Page 76 of Anton

The image of her curled up on her sofa appears in my head, and I can’t seem to get rid of it.

“Did you just smile?”

I look up to find Aleksei staring at me, his expression caught somewhere between horror and delight.

I hit him with a deathly stare. “No.”

“You did.” He glances over at my other brothers. “He definitely did. Anyone else see it?” He peers back at me. “Are you having a stroke? Should we get our doctor?”

I lock the phone and slide it into my pocket. “Edy na khuy.” Go fuck yourself.

Kirill sits up straighter on the bench, far too interested.

Konstantin stands beside him with his arms crossed, a knowing curve at his mouth. “Did you meet someone?”

My expression goes flat on instinct. “No.”

Aleksei steps closer and looks me over, wearing the kind of satisfaction that makes me want to rearrange his face into something far less appealing. “Then what made you smile?”

“I was watching a cat video.” I drag enough boredom into my tone to make the lie almost believable. “It was funny.”

The room goes quiet.

“A cat video?” Kirill squints at me.

“That’s what I said.”

Aleksei scoffs. “Really? Cats make you laugh now? Since when? You hate cats.”

“I don’t hate cats.” I reach for my towel on the bench and drape it over the back of my neck, keeping my features blank, while they stare at me like I’ve grown another head.

“I think it’s a woman.” Kirill grins and glances up at Konstantin, whose smirk deepens.

“It is not a woman.”

“It’s definitely a woman.” Aleksei nods.

Kirill points at me. “Look at his face. That is a guilty face.”

“This is my normal face.”

“If you say so,” he adds with a shrug.

Konstantin studies me for another long, irritating stretch. I hate that he has always been too good at seeing things I’d rather keep buried.

“Who is she?”

“No one.” I shove my towel into my duffel and throw the strap over my shoulder. “Stay the fuck out of my business unless you want me to put all three of you on the floor and leave you there.”

“He’s incredibly defensive,” Aleksei adds.

I swear they’re all dead if they don’t stop talking.

As I start to go, Aleksei calls out, “Tell the cat we said hello.”

I mutter a curse as I head out of the room and toward the stairs, their laughter following me up. I hate them all a little more with each step.

And if they ever find out where I’m going next, I will never hear the end of it.