Roses & Ruin

Chapter 30 (Lexi)

Oh fuck me sideways. I'm dreading this.

There was a woman holding the front door open and her face was entirely serious. She bowed her head to me before stepping back and motioning with her arm where I should begin to walk.

Of course the Petrov men didn't greet me at the door. No. I gotta go to them.

        Boris was a few steps behind me as he's meant to be, but I noticed him wiping beads of sweat off his forehead several times on the car ride over here. I know he's as nervous as I am. Most people who work for my father are petrified of him. It keeps them in line. It keeps them loyal.

When the woman in front of me stopped I stopped three steps behind her, which meant I couldn't fully see inside the room she was taking me to. But I knew who was waiting there. I knew I had to walk in.

Taking a deep breath I quickly glanced back at Boris before walking forward. Walking past the lady and into the room. All eyes shifted up to the doorway.

        "Um, hello" was my grand reunion with my family. I had walked into some type of sitting room where my father was propped up in a single armchair with his arm on the armrest and a drink in his hand. My brother Dmitriy was lurking by the window with his hands behind his back, and Andrei was plopped on the long sofa carelessly.

All wore the same stone expressions.

Vitaly Petrov, my father, has darker blonde hair going grey, steely blue eyes, and a stern, cold expression. He's got a small gut now that he's aging, but not by much.

        My oldest brother Dmitriy is 30 years old. He's meant to take over as the boss one day. He's very business oriented like my father is. Business over everything. Even me. Dmitriy has the same yellowish hair my father has, his same steely eyes, and he wears a perpetually mean glare, especially with his deep set eyes.

He's long limbed, strong, and a complete asshole.

        Andrei is the second oldest. He's 25 years old and he's meant to become the full underboss once my eldest brother steps into his role. He has my eyes, which is more of a bright chlorine blue. Pale hair and high cheekbones, which makes him somewhat attractive I guess. The handsome troublemaker type.

He's also got the perpetual glare expression down pact like my brother and father do. He's got the tendency for violence and he's tattooed, so yeah he's the formula for the perfect bad boy villain.

And he is, a villain that is. They all are.

        "Aleksandra" my father's deep voice called me the name I don't like being called. It's my birth given name, but my mother changed my name to Lexi. They refuse to acknowledge that though.

My father stood up and I wasn't sure if I was meant to hug the man or just wait there like an idiot, unsure of herself in a way that I never am. But when he took a step towards me I took a step towards him, and then he placed his hand on my shoulder and looked me up and down.

"My beautiful daughter" were his next words to me. He looked pleased.

He's pleased because he wants to use me to lure in other mobsters they wanna do business with. Sick fucks, using me as a pawn like a meatstick to a starving dog.

That's all the man said to me too. He just patted my shoulder with his heavy hand and took a step back so he could swig the remaining contents of his drink.

        "Little sis," Andrei nodded to me from the sofa he didn't bother standing up from. My gut clenched when Dmitriy walked over to me. He removed his hands from behind his back and surprised me when he gave me this weird sort of half hug. He released me within seconds and nodded at me as he began to speak.