Page 36 of Bratva Menace

Surprise, surprise, right?

The minute I’d realized what she’d done, I’d gotten harder than I’d ever been in my fucking life. So hard it hurt, and I’d had to relieve that pressure. Otherwise, I feared my cock would explode, and not in the good way.

So, I fucked my own hand and pretended it was hers.

What made the whole thing even hotter was that I knew she was watching me as I did it. There was no way she wasn’t. Her past behavior pretty much guaranteed I had an audience. I knew she’d want to see my reaction to her little stunt.

I imagined she was pleasuring herself right alongside me. Her fingers deep in her tight, wet pussy. Curling…twisting…stretching⁠—

“Lukyan!”

“Fucking what?!”

“You spaced out again.” Fuck. I did, didn’t I? “Seriously, what is going on with you?”

I internally groaned. The mystery woman was fucking me up left, right, and bloody center, I swear.

I locked my phone and tucked it away so it was incapable of distracting me again. I couldn’t risk looking at her photo again, or I’d start spiraling down that rabbit hole, wondering what she felt like. Tasted like.

“What was your question again?” I asked, voice tight. Illayana had to have asked a question, right? She always got snappy when her questions went unanswered.

“Which one?”

“The first bloody one.” I almost snarled.

“Jeez Louise, someone’s moody.” Illayana rolled her eyes and crossed her feet at the ankles, taking a small sip from the glass in her hand.

The silence came back, and I waited. She’d speak eventually.

“There’s no talking you out of it, is there?” Illayana finally asked.

I didn’t need more information to know exactly what she was referring to.

“No,” I said strongly. Confidently. “This is my chance, Illayana.”

She frowned. “Chance for what?”

“To prove I’m not the idiot you all think I am.”

Compassion flashed across her face. “We don’t think that⁠—”

“Yes, you do. Don’t insult my intelligence by saying something that’s not even remotely true. I see it. The way you all look at me. Talk about me. Crack jokes at my expense. ‘Oh, Lukyan can’t do it. He’s untrustworthy’. ‘Don’t trust Lukyan with that important job, he’ll fuck it up’. I’ve heard it for years, and I’m sick of it. I’m sick of being made to feel like I’m just an accessory in this family. This is my chance to show everyone that I can do the tough shit. The serious shit. That I”—I pounded a closed fist into my chest—“can be relied on. I’m not going to give that up because you all think I’m not good enough to do the job⁠—”

I didn’t realize I was on my feet until Illayana grabbed my hand to stop me from leaving.

“Stay. Don’t go. Please.” Her hand squeezed mine in earnest. “Don’t let this be our last conversation.”

I rolled my eyes and plopped back down, the fight evaporating out of me in an instant. “It won’t be. I’ll still text you. You’ll still send me daily annoying reels I won’t watch⁠—”

“I knew you never watched them,” she mumbled under her breath.

“—because you’re my sister, and I love you,” I finished, giving her nothing but brutal honesty.

Her face softened. “I love you too.” She reached forward and hugged me. “And I swear to God, Lukyan, if you don’t come back alive, I will never forgive you.”

CHAPTER NINE

LUKYAN VOLKOV