“Anya and I were both sent here to go to school, that is why I don’t have an accent. We were taught by American nannies until we were twelve years old and sent here to the states. We attended St Mary’s boarding school in Baltimore until we were called home when we were seventeen. I’m twenty-one, not nineteen.” That piece of information doesn’t shock them which alerts me to the fact they have been digging into my past. They won’t find what they really want to know, as far as anyone in the world except the Volkov Bratva are aware, Dimitri and I died along with our family.
“Your family were all executed. How is it that you and the only male heir to your family survived?” There it is, the million-dollar question that is going to ruin everything. Rather than keeping my gaze on Bishop to answer his question, I turn back to Knight. Torment is clear in his features as he looks at me.
“Ask me.” His brow furrows in confusion.
“Ask you what?” I steel my spine.
“Ask me who I am to Vladimir Volkov and why we survived.” The edges of his eyes crinkle, narrowing to slits.
“Who the fuck are you to him,Katarina?” Hearing my name, a name I haven’t heard in years, roll of his tongue has a warmth spreading through me.
“I am an Antonov, I was born one and will always be one at heart.” His eyes darken. “Four days after my family was executed, I became Katerina…Volkov. I am the Pakhan’s wife.” No sooner have the words left my mouth does chaos reign down around me. Guns are pointed in my face, each of the guys are shouting at me but I don’t dare look away from the man that has somehow managed to burrow himself under my skin and demand a place inside me.
“Take her, now!” Bishop orders. I spot Luka out of the corner of my eye heading my way. I look to Knight making sure he can see it in my eyes that none of this was my choice. I never wanted this life. Luka’s fingers skim my arm, he’s about to grip me when Knight flies out of his chair and punches him right in the face then pulls his gun free aiming at Luka. His breaths are coming in short, rapid pants. His eyes are so dark they almost look demonic. “Put the fucking gun down, she just admitted to be the enemy, Knight.”
“Bishop’s right and you know it. You’ll find someone else to fuck––” Knight cuts King off, pointing his gun at his brother causing the others to shout.
“You won’t fucking touch her!” Knight yells. Bishop slams his fist down on the table causing me to jump.
“She is fucking dead. She is a Volkov and will fucking die––”
“She’s pregnant!” Knight shouts cutting Bishop off. I stare up at him in horror. What the fuck, no. He’s just saying that to save my life. I have an IUD so there is no fucking way, right?
“Oh shit.”
“Fuck.” I don’t know who the fuck is talking. I slowly stand while keeping my gaze on Knight. He lowers his gun as he looks to me, whatever he sees in my eyes has the air rushing out of him.
“You’re lying?” I don’t know why I voiced it more as a question than a statement. He shakes his head. The terrified look in his eyes has bile rising in my throat. “No, no.” I spin away from him ignoring the pain in my ribs and shoulder as I do and look to Bishop and King. “Kill me, kill me now.” They both look horrified so I turn to Allison next. “I knew you were being held at the docks and allowed them to capture me. I needed an in to this family for protection and you were the easiest way in.” Allison’s face pales, I don’t know why the fuck I’m admitting this shit now. I just know that what Knight says can’t be true, if it is, then I’m as good as dead.
Knight
Ally slowly rises to her feet. Luka shoulders past me mumbling about me being an asshole but I ignore him. I’m too stunned by what the fuck she is doing to even focus on something else. I’m trying to save her fucking life and here she is begging my brothers to fucking kill her. What the fuck is wrong with this woman?
“Stop!” her brother yells. She whirls on him, placing both her palms on the table as she leans over.
“You know as well as I do that if what he says is true, he’ll killit. He’ll never let me have that one fucking thing, Dimitri. Don’t be so fucking dumb!” I gape at her. I’ve never heard her speak to him like that before, she’s always been nothing but calm and caring toward her brother. Dimitri clamps his mouth closed, ducking his head to stare at his lap.
“How did you know where I was?” Ally’s softly spoken question has Koby––no, Katerina turning back to her. King is at Allison’s back pinning her with a look that promises pain.
“It’s my fucking skillset to find things or people, everyone has one!” she screams hysterically. She’s shaking, the panicked look in her eyes tells me she is about to break the fuck down. She can take being tortured and beaten but the thought of having a kid with me… unhinges her.
“I’m gonna take Mela out of here,” Kiara announces as she grabs our niece and scurries from the room. King looks like he is about ready to wrap his hands around my girls neck and choke the life out of her. If he does, I’ll break his fucking jaw for touching her.
“You need to calm down––”
“Oh fuck right off, Allison. Don’t pretend to fucking care!” Ally’s eyes fill with tears. King pushes his fiancée behind me, I dart forward and step in front of Koby shielding her from my brother.
“You really want to do this?” King’s tone is low but filled with venom.
“I won’t let you touch her.” I make sure he can hear it in my voice that if he makes a single move, I’ll fucking put him down.
“Enough!” King and I don’t take our eyes off each other. “Sit the fuck down now before I beat the shit out of both you assholes.” I refuse to be the one to backdown first. King clearly feels the same as I do. He pushes forward until his forehead is pushed against mine, I’m no fucking pussy so I push back against him.
He snaps and I follow, our fists fly as we plough into each other. This has been months in the making, we both knew this fight would come. Each of us has allowed our anger and frustration with the other to build. I wanted to avoid this very situation by leaving, but here we are. King tackles me to the ground landing two hits, one to my ribs and the other to my cheek. I buck my hips and roll us so I’m on top. My mind blanks as everything I have pushed down and avoided dealing with comes crashing down on me in this moment.
I take my pent up rage from Christine out on him, all the hatred toward my father unleashes, my hatred within myself for allowing my twin to be murdered comes rushing to the surface. Everything is white noise around me. I stop hitting him when he refuses to fight back, his face bloody and busted up. I pound against his chest.
“Fight back!” His eyes hold so much pain, but it’s not his own, he’s hurting for me. I pound my fists against his chest again. “Fucking fight back you pussy!” My voice cracks and it’s only then that I realize that I’m… crying. I reach up and touch my cheek noting that the tips of my fingers are wet. I shuffle back off King and drop to my ass between his legs. He doesn’t hesitate, he sits up groaning then wraps his arms around me, pulling in close. I feel Bishop crouch down beside us and rest a hand on my shoulder. I fucking lose it, wrapping my arms around my brother and clinging to him. I shut them all out because I let the guilt and shame of what I did with Christine ruin the relationship I have with my brothers. “I’m so sorry,” I sob.