energy to do it as she says, “When I was fifteen I didn’t look how she wanted me to for her brother-in-law’s wedding and she didn’t want me to embarrass them in Moscow so she sent me to her surgeon.”

“Fifteen?”

She nods and takes a deep breath before she lies.

“It’s not that big of a deal.”

Cupping her cheek, I pull her face down so she’s hovering over me and soften my voice to battle the toxic bullshit her mother has brainwashed her with.

“Stas, malyshka, you were a fucking kid. If someone tried to bring a scalpel near my niece or nephews at fifteen fucking years old for anything other than saving their life, I’d use their tongue to wipe my ass.”

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