My words rocked him back in his seat, looking down in his lap. The two women started cooing beside him, snaking their arms around his as they told him everything would be okay. “Get off me,” he yelled, yanking his arms away from them before grabbing a glass of water off the table and downing it in one gulp.
Navier did the only smart thing he could and shooed the women away. They would only put themselves in danger if they were around us now. He would not be playing the playboy role; he needed to play the dutiful son role, and for that, he needed to be sober.
“Here, take a bump of this.” Navier’s jovial attitude grated on my brain. “It’ll clear you up right as rain.” He passed a metal circular tube to my brother, who opened it, shook some fine white powder onto his thumb, and sniffed it. I wanted to tell him to stop, not to muddle his mind with that shit, but we didn't have the time to fight about this again. Being high was the only way Ion could deal with… everything.
It was my fault he was like this anyway.I’m never able to help the ones who matter to me.
Turning away from him, the air circling us left a bad taste in my mouth, and I didn’t want to stay there any longer. “Let's go.”
“Maybe you need a little of this,” Ion called out to my back. The venom in his voice could be heard from a mile away.
Looking over my shoulder, I watched him smooth out his suit, glaring at me like I was the one who ruined all his fun tonight. Turning, I gave him my full attention, letting him know I wouldn't back down. Sometimes, I think he forgot that this was just his job. Not how he’d wanted to live his life, but then I reminded myself that we didn't get to live the lives we wanted. That was the reality of our situation.
“Or maybe you need a little less.” Running my tongue along my teeth, I realized I was done with the conversation. I stalked off ahead, I was ready to rid myself of this place and my brothers, who constantly reminded me of my failures.
When the open air hit my face, I closed my eyes and repeated the words engraved in my soul.Never again. I won’t fail them ever again, even if it's from themselves.My brothers were all I had in this world, and I wasn't about to lose them either.
“Don’t mind him, brother.” Cezar set his hand on my shoulder. Cracking my eyes, I glared at the sticky, bloody hand on my new suit. He winced, taking his hand off as he continued. “He’s just a lost little puppy, but we’ll soon find his leash. I can feel it in the air.” He lifted his hand and twirled his fingers like he was playing with some malleable thing. “Can’t you?” His deep green eyes flared bright underneath the moonlight, reminding me of his mother as he smiled.
“What does the old man want now?” Ion’s cranky voice sounded next to me before he leaned over and whispered, “What the fuck is Cezar doing?”
“Feeling the winds of your leash tightening like sand slipping through the hourglass of fate.” Ion and I leaned over to look at Cezar, questioning his sanity when he laughed, “Let's hope your brokenness won’t ruin it.”
Ion’s hand flew to his chest, his face outraged by the thought before barking out, “My brokenness? Don’t you mean-”
“Nope. I’m already perfect and ready. You two have a lot of work to do.” My eyes bore into the back of his head as he stalked off to the car, whistling.
Ion took a cigarette out, lit it up, and shook his head, “And he thinks we’re the looney ones.”
Snatching the cigarette out of his mouth, I threw it on the ground. He protested, but I’ve had enough of his sass today. “No smoking in my car.”
“Ugh! Fine! I’ll just take-”
“Get in my car,” I finished before stepping off the curb. Father only liked it when we all saw him at the same time. Taking one car was the only way to ensure that. My brothers were my responsibility.
Ion’s steps followed mine, like I knew he would, as he grumbled about me being a tyrant of a brother. Cezar was already in the car, touching god knows what with his disgusting hands. Sighing, I knew this car ride would test my patience, pushing me to my last nerve.
I was right.After yelling at Cezar to keep his bloody hands to himself and then dealing with Ion’s attitude the whole way up the mountain, I was emotionally spent and not looking forward to dealing withhim.
Arek Azadian, our father, was one of three leaders of the Brotherhood. This well-connected and vicious mafia organization handled weapons dealing, skin trade, drugs, and high-end antiquities for all of Eastern Europe. An organization started hundreds of years ago in Russia under the Bratva organization until Armenia gained its independence.
As we passed the impenetrable steel gates, my brothers’ audible inhales bounced around the car, putting me on edge. We were all preparing to deal with the man they called the Armenian Butcher. The man who would mercilessly cut up anyone in his way with a smile, whether they were family or foe.
We rolled up to the two-story French chateau-style mansion. The butler stepped out and opened my brother's doors. All of us climbed out, and when I got around the car, the butler's hand was out, waiting for me to hand him the keys, but my eyes caught on the big purple bruise surrounding the right side of his face.
His eyes stayed down, his face flushed red, “Young master, I will place your car in the garage.”
My brothers shook their heads behind his back and walked forward, trying to cover up their disappointment. I handed him the keys, “Just leave it in the roundabout; we don’t plan on staying long.” As I walked past him, a sudden pause gripped me—guilt flooded my limbs as I remembered when he’d bandaged me up after each brutal talk with my father when I was younger.
Tilting my head, I spoke out the side of my mouth, “There’s an ointment in my glove box. Use it before you enter the house again,” then stalked off to meet my brothers.
They were waiting at the stairs for me, arguing hushedly, until they saw me. Questions brimmed their eyes, but we didn't have time for that. “Let's go,” I barked, pushing past them. We just needed to find out what father wanted and get it done.
We made our way to the mahogany double doors that once filled me with dread—now, they were nothing more than a heavy chain around my neck, a constant reminder of what I had become.
“Come in, boys! Come in!”
Hearing the exuberance in his voice only made me more cautious; if the collective sighs around me were any indication, my brothers felt the same.
