Page 66 of Cruel Russian Monster
His eyes narrowed. “Vera, I don't think…”
“You don't think what?” I snapped. “That it's important? Relevant? Worth thinking about?”
“Tone, Vera,” Yegor warned.
“Tone?” I chuckled humorlessly. “I'm so sorry, let me tone it down for you.”
I inhaled deeply, then refocused on my brothers and smiled, but pleasantry didn't reach my eyes; controlled anger did.
I said sweetly, “Dear older brother of mine, do you mind informing me why you think Jaroslav saved your life?”
“Vera, do you think it matters?”
“Do I think it matters why my husband saved my brother's life? Yes, it matters, Yegor!” My voice hardened. “In case you were wondering, let me tell you why he saved your life. He did it because you are my brother. You are important to me. He knew that if something happened to you, it would crush me.”
I glanced at both of them. “But both of you,” I pointed a finger, “I am positive, called up Jaroslav and made him feel that if he didn't do as you said, you'd tell Artyom where I was and about our marriage.”
“We didn't force him to do anything,” Zahkar shot back defensively. “We asked him for a favor and he agreed.”
“I know that Bratva men somehow think that women are stupid. Do I look stupid to you, Zahkar?” I scoffed. “You expect me to believe that you called Jaroslav, expecting him to say ‘no’ to your favor?”
My fists clenched at my sides. “How long has Katya been married to Jaroslav's family? Yet, it's only when you found out that he was married to me, you suddenly needed a favor?”
“Vera,” Yegor warned again. “Zahkar is your older brother. Don't speak to him that way. He deserves your respect.”
Respect?
Fuck it.
These Bratva politics of being respectful because they were older or even because they were men were ludicrous. Especially after pulling an asshole move that injured Jaroslav. That shit wasn't sitting right with me.
I pointed at them, my pain and anger laced in each word. “Both of you are in my husband's house! In his faction! I'll talk to you however the fuck I want! It's because of you, Jaroslav isinjured! Don't I deserve respect as your sister? And he, respect because he's my husband?”
My chest heaved, and my eyes misted. “Jaroslav didn't think twice before protecting you! Yet, it never occurred to you, as my older brothers, that protecting my husband protects me? You didn't once consider how I would feel knowing you resorted to blackmail to get my husband to do something for you.”
The tears spilled over, and my voice cracked. “I worry every day when he leaves here to do what he has to for this faction! Every. Damn. Day. About the enemies outside that might hurt him. I never thought in a million years the enemies would've turned out to be my own family.”
Yegor moved fast and wrapped his arms around me as I cried.
“I'm sorry. We didn't mean for him to get hurt,” he said softly.
After a few minutes, when my sobs ceased, I looked up at Yegor. “Is he going to be okay?”
He wiped the remaining tears from my eyes, and I saw the worry in his.
He exhaled slowly. “We think that the blade was laced with something. The cut itself isn't deep, but whatever was on the knife was strong enough to get into his system quickly.”
My heart slammed in my chest.
“Is he going to die?” I asked, panicked.
“Based on the symptoms I saw, I don't think so.”
I pushed off against Yegor and stepped out of his grip. “You don't think so?”
My chest rose and fell quickly.
“He wasn't foaming at the mouth, having seizures, or vomiting, so I think it's safe to say it wasn't poison and just a paralysis drug. Once he sleeps it off, he'll be okay.”
