Page 73 of Volatile

“He doesn’t control who I speak to, and you don’t need permission from me to speak to your brother.”

Stasi nudges me and she coolly says, “His sister works at Steorra.”

My sister-in-law could have just said that instead of being weird, for fuck’s sake, I know she wouldn’t touch anyone else because she’s crazy enough to accept my brother as he is, I was only curious, and I enjoy getting under her skin.

But Zidane makes the mistake of not recognizing who she is as he holds the back of her chair and attempts to charm her.

“You’re in my seat, pretty girl, I’ll swap you for my thigh?”

Stasi smirks while Val and I are about to beat the shit of him. My girl doesn’t look at him as she gives him a challenge.

“She’s Vlad’s wife, it’s been nice knowing you.”

“Oh, you’re married?” The prick looks at Inessa then to Stasi, Vanya, and Dani before he mutters, “Two out of four isn’t bad.”

I didn’t even know he fucked Dani and Val’s mood darkens as he watches Zidane take his seat. I drop my arm from the back of Stasi’s seat as Alia walks past and she discreetly drops my new meds in my hand. The prescriptions are getting weaker, so I have to deal with her unlicensed medication, as she walks like death to her seat. Once we’re all seated, the table fills with conversation and my focus is split between testing the new pills and Stasi.

The first hand hasn’t even been dealt when she stiffens, her body turning cold, and she sits straighter while staring at her thighs. I follow her gaze to see her cunt mother’s name flashing on the screen of her phone as she silences the call. I’m stopped from ending the call as she beats me to it and excuses herself. She doesn’t stand away from the crowd, instead she removes herself from the room completely. I don’t look at anyone as I follow her like a lost puppy as she tries to lock herself away in a storage room beside the private room.

Fucking infuriating woman. We’ve already had the conversation, she needs to learn that I’m not going anywhere. Her bitchy personality hasn’t kept me away, so a door won’t do shit, yet she still tries and pushes her weight into the door. She should eat more, then it might actually be a challenge for me. Once I’m in the room with her, I close the door and wrap my arms around her from behind, my chin resting on her shoulder so I can hear the conversation through the other end of the phone and because I love the feeling of her cheek against mine.

Her mother’s voice is fucking grating as Stasi answers the phone and I hear her say, “Family are meant to be there for each other, you haven’t called to check in on your father after his accident.”

I smile at her use of accident. Dumb fuck. He didn’t accidentally get his hands impaled on the desk or accidentally trip into a knife that carved words into his chest. My arms tighten around her as she weakly says, “I’m busy.”

It’s for comfort until her mother’s fucking scoff has rage hardening my bones to steel. “Doing what? Or should I say who?”

Stasi contorts her body, so her head is between her knees and blocks me grabbing her phone. The shuffling has the cunt’s voice coming out louder.

“If it’s that Vartanov boy, remember what I told you. Don’t use protection, you’ll have eighteen years to wear him down.”

I’m going to fucking kill her with her husband. I find Stasi’s wrist and the bitch is back to mumbling while my girl brings her other hand up and she disconnects the call. Stasi doesn’t need to fucking wear me down or even try, she’s perfection and the reason she hasn’t heard me screaming it at her is because of that cunt. It’s her mother’s voice forcing her to run away, and I block the door so she can’t leave now that I know who the cause is.

TWENTY-SIX

Anastasia

My heart is beating out of my chest, trying to give up in shame of Vitali hearing that bitter bitch. He’s filled with rage and my shoulders hunch forward, knowing what he’s thinking. I want to tell him I didn’t listen to her, that I’m on birth control, and I’m not trying to trap him. But my tongue doesn’t move, and my eyes are fixed on the floor.

My head snaps up when he barks my full name. “Anastasia.”

Some of my anger comes out as I hiss, “Do not fucking speak to me like that.”

This is why he gets smacked in the mouth, fucking asshole.But he doesn’t shout back, he smiles as he gently holds my shoulders and leans down, so we’re eye to eye, then, without any venom directed at me, he says, “That woman is a cunt, never speak to her again.”

It takes a second to realize he’s talking about my mother. I can’t not speak to her, she’s my mother. The woman who gave birth to me even if she has nothing but resentment.

I can’t argue something he won’t understand, so I choose the safe option of running away as he likes to call it. I try to move around him to escape this room that’s getting smaller, but he blocks me.He’s like a bear and wraps his arms around me so I can’t do anything. My arms are stuck by my sides, and he doesn’t even twitch when I knock my shoulders into him.

I can hear his teeth knocking together as he bites out, “Stop trying to fucking run from me.”

My brain isn’t processing anything fast enough and I move my head back to look at him. He doesn’t believe anything she said, there are no questions or demands for me to admit my ulterior motives.He loosens his hold a fraction when he sees I’m not fighting and rests his forehead on mine, our masks knocking together, but the comforting sea in his eyes fills my vision.

“You’re not anything she says you are. You are mine, and I have good taste,” he says with false conviction.

Threading my fingers together at his nape, I lean back, trying to work out what has happened to my life. It’s brainwashing, Vitali calls everyone his girl. He’ll see Dani and shout it to her, now I’ve become accustomed to it and my mind has changed the meaning.

My voice hardens to convince us both as I argue, “I am not yours.”

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