Katya sighs her shoulders slumping. “When are you going to get over that shit. You’re the head of the organization you wanted, move the fuck on.”
“You’re one to talk about moving the fuck on, Princess.”
Kostya chuckles. “I say bulldoze the place. If dad has a hardon for this house, burn it.”
“No!” Katya’s hand presses to her chest. “The memories...”
“Of?” Kostya and I echo.
“Beatings?” Kostya mutters.
“Getting shot,” I add.
“Oh!” Kostya chimes throwing himself on the couch “The time dad took the cat—”
“No!” Katya cuts off, her hands on her ears. “Stop.”
She takes a breath, composing herself. “We all grew up here. It deserves to have good memories. Maksim what if you have kids—”
I snort “Fucking kids? Hell no.”
Kostya laughs. “Maksim with children? You mean an army of tiny sadists he’ll create?”
Katya opens her mouth, but I interrupt.
“Cut the daddies princess act, turns out you’re not the only one.”
Katya gasps and Kostya sits up straight.
“You got the results?” Katya whispers, her eyes already threatening to spill.
I nod. “Yes we have two more sisters. Congratulations to us.”
Kostya shakes his head. “Blyad!”
“Are we telling them?” Katya asks.
“No. Let them be.”
Kostya slumps back into the couch. “Let them be? Those are our sisters, Maks.”
“Half-sisters,” I correct, heading to the bar cart across the room. “And they’re better off not knowing who their real father is.”
I pour a generous splash of vodka into a glass, not bothering to offer any to my siblings. The liquid burns pleasantly going down, dulling the edge of my irritation.
“Nikolai wouldn’t want them to know anyway,” I add. “He kept that secret from all of us.”
Katya’s face softens. “Are they at least safe.”
I nod once. “One’s married, one’s in school. Both have money. Both have guards.” I take another swig. “They don’t need to know anything different.”
“And what if they find out?” Kostya asks. “What if—?”
“Then they find out,” I say flatly. “But I’m not revealing family fucking secrets to everyone. It weakens us.”
The room falls silent for a moment. I can feel my siblings watching me.
“What’s going on with Ayla?” Katya asks suddenly.
