Morozov

Chapter 27

Marvolo and Filip were more than just furious. They demanded Mallory comes home but she of course said no. She probably didn't tell that Ace, though.

It was a disaster.

After Ace adjourned the meeting, Marvolo and him got into this huge fight and had to be dragged away from each other.

And my brother didn't rest when we were home.

"This is bullshit and you know it!" He yelled into his phone and I heard something else shatter downstairs, making me jump. Filip only held me tighter.

"I'm scared-"

"Don't say it," he hushed me and I knew why. We were both scared of this. His responsibility was driving him mad, eating at his sanity piece by piece until eventually, there would be nothing left anymore.

Or maybe he's just stressed.

That's the problem with holding power.

The blade between sanity and complete and utter madness you're walking is too thin to stay on forever.
Eventually you'll fall. And what side you'll end up on depends on your self control.

My blood freezes when he calls me downstairs. My eyes lock with Filip's for a second before he gets up to join me.

I couldn't help but feel a little safer as he guided me down the steps by my lower back. And then I couldn't help but remember the feeling of Jack's hand there and I felt even worse.

I miss him.

No you don't.

"Mallory," I said surprised when I saw her in our living room. And then Jack stepped into the room from where it connected to our kitchen.

My breath got caught in my throat. "Jack."

The name came out strained when I remembered what I had said to him earlier that day.

I'm so sorry.

No you're not.

His gaze narrowed on mine after he was done staring Filip down. And the skin on my hands began to prickle again.
I clenched and unclenched them, keeping them at my sides to be fast enough should he attack me.

But why would he?

"Niveen," Mallory demanded in a sharp tone, making my gaze break away from Jack's.
"A word."

I nodded, keeping quiet when my siblings and my reaper shuffled out of the room.
"And I don't want to hear any fighting. Is that clear?" The blonde woman demanded with raised brows, her finger in their faces.

I swallowed a laugh. Despite Marvolo being the oldest, it was still Mal who had a say.

Wringing her hands, Mallory paced the length of the room. "What were you thinking? Pushing him like that?"

"Someone has to get him off that 'I'm Ace Rodrigues and that justifies everything that I do' attitude," I said, making quotes in the air.

"Nivi you don't seem to understand that it does justify everything he does. He could have killed you. Look at your neck."
The responsible woman was gone, replaced with my older sister. Worry creased her forehead as she sat down beside me and inspected my throat.

"It's bruised," she stated the obvious and I didn't say anything.
"I'm glad Jack was there. I don't know what I would've done if it wasn't for him."

I scoffed. "As if Jack would have done anything. He was probably glad someone else got the dirty work done for him."

The confusion on her face and the way her eyebrows creased told me there was more to it. I must have missed something.