PURPLE HEART - Soliders Of Fortune [BOOK TWO]

Chapter TEN

Maksimillian Angeloff

… later that day …

After spending most of the day in my office, trawling through financial spreadsheets and setting out the following week's collection schedule, my head aches and I am in desperate need of a stiff drink.. It was probably cruel of me to leave Sunny alone with Verity for so long, but I obviously lack the passive disposition or boundless patience that is required in order to tolerate Verity in large doses..

Of course I love my sister, I do… I just don't love being in her company for any extended period of time..

Sunday, on the other hand, I want to be around a little too much.. I could spend hours in her presence.. Which would only be a sure fire way to land myself in trouble..

As I pass by the upstairs bedroom, I pause at the eerie silence that hangs in the air.. Cocking my ear towards the door, I listen for any sign of movement in Sunday's room..

"Chto ty delayesh', Bratishka?" (What are you doing, brother) Sneaking up on me with feline precision, Verity appears like a Specter, materialising out of thin air..

"Shit!" I mutter, my heart jolting in shock as I spin around to find her grinning up at me like a Cheshire cat.. "I ff-forgot how ff-fucking sneaky you can be.."

"Me? Sneaky?" She laughs, feigning innocence.. "I'm not the one lurking in the hallway outside 'little-miss-collateral's' bedroom.." Verity smirks at the startled falter in my harsh expression.. In a few short hours it seems my sister has already begun her quest of digging for details that I would rather not reveal.. Not to Verity.. She is just as likely to use that information as ammunition against me as she is to twist it in my favour. "Yeah, she told me everything.. Quite the chatterbox, your betrothed, you might wanna check that before she meets your Pakhan.."

"I don't want to 'check' her, Verity.." Folding my arms in disapproval of her petty jabs, I glare down at the diminutive devil..

"Well, you obviously want her to lie, and let me tell you, that girl is not even close to being capable.. I barely had to apply any pressure before she started spilling her secrets.." A stroke of silver lightning ignites in her eyes, curiously defensive of Sunday.. I can't help but wonder if her concern is genuine, or if it is all an illusion.. "What do you think Sasha will do to her? Or worse, Stori? For fucks sake, she's afraid of her own shadow, Maksim! You have to rethink this whole stupid revenge plan.."

"It's too late for that.."

"Ughh! Max, what did you do?"

Silently, I shake my head.. "The less you know the better.."

"You're going to get yourself killed–"

"A man can dream.." I jest darkly..

"That's not fucking funny Max!" Verity snaps.. "You're such a dick sometimes!"