Page 80 of Nikola
“Like what? You saying you want to make a sex tape?” I remarked wryly.
My wife wrapped her hands around my waist. “Why not? We wouldn’t need to share ours with the world.”
“I sure hope not,” I grumbled. “I’d be too busy digging out their eyeballs to kick my son’s ass.”
The door to the library swung open and my brother Sasha strode in, leaving the door wide open behind him. “Where is popcorn?”
“What the fuck are you doing up?”
Bella brought her hand up, clutching her forehead. “Shit, I should have given him a bigger dose.”
“I need to kill that fucker,” he slurred, stumbling over the chair. “Fuck, when did you move the furniture around?”
“It’s been there for years,” I said dryly, downing the drink that sat on the bookshelf, the bitter taste trickling down my throat.
“I’m going to teach my nephew a lesson.” He came around the bar cart, holding himself up. “Punch him in the face. Break his pretty nose that he was lucky enough to inherit from me.”
“Bella, drug him some more before I breakhispretty nose.”
She shot me a humorless glance. “Not so worried about him overdosing now, are we?”
“Did you see it?” Sasha interrupted, slurring his words. “How dare he touch my kid.”
“Well, she’s technically Dante’s kid,” I pointed out unnecessarily.
“My daughter,” he shouted, ignoring me.
I remained silent, knowing it would only aggravate him further.
“Fuck. You.” Yep, there it was.
“Malyshka,” I said out the side of my mouth. “Drug this man before I lose my shit.”
She rushed toward the black medical bag she’d left on the couch and pulled out a needle.
“Why are you so violent,brat?” At least he still referred to me as a brother. “Why are you shoving me around?” I pushed him onto the couch and he sprawled sideways, tilting his face up to my wife who stood there with the needle ready. “Are you trying to kill me, sister-in-law?”
“Not today, Sasha.”
She pricked his neck with the needle, and it took two seconds for slumber to take him under. Just in time too, because Alexei appeared at the door of the library and announced, “Nikola and Skye are back, holding hands.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Take Nikola into my office. Drag him by his neck if you have to.”
My wife flicked me a glance. “Be gentle.”
I sighed. “Sure, darling. I’ll be gentle.”
She flashed me a warm smile, clearly missing my sarcastic tone. “I’ll go talk to Skye.”
30
NIKOLA
We’d barely set foot into my father’s house when my uncle Alexei cornered us.
“You fucked up, nephew.” His vocal cords were slightly damaged from his early youth days when he was tortured, so his words came out rougher.
“Is this about Kostya?” I asked, but his expression told me he had no idea what the fuck I was talking about. “Ah, so you must have all seen the video.”
