Page 67 of And Twice as Twisted
“Are you going to be a good boy for Nonna?” I cooed at Sal, laughing when everyone cringed at his excitement. “That’s my boy.” I kissed his head and inhaled his sweet baby scent.
“You’ll be the man of the house until we return.” Apollo stepped to my back, his voice soft but no less commanding as hespoke to our son as if the infant could understand him. “That’s a serious job, but I know you can do it.”
Sal seemed to stare at him, as if somehow absorbing the weight of his father’s words. My son was smart, too smart for his own good. I could only hope it didn’t get him into trouble one day.
“Hello. I’m staying behind, remember?” Marco scoffed while wiping at his mouth with his sleeve, but the room started to empty as everyone headed to the front door, ready to bring Octavia home.
“Answer my call.” Nikolai held Mila’s wrist. “First ring. I want to know you’re safe, and if anything goes down, I want you prepared.”
The girl nodded, her eyes wide and innocent, and it tugged on my heartstrings. She’d been swallowed by a world too cruel for her, destined for ruin from the start. Alexei told me her story, all the horrific details of their childhood. The man carried a guilt unlike any other for leaving his baby sister behind.
I was about to pivot on my heel when something about Mila’s body language caught my attention. The moment Nikolai left and she was free of familial eyes, her posture shifted and she popped a hip. That sweet, submissive demeanor was gone as she tossed a piece of gum in her mouth and flipped her hair over her shoulder with a smirk that told me more than her demure words ever could.
Who wasthisgirl?
She turned to look at me, her eyes cold and dead as though they could stare straight through me before her glare landed on my brother. She watched him exit the room with something similar to mischief—but far darker—dancing behind her pupils.
I met our men outside the compound, Mila and Marco following to see us off.
“Be safe, do you hear me?” My mother leaned in to kiss me with Sal firmly planted on her hip.
“Prommeti, Mamma.”I kissed her cheek, then Sal’s, before heading to Apollo’s car. Until Mila’s cry had my—and everyone else’s—head spinning in her direction as she stumbled into Marco. She was gripping his lapels, my brother doubled over and groaning. At first it seemed innocent, but then I got a good look at his face.
Oh, no.
“What the fuck?” Marco shoved away from the girl, Nikolai and Alexei charging his way. “You little bitch.” He lunged forward but not before our Russian allies stepped in front of him.
“What is the meaning of this?” Alexei hissed while Mila threw herself into his arms.
“He… he….” She wiped at the tears streaming down her face. “He too close. I no see. It an accident and he yell.” Her broken English only added to that look of innocence.
“Chto on skazal?”Nikolai asked, his eyes never leaving my brother even as I tried to step between them.
My mom had disappeared inside with Bella and the boys. Apollo pulled me back, tugging Marco to his side in an attempt to alleviate the tension. But it didn’t matter. The moment Mila opened her mouth, every Russian gun cocked in unison.
“On nazval menya russkoy shlyukhoy,”she cried into Alexei’s shoulder as he started shouting to his men.
“You called her a Russian whore?” Apollo asked, his eyes flaring with the question as he directed it at my brother.
“Fuck no! She ran her mouth. All I said was—”
“Enough. We don’t have time for this,” Lucky interrupted, stepping to the side with Nikolai before speaking in hushed tones. The discussion was obviously heated, Lucky’s arms animated, but somehow we were able to avoid bloodshed.
Marco growled as Mila practically ran past him into the house. He waited a beat before slowly following after her.
What the hell was going on with my brother?
Everyone separated and piled into the cars, heading off to their respective locations in order to get my sister back in one piece.
The ride was as silent as it was tension filled, which did little to ease my frayed nerves. Octavia was the biggest part of my heart, a part that had been gone for far too long, and I desperately needed her home. Lucky and Al rode in the front of the armored SUV with Apollo and me in the back.
I was missing something. Some small detail. And none of it sat right.
Was this a setup to kill us all? Was Octavia even alive at this point? Or was the plan always to kill her in front of us?
“Breathe.” Apollo wrapped his arms around me, giving me some of his strength when mine waned.
“Sienna…” Lucky stared at me through the rearview mirror, his eyes glued to mine in silent warning.
