forbidden { michael gray } ON TEMPORARY HOLD

s i x

"I see. You don't believe me. Now, that is insulting, considering it is me who handles every single logistic of our family's enterprise. It is me who sets every meeting, times every attack, organises everybody's paycheck. And yet, you have the nerve to doubt my loyalty because some nobody said they saw me?" She forced herself to look angry and to hide the fear from her face. "How dare you-"

Before she could finish her speech, Alexei smacked her. Hard. Talya was flung into the bedpost, which she gripped to steady herself as her head spun. She felt blood spill down her lip, which had split from the slap. Alexei surged forward and grabbed a fistful of her hair, forcing her tear-filled eyes to meet his. "Do not ever speak to me like that, sestra. Our father may have given you the illusion of importance but that does not allow for insubordination. Do I make myself clear?"

Talya nodded weakly as she looked into his eyes, which were almost black with hatred. "I-I'm sorry."

He nodded and pushed her head as he released her hair before turning around and storming from the room, slamming the door behind him. Talya let out a whimper as soon as he was gone and slid down the bed post until she was hunched on the floor. Her arms wrapped around her body, as though if she didn't hold herself tightly she would explode.

It had been months since Alexei had last raised a hand to her. She had threatened to tell their father so he stopped. But now he had the upper hand over her in knowing that she was in Small Heath, even if she denied it. If she told Mikhail, Alexei was manipulative enough to convince their father it was true.

She sat there for a long time, toying with the idea of grabbing the pistol from her bag and emptying the bullets into his face. It would be so easy. But she didn't. She stayed on the floor and silently seethed over every single thing that her pathetic excuse of a brother had done to her.

It wasn't until 6 pm that Talya finally moved from the floor. She was called down for dinner and rigidly walked down the stairs after getting changed and wiping the blood which had dried around her mouth. Her eyes were glassy and almost unseeing, as though she was walking on auto-pilot and wasn't altogether there in the head.

When she sat down, Alexei was already in the opposite seat and sending glares in her direction. Her parents spoke to her and she answered them without bothering to comprehend what they were saying. It wasn't until Alexei spoke that she began to listen to the conversation. "Did you find out how the attack went last night, papa?"

"Yes! It went well. They eliminated the Blinders in the restaurant, took all the cash and set the place on fire. There were no civilian casualties either."

Alexei nodded. "Did anyone get away?"

Their father frowned and shrugged, while Talya squirmed under the knowing glare of Alexei. "Apparently there was a couple eating, but of course, they were allowed to leave."

Talya felt like crying with relief. Whatever Andrey had told her father, it was different to what he told Alexei, and for that much she was grateful.

"Surely any sympathisers of Blinders should be exterminated just as we would to an actual Blinder?" Alexei said as he shot another glare to Talya.

"What are you talking about?" Mikhail asked.

"An enemy of our enemy is a friend, a friend of our enemy is an enemy and should be treated as such; with the utmost brutality."

Mikhail scoffed. "You're enthusiastic, I can't fault you for that."

For the rest of the meal, Talya and Alexei held each other's gazes, hatred and a thirst for blood swimming in their iris'. As soon as they were excused, Talya marched up the stairs and locked herself in her room while Alexei wondered what she was doing.