Sasha: Chapter 53

I’d had Branka with me for barely three days and my phone hadn’t stopped ringing. Nor have the visitors.

It was like a grand central station. Constant beeping, ringing, and talking. I could have done without the fucking visit by Ilias Konstantin though. Fucker! If he thought he’d ever get my sister, he had another thing coming. By Vasili’s and Alexei’s expressions, they agreed with me.

Much to my dismay as Ilias left the room, Tatiana entered. And by the fucker’s expression, there’d be trouble coming our way eventually. He wouldn’t give up; I’d stake my life on it.

I sat in the library-slash-office behind the desk, flipping my knife open, then closed. Open. Close.

Tense silence drifted through the air. Vasili sat on the chair opposite of me, Tatiana sat on the couch, and Alexei stood, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. The three of them showed up. Uninvited. Fucking stalkers. Although, I was happy to see Tatiana dressed in her signature black and white Chanel outfit rather than sweatpants.

Silence stretched throughout the room, my siblings’ eyes on me. One set furious. One set unemotional. And one bored.

My muscles tightened, furious that the three of them were here. Couldn’t a guy be left alone with the woman he loved? At least until I knocked her up and nobody could take her from me.

I leaned back in my chair. “How did you find me?”

“It was pretty easy,” Tatiana answered, studying me with understanding.

Alexei’s and Vasili’s eyes both watched me with those inquisitive eyes, but it was Tatiana who I feared saw too much.

“The Russo woman doing okay?” Alexei asked.

I flipped the knife open, then closed it again. “Yes.”

“Why did Ilias let you use his jet?” Vasili questioned.

I shrugged. “He likes me.”

“Does he like the Russo girl too?” Vasili could be annoying as fuck. Although the idea of Ilias or anyone else making a move on Branka had aggravation lighting in my chest.

“If Ilias liked the Russo girl, he’d have taken her himself,” Tatiana announced.

My gaze narrowed. What would my sister know about Illias? She’d only met him once.

Vasili and Alexei must have thought exactly the same because their gazes were focused on our baby sister.

She looked away, aware she slipped.

“You going to marry her?” Alexei asked in an indifferent voice. I didn’t answer.

“I swear to God, Sasha,” Vasili growled. “You better marry the girl. If we did all this so you could play your games with the girl and then get rid of her, I swear I’ll kill you myself. And I’ll find her a husband before her brother or Brennan realize you corrupted the woman.”

I shot to my feet. “You even look her way and I’ll end you.” My voice was dark. My gaze even darker. “Don’t ever bring that up again, Vasili.”

My gaze would have killed anyone else. But not my brothers.

“Jesus,” Tatiana muttered.

Vasili leaned back in the chair, studying me.

“So you obviously want to marry her. What’s the fucking issue?” Vasili questioned.

The fucking issue was that I didn’t want to force her to marry me. I wanted her to choose me. To want to marry me. Of course, I hoped she’d get knocked up. Insurance.

“No issues,” I grumbled. “Now please fuck off. All three of you. We’ll get married when we are damn good and ready.” When Branka is ready.

His lips curved up and a smile played in his eyes. Son of a bitch. “Karma truly is a bitch,” he drawled, satisfied.

My jaw tightened. Vasili could be such a fucking prick.

“When are you three leaving?” I said through clenched teeth.

Vasili got to his feet, fixing his suit sleeve. “I think I’m going to stay for a few days.”

“No, you won’t,” I gritted. “I don’t need you shadowing me. Did I nag you when you had your shit going on with Isabella? No, I didn’t.” Tatiana rolled her eyes. “All three of you. Grab some food out of the kitchen and get back to New Orleans.”

“You hurt my feelings,” Alexei deadpanned.

Thick silence shrouded the room.

“Did you just crack a joke?” I said incredulously. Alexei never joked around. He barely even smiled.

Alexei’s attention zeroed in on me. “I’m staying. Got to look out for my crazy brother.”

Tatiana ganged up on me. “Me too.”

“How long?” I asked.

“How long what?” Vasili deigned to pretend not to understand.

“How long will you stay?” I gritted.

Having siblings had its perks, but they could be so goddamn annoying.

“A few days, give or take.”

The three of them headed out of the room, probably conspiring how to make my life hell over the next few days.

Fucking Illias Konstantin.

He conveniently slipped my itinerary to Vasili. This was supposed to be my time with Branka. Not a fucking honeymoon with family. The sound of voices and laughter came from outside and I glanced out the window.

“The whole fucking family,” I gritted. My brothers brought their spouses and their kids. How in the fuck was I supposed to be fucking my woman in every corner of this castle if they were all here?

I caught a glimpse of Branka in her bikini, sitting on the edge of the pool and my dick twitched. She looked heart-stoppingly gorgeous in her red and white bikini. Little Kostya sat on her lap, babbling and his tiny legs wiggling. He wanted to be taken into the water. The boy was like a little fish. Good thing that the pool was heated.

