36. Baby Sister
THIRTY-SIX
BABY SISTER
Brennan: I’m thinking I’ll dislocate his shoulder when Thanksgiving rolls around
Eoghan: Saves me from having to do it
Eoghan: If you don’t, I have a peashooter that’ll get the job done
Brennan: Bahahaha, peashooter? What kind of peas are you shooting?
Victoria: What’s happening here? Whose shoulder are we dislocating? Who are we shooting??!
Brennan: Did you hear that, Eoghan?
Eoghan: I think someone sneaked into our text chat, Brennan. I heard *something* but it might have been a ghost
Brennan: Makes sense
Victoria: Okay, okay
Victoria: I’m sorry!
Brennan: There it goes again. It’s like someone I know talking to me… long distance.
Victoria: *pouts*
Victoria: I am technically a ninety-minute drive away
Victoria: Nobody was there. Does that make it better?
Eoghan: Nobody was somewhere, Brennan
Brennan: Makes sense
Brennan: Especially when our baby sister got married and DIDN’T EVEN TELL US
Victoria: You knew!
Eoghan: If we’d known, then we’d have been there
Brennan: That’s kind of how invitations work
Victoria: *sobs* Don’t be mean!
Brennan: Weren’t we the ones ghosted, Eoghan?
Eoghan: Affirmative
Eoghan: Anyway, Shay was there
Brennan: So, that’s a lie then. About nobody being there?
Eoghan: And Maxim must have needed a witness
Victoria: Okay, okay, okay!!!!! I get it. I suck. I’m the worst sister in the universe and I know I’m going to hear this same conversation x four more brothers
Victoria: BUT I had a reason for it
Brennan: Which was?
Victoria: Aside from wanting him, I wanted his name
Eoghan: Do tell
Victoria: I’m his wife now. That comes with power
Brennan: Being our sister comes with power
Victoria: I love you guys. You ARE my brothers. But nobody else knows that.
Victoria: It’s fine. Look, no one COULD know it. It’s not something we can spread around. You’ve looked after me in so many ways, been more like family to me than my own father, and I know the wedding seemed as if I were throwing that back in your faces
Victoria: But I didn’t mean it that way
Eoghan: Did something happen while you were under arrest?
Victoria: Maxim’s handling it
Eoghan: Who do we need to fucking kill?
Brennan: Give us a name, Victoria. NOW.
Eoghan: I’m upstate. I can be there in forty minutes
Victoria: There’s no need. I thank you. From the bottom of my heart. You guys are my safe spaces. I know you’ll always have my back, but in this, I needed to be his
Eoghan: Lies!
Victoria: No. It isn’t. If I had his last name, what went down… they wouldn’t have dared. On paper, I was a Vasov. Now, I’m a Lyanov. That comes with protection.
Eoghan: And targets
Brennan: Eoghan!
Eoghan: It’s true, dammit. He has enemies as much as we do
Brennan: Can I just say that I don’t agree with this Veronian bullshit?
Victoria: You’ve been very vocal about not approving lol
Victoria: But I have to do this
Victoria: I love you guys. There’ll be a wedding at some point in the future. One that serves more of a ceremonial purpose. This was business
Eoghan: I hate that for you
Brennan: Yeah, me too.
Victoria: I don’t. I think I needed it. I already knew the extents he’d go to for me, but now I’m face-to-face with it. The reality isn’t jarring, but it’s welcome
Victoria: I want him. I always have. And now he’s mine
Eoghan: Trust her to be as possessive as we are
Brennan: Lol, yeah. You’re not wrong
Eoghan: “He’s mine.”
Brennan: Such a brat
Victoria: Hey! I am still here, you know?
Brennan: Speaking of
Brennan: Conor wanted me to send you something
*Brennan sends file*
Victoria: What is it?
Brennan: Camera footage from the country club. Said it’d give you leverage
Victoria: Oh, neat!! Thanks, guys. I hope you understand and can forgive me?
Brennan: We can forgive you
Eoghan: Sure
Eoghan: Next year.
Victoria: And him!!! It was my idea
Eoghan:
Victoria: Eoghan?!
Brennan:
Victoria: brENNAN!!!!!!