Alina

The Ivanov Brothers

Alexei's POV:

I've always hated Christmas. It's a pointless, happy time that everyone looks forward to all year. All it is gifts. Get off your ass, make money and buy it yourself. I shot a mall Santa one year and it was hilarious. Best Christmas I ever had that's for sure.

Every year Dmitri makes me watch the Grinch or some stupid Christmas movie in an attempt to feel normal even though our family is anything but. I don't even think Alina knew what it was. Not that she deserved it anyway. She deserved exactly what she got. Yeah, she deserved it. That's it.

This year it was the same as always. A movie and Chinese takeout.

But what I really hate about this time of year, is my sister's birthday. It was never celebrated like how a mafia princess's birthday usually is. There was never a ball or a fancy dress or cake. It was just like every other day for her. We made it worse if anything.

Her birthday is tomorrow. My feelings are still a mess. Both of ours are. Dmitri hasn't said anything, but I know it. I hate everything right now. My mind wanders back to my sister all the time and my chest hurts and my throat clogs up whenever I do. It's strange, I hate it. I hate her. I've always been in control, but I've lost it when it comes to her. If my father found out, he'd beat my ass.

Whenever he did, I'd go to Alina and do the same to her. If I deserved it, so did she. But did she really? Did I make a mistake. No.

It was for the best, stop.

Currently. I'm working in my office when Dmitri enters.

"Brother, we have to talk."

"What is it? I'm working." I don't want to talk to anyone.

"It's about Alina." I stop.

"What about her?" I ask, looking up from my work.

"You know exactly what this is about."

I do. "No, I don't."

"Ever since her death haven't you felt, I don't know, off?" Yes. I hate it. I hate her. "I don't know what it is but I know you feel it too. And don't play dumb with me brother. I need this to stop. We need this to stop. What do we do?"

"What's the point of this? I'm not a fucking therapist Dmitri." But I probably need one though.

"You're right, you're my older brother, my mentor, my role model. And, I don't know, the future boss? You're supposed to know an answer to everything, right? So fix it."

"Oh don't pull that crap with me. There's no changing what happened. If that's all there is to this then you know where the door is." I don't want to talk about this. Don't I?

"Alexei-"

"Dmitri, listen to me. I don't do, this. I killed her to eliminate a growing weakness. If you're so big on good and bad now, it was for the good. And I'm over it." I'm really not. "Now it's your turn to do the same. Move on brother. We have a country to take over and a father to kill. Dismissed."

The more he talks about Alina, the worse it gets. He needs to just forget her. I killed a guy yesterday, felt great. I'll find someone for him to kill, get his mind off things.

Dmitri's POV:

It's times like Christmas that make me wish for a normal life more than anything. I do my best every year to bring some sort of relatively 'festive' attitude to the house around this time, Alexei never really wants anything to do with it but he always ends up with me anyway.

Alexei's been getting on my nerves recently. He's so dismissive of everything and refuses to talk anymore. He's so focused on killing our father and gaining Canada that he's barely leaving his office anymore. He's hiding from his issues like a pussy teenage boy. At least I'm trying here.

Today is my baby sister's 4th birthday, or would've been 4th birthday. She was so close. Alexei's locked himself in his office again and hasn't talked to me since yesterday. I'm getting sick of this. Whenever I felt fed up with everything, Alina was my escape. I was her nightmare, but she was my dream. I miss that. I'm starting to realize that more and more. I miss Alina. Allie? Allie. I miss Allie. My Allie. I'm thinking I'm regretting for the first time, like ever.

My father taught us never to regret anything. Regretting is for the weak and leads to failure. If you're on the wrong path, make it the right one. Manipulate and cheat you're way to the top. Don't surrender, don't turn back and you'll never be wrong in your men's eyes.

I went to the market and bought 2 cupcakes. I don't want anyone to know what I'm doing, I didn't even ask a maid to do it.
When I return to the house, I pull out my lighter and light a single candle on each. I don't sing the the happy birthday song nor do I remember it. I don't even know when the last time I heard it was.

"Happy birthday baby sister." I whisper to myself like a idiot. I walk to Alexei's office and place the cupcake outside his door, knock, and leave.

"FUCK!" I punch a wall.

I swear to god I'm bipolar. One moment I'm sad and I miss her, the next I want to kill her all over again. I can't feel this way.

I can't be weak. I can't be weak. I can't be weak.

Alexei's POV:

I hear a knock on my door. What does Dmitri want now?

I open the door and no one's there. Is Dmitri playing pranks now? I'm about to close the door when I smell something, I look down and a cupcake is just in front of my door with a single candle burning . I bend down to pick it up and I read the note written on the napkin.

"You know the occasion."
- Dmitri

No. No. No! What the fuck is my brother turning into? Did I do this? He's a grown ass man, an Ivanov man nonetheless, leaving cupcakes outside doors. Is this the Girl Scouts or something? My blood is not weak.

I throw the dessert to the ground and storm off to find my brother. I find him in the lounge working on his laptop.

"Hey, what's-" I punch him. "What the fuck!?"
He tries to get a hit on me but I dodge and uppercut him. He falls to the ground, sweeps my legs and gets on top of me. "Alexei calm down now!" I head butt him and flip us so now I'm on top.

"Alexei I'm not going to fight you!"

"Why not Dmitri? Why? Huh? You're weak Dmitri Ivanov! You're weak! That's why! Stop this nonsense now! Fucking knock me out. Pull out your gun. Act like your name and forget the girl or I'll make you forget. You got that?"
He shoves me off him and wipes the blood from his nose.

"Yes sir." He says as he's about to walk away.

"I haven't dismissed you yet brother. I actually have an assignment for you.
The Lombardis have a new member, a girl in fact. Bring her to me. If we get her we'll be able to get what we need from them. Maybe this girl can be your new sister since it seems you're so stuck on the old one. Now get out of my sight. Dismissed."

Dmitri's POV:

This is what happens when you care. This is what happens when you feel. And who the fuck just replaces a family member? Here's a random kid on the side of the road, oop, you're my dead sister now. Congrats, welcome to the family.

I'm going to find this girl. And I'm going to kill her in front of her family's eyes. Slowly. She'll feel the pain I feel. Family is nothing and she'll feel that right before she dies at my hand. Not my brother's, mine. I'm not weak. I'm an Ivanov.

I'm not weak. I'm not weak. I'm not weak.