Page 11 of The Bratva Betrayal

I won’t be around much longer.

“Try not to get yourself killed,” Artem deadpans.

“Love you, too,” Misha shoots back easily. “Don’t have a stroke while doing whatever Benedikt has you doing.”

“Just another mass murder. You know the usual.”

He has jokes.

Misha scoffs and guides us to the front door, and I feel the weight of Artem’s attention settle between my shoulder blades.

Outside, the air feels different, and I welcome it. It’s easier to breathe, or maybe it’s the absence of being scrutinized by Artem, but I’m not complaining.

Misha squeezes my hand, grinning like nothing just happened. “Hungry, babe?”

“Starving.” I lie because I lost most of my appetite in the kitchen.

“Don’t mind my brother. He’s always like that.”

“I don’t,” I reply honestly.

I slide into the passenger seat when he opens the door for me, giving him a small smile as I settle in. He eats it up just like I knew he would.

I let the smile fall as he rounds the car, just long enough to think.

The Volkov bratva isn’t careless, but Misha is a weak point. Loose habits. Open doors. Things left where they shouldn’t be.

Easy to slip through if you know what you’re doing.

Artem is the opposite of that.

He’s the lock.

If something is happening that could hurt my family, it won’t come from Misha.

It’ll come from Artem.

I glance back at the house as Misha starts the engine. For a second, I think I see movement in one of the windows. A shadow shifting just enough to be noticeable.

Watching.

I face forward again and cross my legs like I’m not already too deep in something I can’t walk away from.

Misha reaches over, brushing his thumb lightly along my knee. “You’re quiet.”

I turn my head toward him, letting my easy smile slip back into place. “Just thinking.”

“About?”

“Whether you’re worth the trouble.”

He laughs like I’m joking.

I’m not.

I knew this was not going to stay simple before I took this on. But now that I have Artem’s attention, things have gotten more complicated.

Because now, I have to play two brothers, and one of them isn’t stupid.