Chapter 5 #3
Illayana didn’t rise to the bait, but she gave me a scathing look that promised retribution.
She hated being called Princess. Her hands moved to her hips, and she stared the lot of us down.
“Make it make sense because right now, the only outcome I can envision is Grandfather ordering his men to shoot Autumn and Father on sight, then holding Lukyan against his will and forcing him down that aisle to marry Anya.”
“That’s actually a pretty good plan,” I admitted. Everyone looked at me, their features somewhat exasperated. “What?” I exclaimed. “It is!”
“I don’t think that will happen, Illayana.” Autumn’s voice was soft. Kind. Understanding.
The doctor finally stopped dressing Father’s wound, and he leaned back, releasing a sigh.
“I agree,” Father began. “Sergei may want to kill me, but there’s something he wants—needs—more.
And that’s to save face. His reputation is the most important thing in the world to him.
He’s spent his life cultivating it. Shaping it into exactly what he wants.
He’ll achieve only one of two things by killing me in his home, and both options would shatter that reputation. ”
Arturo cocked his head. “What are they?”
Autumn picked up a glass of water from the kitchen counter and took a sip. Before she could put it back down, Father grabbed that same glass from the bottom and downed the rest of the liquid.
“Rumors would circulate if I died on his grounds. You know how the organized crime world loves to gossip. Like a bunch of teenage girls in the schoolyard. They would assume one of two things. Someone managed to circumvent Sergei’s impenetrable security, break in, and kill me.
That would be a bad look for him. Would mean someone got the better of him.
And if one person managed to best him, what is to stop others from doing the same thing?
The other would be that Sergei ordered my death himself.
Also a bad look for him. What reason would a father have to murder his own son?
Betrayal. Lack of trust. Both of which imply a loss of control on his part.
And if a man like Sergei can’t keep control of his own family, who is to say his empire is any better? ”
Arturo frowned, his blue-green eyes critical. “That’s paranoid thinking.”
Father shrugged. “That’s the way Sergei’s mind operates.
He’s a man obsessed with how others perceive him.
Sergei doesn’t measure his validation in life by the number of possessions he owns or how much money he has.
He gets it from how other people view him.
What they think of him. That’s why, despite the fact that we’re currently at war with each other right now, to the outsider’s eye, it looks like our bond is stronger than ever.
Only the family and his men will know otherwise. ”
“That’s why he’ll never withdraw his men,” Aleksandr continued. “Although he’s trying to have Father killed, Sergei could never withdraw his forces and the protection it provides because it would be perceived badly by others and leave us vulnerable.”
“And if we look weak, he looks weak,” Nikolai finished.
Something suddenly occurred to me, and it made me scoff at my grandfather’s genius.
“Fuck, even those failed assassination attempts work in his favor. Yeah, he’s probably pissed no one has managed to do it yet, but think about it.
The positive to that is we look bad-fucking-ass for having thwarted so many high-profile assassins. ”
“That’s true,” Illayana agreed.
“Hang on a second. So your men here are technically his men?” Although he was married to my sister, there were still some things Arturo was not privy to. Not necessarily because we didn’t trust him, but just because our business was our business.
“Yes and no,” Father answered. “Sergei originally sent me here to establish a Bratva base in the US. And yes, when we first moved, all the men were under his control, myself included. However, over the years, that control has shifted. His men became my men. And when we had losses, I oversaw the hiring of new soldiers who were strictly under my employ. Not Sergei’s.
He’s only sent men to me on a few occasions—both when the losses were unprecedented. ”
“So those soldiers who attacked us just now—”
“Like Lukyan said, were the soldiers Sergei sent over after the raid Dominik orchestrated. Sergei’s men.
Not ours. There are thousands of families in the Bratva, both in Russia and here.
Although they are Bratva, they may not be active soldiers.
But they can be called upon whenever we are in need.
The Bratva is generational. If someone’s grandfather was a soldier, all his children and their children’s children are Bratva.
I am particular about who I hire. I do not believe in forcing someone to risk their life for me if they don’t want to.
I will present employment, and it is up to them if they wish to accept.
Sergei, on the other hand, offers no such choice. You either work for him, or you die.”
Arturo’s fingers tapped lightly on the table. “That’s what separates you guys from him.”
Father nodded slightly. “There are many different ways to lead. By fear. By loyalty. Sergei chooses fear—”
“And you choose loyalty,” Arturo finished.