Leaving my spot, I headed into the room I shared with Branka and changed into a pair of swimming shorts, then headed to the pool. And all the while I grumbled, pissed off my family crashed my fucking party.

When I stopped beside the pool, everyone’s eyes came up to me. Little Kostya and Nikola gave me their toothy grins, their chubby hands reaching for me. It was all it took for my frustration to dissipate.

I walked into the water and took a seat next to Branka, shoving Alexei out of the way. He was like a dark shadow over his Kostya who kicked and grinned. He was content sitting on her lap. What the fuck did Alexei think Branka would do? Drop him in the water while his parents and uncles swam around.

“Hey, Sasha,” Aurora greeted me. “Still causing trouble, I see.”

Wrapping my hand around Branka’s shoulder, I grinned. “Hey, Aurora. Still annoying, I see.”

Branka shoved her shoulder into me. “Be nice,” she scolded softly.

I grinned. “Always.” Then I narrowed my eyes on Alexei. “Unless you want to be drowned in the kiddie pool, don’t sit so fucking close to my woman.”

Alexei flipped me the bird, his face an unemotional mask. As always. My mother managed to fuck him up the most, kidnapping him as a child from Alexei’s own mother, Marietta Taylor.

Yeah, we were certainly all shades of fucked up. Vasili was guilt driven. Alexei was physically and mentally damaged thanks to my vindictive bitch of a mother. Tatiana never had either parent so maybe she lucked out.

And I… Well, I guess I turned out perfect, I thought sarcastically.

Truth was I’d trust Alexei and Vasili in the same room as Branka naked. Not that I’d ever allow them to see her naked.

Kostya gave me a toothy grin, and I reached out to stroke his blonde hair. “I guess we can be nice for a little bit. For my kotyonok.”

A snicker came from my sister who was sunbathing.

“He calls you kitten?” she questioned Branka. Branka glanced at her, then her eyes darted to me and back to Tatiana to nod. “Fuck, I’d cut his balls off for that.”

Branka frowned. “Why?”

“I better be a fucking queen. Not a kitten.”

Branka chuckled. “I’m more the carve out a man’s heart kind of girl. But not for something like that.”

I pressed my mouth to Branka’s forehead, then said, “She’s not a kitten. She’s a tigress.”

Vasili had little Nikola sitting on his shoulders as he made his way through the water. Isabella was sitting on the opposite side of the pool, reading some medical journal. Her little daughter slept in the carrier with an umbrella over her and Isabella ignoring us all.

“Vasili, don’t give Sasha a hard time,” she warned her husband without lifting her head.

“Malyshka, do I ever give anyone a hard time?” Vasili grumbled.

“All the fucking time,” all of us retorted dryly at the same time.

Vasili flipped us all the bird. “So this whole time, it’s been about you, Branka Russo, huh?” Vasili said casually. She flicked a hesitant gaze to me, then back to my big brother. “Welcome to the family.”

Branka’s cheeks stained red and it had nothing to do with the Russian summer heat.

Ignoring my big brother’s comment, she turned her face to Alexei. “Should I take Kostya into the water for a swim? Or do you prefer to?”

Alexei watched her in his way that usually had people squirming or shitting their pants.

I was just about to tell him to quit it when Aurora asked, “How come Alexei doesn’t scare you?” She tilted her head, studying Branka pensively.

Branka shrugged, handing Kostya back to his father. “Maybe I’ve seen scarier shit.”

She jumped into the water and Kostya let out a screech, ready to abandon the safety of his father and go to Branka. Maybe my family coming wasn’t such a bad idea. My heart swelled with pride seeing my woman with my family. She belonged here. In our family.

Isabella closed the magazine with a soft thud and threw it on the ground.

Vasili turned to look at his wife. So did all of us.

“What’s the matter, malyshka?” Vasili demanded to know. God help anyone who upset his wife.

Isabella slid into the pool and swam over to us.

“Malyshka?”

She waved her hand off. “A friend’s article didn’t make it into the journal,” she muttered, then smiled, reaching for her eldest son. “Come off daddy’s shoulders, Nikola. Swim with mama.”

Without fear, he let go of his father’s shoulders and jumped in. Jesus Christ. The boy was reckless.

As if he read my mind, Vasili confirmed. “Boy is as reckless as Sasha.”

“Oh come on, brother,” Tatiana exclaimed, getting up from her lounge chair and headed towards the edge of the pool. “All of us Nikolaev’s are reckless. And fucked up.”

Tatiana jumped into the pool, her head disappearing.

“Is she still drinking?” I asked, flicking a glance at my brothers.

“She hasn’t touched alcohol today,” Vasili said as our sister came up for air. Shaking water off her face, she climbed onto a large pink dolphin and grabbed his neck, then leaned back ready to lounge.

“So you’re Mia’s sister, huh?” she asked. “You look like her. At least her picture. Funny, I always thought Mia was Sasha’s long lost love.” She chuckled. “I was so wrong.”

Tension swept through the pool. The air stilled.

Fuck.