19. Bash
Chapter 19
Bash
My phone screen is lit as the feed switches from camera to camera, following Stasia racing through her house. I’ve been impatiently waiting for hours to witness exactly how my girl would react to my move.
Would she play along, or would she attack?
She’s in her empty closet, mouth opening and closing as she gawks at the cleared-out room. The smile growing on my lips shatters when her face goes ghostly white and her knees hit the ground. There’s a sinking feeling in my stomach as she lays her head down, her shoulders collapsing in.
Fuck. This isn’t what I expected at all. My girl’s fire, not this defeated image of misery. My eyes travel the empty room, searching for what would make her react like this. I don’t believe for a single second it’s because of a piece of clothin?—
My thoughts catch on the word. I’d personally taken the Saint’s mask and robe, not considering what losing it would mean to her family.
She needs to know it was me.
I send her a text and zoom in to see her reaction. It doesn’t disappoint. Her fists clench, and there’s a twitch in her jaw, but it’s the rage in her eyes that has my heart skipping.
There she is. There’s the girl who strutted into a private gambling room like she belonged there. Who snuck into one of the world’s most exclusive ceremonies only to then try to steal from the Order of Saints.
She’s fire and damnation as she crashes out her front door, the look on her face making it clear she’s coming for me.
“This will be fun.”
It’s when the door slams shut that I notice something strange on the paper cup she dropped in the entry. I zoom in closer, seeing the name of the cafe, and right beside it, written in red, is a fucking phone number.
“You’re a dead man.” I run through the ways I can flay someone alive without my brothers noticing.
“What are you muttering about over there? You know you haven’t seen me for six months, right?” Xander says from where he’s sitting on the club chair across from me.
“Those glasses make you look like a stuck-up douche. I can’t get used to them.” I huff out a laugh as I check him out. He hasn’t been away that long, but he looks different. He’s sharper, his back rigid, and a pompous seriousness taking over his face. It’s the fucking glasses. He may be eleven months older, but he’d always let me set the pace for the two of us. Thick as thieves for our entire lives, it stings that he’s changing. No matter what though, he’s the closest person, the one who knows me better than anyone. It doesn’t matter if he’s different. He’s still my brother.
“I missed you.” There’s no shame in admitting it. I know he feels the same. Since we were kids, neither of us liked to be apart, but this past year has shown that we can operate on our own, and just maybe, our relationship was a little too codependent.
He tilts his head, scanning me. “Don’t get all sappy on me.”
“Fuck you.” The second the words are out, I remember Stasia spitting them at me. Her soft lips and the sweet taste of her moans. My cock’s getting hard just thinking about it.
He laughs, used to my shit, and changes the subject. “You’d enjoy it too much. I don’t want to ruin you for everyone else.”
I nearly choke on my drink and slam it on the table as I try not to cough up a lung. “Man, could’ve warned me.”
“This is way more fun.” His eyes glint the same way they always have when he gets one up on me.
I relax, the buzz of unease that’s been hovering over me dissipating with that look. I wasn’t lying when I said I missed him. Life’s fucking sucked since he’s been gone. It’s like every day dragged into the next before I was trapped in some twisted version of hell.
Not now though. Not with the fiery redhead stealing every ounce of my attention until she owns every thought.
As if he knows what I’m thinking about, his knuckles drum on the armchair. “So…what’s up with the uptight ballerina? Why have me look into her?”
A coldness settles over me, one that has every muscle tensing. “Careful, Xander. You may be my favorite brother, but you’re on thin ice.”
His head falls back as he collapses into the chair. “Damn. Not you too.”
“You better get used to it. You’ll be calling her sister before the year’s up.”
His brows reach for his hairline. “Jesus.”
“Stop saying my name in vain and get on with it. What did you learn?”
He shakes his head like he’s done with me, but he still gives me what I want. “Your girl and her brother went to the Russians for something. I haven’t figured out what yet, but what I do know is they’re keeping him there as collateral to get Anastasia to do something for them. Any idea what?”
The tiara. Well, that makes sense.
I nod. “What else?”
“They want her to get married to some Russian guy. I couldn’t find much on him.”
I sit forward, elbows resting on my knees. “Like fuck she is.”
Xander holds his hands up in surrender. “Just the messenger. Don’t kill me.”
Even the idea of her being tied to someone else has my blood boiling in my veins. I’ll just have to take care of this guy before that can happen. Hell…the entire family can go.
Xander clears his throat, a seriousness carving his expression. “There’s something you should know. It’s likely the Russians killed her mother.”
“Uncle Wander!” Tucker screams as he pushes his way through the front door and throws himself into Xander’s lap.
His grubby little fingers hold his uncle’s face on both sides. “Where you go?”
Xander lifts Tucker into the air until he’s squealing with laughter.
“Sorry, kiddo. I’ve got work to do.”
Tucker pouts. “No work. Work swucks.”
“Gotcha.” Matthias swoops his son into his arms. “You were supposed to wait for us.”
Just then, Scarlet and the rest of the kids enter, followed by Misty and Damon for our weekly family dinner. We rotate, and this is my turn to host.
“I didn’t want to do what you said. I wanted to see Uncle Wander.”
If it had been our father, Tucker would have been beaten for that, and he’d never do it again. At the cost of being terrified of his own dad.
Matthias boops his nose though. Both he and Damon are determined to break the cycle.
“I just want you to be safe,” Matthias tells his son, who nods.
“It smells amazing in here.” Scarlet approaches and hands her kid to me. “You’re it.”
I happily take him into my arms from his exhausted mother.
“You and I are going to get up to no good,” I say, but wide eyes just stare back at me. I gently pinch his cheeks. “You’re no fun.”
Soon, Misty and Damon arrive, filling my home with laughter.
The front door slams open with a thud, causing all four Everette brothers to go on alert.
Flaming red hair swirls around a pissed-off Stasia, her key card held tight in her hand. “Sebastian Everette, I’m going to kill?—”
Her mouth snaps closed when she realizes we’re not alone.