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“It’s only a name, it’s not like she’s a bad person. She’s been honest with us about everything else so far. I don’t know, it just feels wrong because she’s part of the family and we’ve grown close.” Alexei argued with a frown.
Alexei was the softest amongst us, and if anything he might be the only one to have a heart along with Arseny. The twins were lucky they were spared most of my father’s harsh hand and indoctrination into the family business, so they were the least jaded.
“Oh please, take your little boy crush and shove it where it matters.” Lev bit back harshly with a scowl.
Alexei shot up from his spot on the couch positioned across from Lev’s spot, arm cocked back and ready to swing. If it wasn’t for Arseny and Stepan holding him back then he might have gotten a solid swing at Lev’s face. “I do not have a crush on her! That’s just disrespectful to our brother! Angel’s been nothing but good to all of us! Sure, she might have not been forthcoming about her name but that’s it, the rest of it is the honest truth, and her. She's an amazing and strong person who is nothing but good, so watch what you say about her before I stitch your mouth shut.”
Out of everyone in the family, Angel got along the most with Alexei, which I figured to be the case because they both worked in the medical field and in similar jobs. Also, Alexei had grown attached to Angel, seeing her as the sister we lost.
Standing up from his seat, Lev took a towering step towards Alexei, looking down at our little brother who was shorter than him by a few inches. “Oh please, it’s clear as day how you look at her with those lovey dovey puppy dog eyes. You wear your damn heart and emotions like a neon jacket, so don’t lie or deny any of it. Did you ever stop to think that maybe she’s been faking the whole time? Everything being a fucking lie? Oh wait, you probably don’t because your gullible ass is all snuggled up to hers.”
Lev’s voice still had its harsh edge to it as he continued to snark back. “You wished it would have been you to marry her instead of Kolya, the perfect little nurse to the perfect little doctor. Heck, I’m willing to bet that you knew about her name being fake and that you and her probably came up with some plan to get hitched after her marriage to Kolya gets annulled once she’s done using him.”
“Lev!” Stepan scolded with a glare as he buckled down on his hold on Alexei who started to struggle more to get free.
“Enough!” It was rare for me to raise my voice, especially with my brothers, but this got too out of hand. What Lev said was way out of bounds, angry or not, there were lines that don’t get crossed.
Letting out a heavy breath to keep my rage at bay, I downed the rest of my whiskey before setting the glass down on the table and getting up.
Clenching my jaw, I closed the distance between Lev and I by two long strides. Pulling my arm back, I elbowed him hard in the chest, shoving him back down onto the couch. “Do not speak of my wife like that, and don’t you ever talk to any of our brothers like that, ever. Whether you like it or not, Angel is loyal to us, to me, and is still my wife, who I still chose to be with given the new circumstances. We’re all family here, brothers by blood, so don’t you ever accuse any of us, especially Alexei, of something like that. I should let him get a swing at you and bust your face up for what you said to him and what you insinuated about my wife. I understand that you are upset, we all are, but that is no excuse to say half the things you did. Now, simmer down before you say something more to piss me off.”
Of course, Lev and his rashness ran himself straight first into a trainwreck. “Then what? You’ll put my ass down like dad? You know, for someone who swore they’d never be like him, you’re starting to sound and look like a spitting image of him!” Lev raised his angry voice as he stood up and got in my face. Everyone knew very explicitly how much I hated being compared to my father, and it was just one of those subjects to never be touched or at the very least to be treated around carefully like thin ice. With the way Lev went about it was the same as stabbing a sleeping bear awake.
Usually I could easily forgive and turn my head away from Lev’s angry words. He always had a temper and trouble with his emotions, often running his mouth a mile before his brain. But this time I couldn’t excuse him. He already went too far with insinuating things about Angel and jabbing at Alexei, but to cut open a deep wound and dig his hands into it as well pushed me beyond my limit with him.
I didn’t care for the fact Lev was bulkier than me, my rage having pushed it aside when I laid my hands on him. My hands grabbed him by his shirt, shoving him down to the ground and getting on top of him before landing a solid punch to his face, busting his lip, and making his head snap to the side.
The other three were quickly on me, the twins on my arms and Stepan at my back, trying to pull me off of Lev. “Kolya, stop!” Stepan pleaded as he put more of his strength into trying to pull me away. “You know he’s just spewing shit, just get off of him and go cool off.”
Oh it was too late for that now.
“What the fuck is going on!?”
CHAPTER 25
Angel
