My idiot of a brother is about to attack me again, but Yulia stands and clutches his shoulder, keeping him in place.
“We’re voting you out,” she says easily, with no change in her expression, as if nothing of the previous show happened.
“How about a deal instead?” I approach and then stop a small distance away from them. “I will lead this family and give you larger cuts in return. If you disagree, I’ll just take everything. You have…twenty seconds to accept the offer.”
“You’re a fucking bastard with no code of honor whatsoever.” Konstantin steps forward. “You should’ve stayed in Russia while you could.”
“Ten seconds.”
“It’s two to one, Kirill. You’re voted out.” Yulia sounds as cold as ice.
I definitely got my tone and mannerisms from her. We’re two unemotional beings who can’t be perturbed by any change of events.
She hates it, though. I can always see the amount of loathing she has for the fact that I’m more like her than her darling Konstantin will ever be.
“Five.”
“Fuck you,” Konstantin tells me.
“Aaaand zero. Your time is up.”
I’m about to turn and leave when I spot a petite girl with a mane of blonde hair running down the stairs, her fluffy robe flying behind her.
She marches straight to Yulia and Konstantin. “Don’t I get a vote?”
“Why, of course.” Yulia stares at her like she’s a nuisance that shouldn’t be here.
And byhere, I don’t mean this meeting, but the world in general.
Konstantin smiles victoriously. “It’s three to one now, brother.”
Karina looks out the window across the room as she says, “My vote goes for Kirill.”
“As I said, three to—” Konstantin cuts himself off and swings to face Karina. “What the fuck did you just say?”
“Kirill.” She looks him right in the eye. “He has my vote.”
He grabs her by the arm and starts to shake her. “What the fuck is wrong with you? You know what? Your vote doesn’t count.”
“Mother just said it does.” She glares at him even as she winces.
I step between them, effectively breaking his hold on her. “Leave her alone.”
“Were you plotting this all along? Getting Karina? You didn’t even care about her before, and now, you’re acting all brotherly and shit? Wow. You’re such a fucking asshole.”
“What did he give you?” Yulia asks, barely managing to hide her irritation.
“Nothing. I just felt like it.” She lifts a shoulder, crosses her arms, and stares behind her.
At the top of the stairs, I catch a glimpse of a smiling Sasha giving Karina a thumbs-up.
Something my sister lifts another shoulder to and mutters, “Whatever.”
Then she climbs up the stairs.
When I glimpse back at Sasha, she’s already gone.
That little fucking—