āYour brother is dead.ā
The locker room noise faded away to nothing as he tried to understand the words. His father might as well have been speaking French for all they made sense. Alexei couldn't be dead; that didn't make sense. He had seen his brother walk off a beating, walk off a drug overdose, walk off every bullshit situation he had gotten himself into. Alexei was going to live until he was one hundred and he was going to bleed Ilya dry the whole time. He couldn't be dead. Fuck.
Ilya shook his head. āSay that again.ā
āAlexei is dead. So is his wife.ā
āAnna? My niece? Is she dead too?ā
āShe was not in the car.ā
Without thinking about it, he grabbed Coach LeClaireās shoulder. āAlexei and Maria are dead?ā
āI have already told you this. Will you listen? They are dead. You must come home.ā
āIāll be on the next flight,ā he said.
āGood. And, Ilya?ā The only noise for a long moment was Grigoriās slightly ragged breathing. āYou are listed as your nieceās guardian in Alexeiās will. She is your responsibility now.ā
Grigori hung up before Ilya could even think of a reply.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/84275766/chapters/222265371
