“You know the family comes first,” Alexander was turned towards the resort. “And family business even more so.”
He wasn’t even watching that line where the sky met the sea. He didn’t hear the siren call, not only of the salty wetness, but of the history between us. I was beginning to wonder how much our past could mean to him, if he could give us up so easily.
Fuck, I knew I sounded like a whiney bitch, but I couldn’t help it. I’d never been good with change.
And this was too much change at once.
“Yeah, I know. The damn meetings take all day though.” My voice was sullen, but I was too disappointed to keep it in check.
“Come on, Nikolai. You’ve been acting like a petulant child ever since we arrived.”
“Says the guy who wasn’t ditched by his best friend in favor of,” I shuddered for dramatic effect, “a piece of ass. And not just any ass. Forever ass. One set of butt cheeks for the rest of his life. The same holes over and over again. No more surprises. Will she be full bush or smooth? Just,” I paused for dramatic effect, “Groundhog Day pussy in perpetuity.”
Alexander turned to me, his eyes a warning to me, his gaze tight. “I’ve told you not to talk about Marisha that way. She’s more than that. Much more. She’s not a piece of ass, Nik.”
I shrugged, wanting to press onward and really say how I was feeling about the woman who’d caused so much havoc in everyone’s lives, but knowing I was on the brink of pushing Alex too far. “Yeah, old habits die hard. For me, at least.”
I walked away, kicking up sand angrily and getting exponentially more pissed when the breeze pushed it right back against my legs and then up into my eyes. I batted away the grittiness, grumbling to myself.
“That’s called karma, brother.” Alexander chuckled, catching up to me and throwing an arm over my shoulder. He was taller, but not by much.
When I didn’t say anything back, he cleared his throat. “Look, Nik. I know this isn’t easy on you. I’ve already apologized for making it so that you and Katya have to start acting seriously about your futures. But it was time, wasn’t it? I feel it in my blood now, brother. We couldn’t keep carrying on like drunk sloppy sluts forever.”
I knocked his arm off me, and then smiled salaciously. “Speak for yourself, Alex. I’ve never been a drunk, sloppy slut. I only give what I take. Grade A sober sausage.”
“You only take sausage?” Alexander gave me a quirky sideways glance.
“Alright, Katya,” I volleyed back, kicking out my leg so he tripped over it. But it was Alexander. He regained his balance in seconds.
Katya would have fallen. I grinned at the thought, thinking of how we’d tumbled into the pool earlier. Her body pressed against mine, her velvet mouth slick and hungry for my lips, my dick pushing at her.
“I know that look.” Alexander took a few long strides forward and then turned to block my path. “Thinking about the two women from last night?”
“Sure,” I replied cockily, quirking an eyebrow and waiting for him to ask more questions.
“Nice,” he sighed appreciatively. “Those days are over for me.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and stared wistfully towards the dock and the boat that held so many memories.
For a moment, I thought I was seeing regret. I thought the tides were turning back in my favor. But just as I was going to push him, and force him to admit his mistake in tying himself to Marisha, he rumbled a manly laugh and cracked a wide smile.
“I wouldn’t trade Marisha for forty of the women you fucked, Nik.” He started walking again, and I almost didn’t follow. Disappointment flooded through me. Of course though, I did go after him. He was the Bratva Prince, stood on the edge of kingship, and a meeting had been called. Skipping out wasn’t an option, for either of us. It never was.
“Forty? Not even forty?” I grumbled as I caught up to him. “Just think of it. The variety. Plush, round asses. Firm, athletic asses you could bounce a coin against. Milky perfect skin. Golden tan goddess perfection. Smooth chocolate skin. Big breasts too big to hold in one hand. Small tight breasts you can fully suck into your mouth. So much potential in forty fucks, Brother. And you’d rather have the same one over and over?” I raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it until you believe me, Nikolai. This is what I want.Sheis who I want. Til’ goddamn death do we part.” His voice was serious, but his eyes twinkled. Happiness poured from his skin. And I loathed him in those moments.
“I hate you a little right now. You know that, right?” I grumbled.
We were nearly to the main resort building, which held a large convention room and a half dozen smaller conference areas. The meeting would be in the furthest, most secure space. One entrance, no real windows, only digital shifting photographs to give the illusion of paradise.
“You couldn’t hate me if you tried, Nik. If you were going to hate me, you’d have hated me a long time ago. Like when I stole Victoria Yahontov right from under your nose and fucked her in the closet during our joint seventeenth birthday party,” Alex boomed, his words ending on a predatory laugh that shot through the building’s communal reception space as we walked through the doors.
“I’ve still not gotten my revenge.” I slapped him on the back hard enough to send him reeling forward. “But there’s always time.”
This was the Alex I wanted back, a small glimpse of him at least.
Him getting married would be almost bearable if Marisha hadn’t turned him into such a pussy-whipped asshole. He was never around anymore. My best friend, brother and confidant had fucking vanished overnight.
“Time is well and truly up,” Alex replied with a wink, and I knew he was right.
