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“Good. Now go. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day.”
He doesn’t watch to make sure I listen to him. All his focus goes to the woman on her knees. He twists her face around and he backhands her, his fingers still gripping her hair. The sound of his skin hitting hers echoes around the room.
“I told you not to make a sound,” he grits out through his teeth, the anger inside of him surging and filling the room and making it hard to breathe.
I get up quickly, feeling desperate because I can’t help her. The only thing I can do before his anger is directed at me is run. As I leave his office, helplessness wraps itself around me and makes each step feel heavy.
When I glance back, I expect his creepy gorilla to be following me, but he isn’t. He’s standing in the office, his focus on the woman.
Pavel shoves the woman and snarls, “Teach her a lesson.”
I close the door quickly and race back to my room. Only when I’m safely locked away do I let my own tears fall. I cry for myself and my uncertain future. I cry for the parents I lost and how disappointed they would be right now. I cry for that woman.
Tonight I let myself break down knowing full well that I’ll have put myself back together tomorrow.
CHAPTER 2
VIKTOR
Hazel giggles in my ear as I push the door open to the house I share with my brothers. Really, it’s a mansion, but it’s the only home I’ve ever known. The moment I step inside, my feet feeling a little heavy as I almost trip over myself and the woman hanging off me, the hair on the back of my neck stands on end.
Something’s up, but the buzz I’ve been nursing all night and the woman hanging off me has my attention. As it fucking should be. I hope I can fly under the radar of whatever the fuck is going on.
The moment I step into the living room to find my brothers waiting for me, I know this night is not going to end the way I wanted it to. I was expecting to ride out my buzz and fuck Hazel. She’s one of the few people in my circle who also has a connection to my family.
I met her because Anton, her brother, works for my brothers. She’s always up for a good time and her best friend, Sage, isn’t horrible to be around. I don’t mind hanging out with her. I definitely don’t mind that she can suck cock like a fucking champion.
Sometimes I get the feeling Hazel hangs out with me because of my last name. If that’s true, she’ll be disappointed. I don’thave the power my brothers do.
I could have more of a role with the Orlov business, but why should I? I’m only 21 and they’ve got it. They don’t need my help.
I’m not sure I want a role either. My brothers know who they are. They embrace it. They also had the opportunity to learn from our father about the family. I didn’t have the same chance.
I’ve always felt outshined by my brothers. They know who they are. I still haven’t figured it out.
It has made me resentful.
Hazel rubs her body against mine and sucks my earlobe into her mouth. She’s always eager and I’ve been more than willing to take her up on that. I’ve never promised her a future together or more than I can give her.
We’re not a couple. It’s all just good fun and fucking.
Nikolai’s eyes harden the longer he takes me in. It doesn’t help that Hazel is swaying on her feet and making it look a lot fucking worse than it is. I might be feeling good, but I’m not hammered. I kind of wish I were right now.
Nikolai’s voice is ice fucking cold, “Did you drive?”
I shake my head once and wrap an arm around Hazel’s waist to steady her as she looks around with wide eyes, only just realizing we’re not alone. “Shit,” she whispers just quiet enough that I’m the only one who hears her.
“Hired a ride,” I assure my oldest brother and flash him a grin, hoping to diffuse the situation.
Sergei, the youngest of my older brothers and third born, makes an angry scoffing sound as he stares me down. When I glance at Ivan, he has a bored as fuck look on his face. He’ssecond in line after Nikolai and I’m sure he’s as tired of my shit as everyone else.
The only reason Laurel, our only sister who is also a few years older than me, isn’t giving me shit right now is because she’s not here. She’s in Atlanta City with her husband, Vlad Petrov. When they got together, it was a little fucked up, but it also ended a long as fuck hatred between the two families. As long as she’s happy, then I’m happy for her.
I can’t imagine it was easy being the only girl in our family. If I’ve never felt like I have a place in the Orlov empire, then I can’t imagine she ever did.
“Hazel,” Nikolai’s voice is unyielding, “you need to leave. We need to speak with our brother,” the last word drips with disdain and I roll my eyes because it’s nothing fucking new.
It’s been a little over a year since Nikolai really laid into me about my drinking and my bad habits. He was stressed the fuck out, but then he fell for his woman, and he started to calm down.