“Well…not me anymore.” Father looked at Aleksandr, and pride shone in his eyes at the son who had taken his place as leader of the Bratva.
As the conversation droned on, I slowly began to lose interest. Everything they were speaking about was already information I had in my pretty little noggin. I didn’t need a refresher. I did that myself every night before I went to sleep.
My grandfather was a dangerous man, and despite what everyone thought, I knew that. My father had a file loaded with every detail he could get about him, and when it was decided that I would be the one to kill him, he had given it to me to study.
And I did.
I studied that motherfucker harder than a teenage boy trying to learn how to put on a condom for the first time. And I came up with a plan to take him down—a plan I had yet to tell anyone about.
I glanced at my phone. Dozens of notifications littered the screen. Some from various social media platforms. A few emails. Several text messages.
Katie: I miss you When can I see you again?
How about never? I didn’t do stage five clingers. Which was exactly what Katie was.
Evelyn: DTF?
No, thank you.
Christian: Do you think having red and itchy balls means I have an STD?
Probably, you idiot.
Veronica: Attachment: 1 Image
I knew what it was without even having to open it, and it didn’t interest me in the slightest.
Unknown: What’s wrong, my love? You look sad.
I stiffened. It’s her.
Excitement soared through me—so much so that it took all of my willpower to keep my body from shaking.
Conversation continued on around me, but I blocked it out as I focused on those seven little words that made me feel more alive than I’d ever felt before.
You look sad.
She was watching me. But from where?
Discreetly, I glanced around the kitchen.
It had to be from a camera. All the blinds were closed, so she couldn’t be looking in from the outside.
There was only my family, two maids, and a soldier posted by the back door that led to the outside patio in the kitchen, so she definitely wasn’t in the room.
The question was…where was the camera?
My phone buzzed with another text message.
Unknown: A little to the left.
I turned my head in that direction.
Unknown: A little more.
Unknown: Up a smidgen.
My eyes locked on a light fixture high on the far wall.
Unknown: Hi, my love.
Usually, an endearment like that would have sent me running for the hills.
Women knew when we hooked up that it was nothing serious.
Just a good time. I made that very clear with every woman I slept with, and always did my best to never lead anyone on.
Most got the message and understood. Some hoped, after a little bit of time, that things might change. Feelings might emerge.
They never did—
“Lukyan!”
“Hmm?” My gaze snapped to my older brother. Brows lowered, he asked in a less-than-impressed tone, “Have you been paying attention at all?”
“Of course I have,” I answered, affronted. Even though, technically, my focus might have dropped over the past few minutes.
Fucking sue me.
Aleksandr folded his arms across his chest. “Oh, really? What just happened then?”
“You grunted. Nikolai said something sullen. Illayana bitched and moaned. And Father sat there rubbing his temples like his head was going to explode.”
Father sat up straighter, his hands dropping back down to the table, brows creased in a frown.
“That about cover it?”
Drea released a barking laugh.
Aleksandr scowled at her.
“What?” She chuckled. “He was pretty much dead on the money.”
Aleksandr grunted, and it made Drea burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, Autumn joining in.
Smile on my face, I stood up, stretching out my tired and aching body. “Well, if that’s all, ladies and gentlemen, I shall bid you adieu.”
“A—what?” Illayana frowned.
“It means goodbye in fancy French talk.” I straightened the lapels of my imaginary suit jacket. “I’m sophisticated now.”
Nikolai snorted. “Says who?”
“Whom,” I corrected with a wink.
“Um.” Autumn chuckled. “That’s not right.”
“It’s not?” I shrugged. “Oh, well.” My phone vibrated again. My fingers itched to check it, but I couldn’t. I had to play it cool. If my family knew I was texting my stalker—the stalker I’d been expressly ordered to kill—well…they might have gotten a little angry.
“Gotta run.” I turned to leave when Father’s deep, authoritative voice halted me dead in my tracks.
“Stop.” I refrained from stomping my foot and whining like a toddler. Barely. “Turn.”
I put on my most dazzling smile and faced my father.
“Tomorrow is the last day before we leave for Russia. You’re not to leave the house. Understood?”
I nodded. “Understood.” I turned. Froze. Turned back. “Wait, why?”
Father stared at me for a beat. “Your stalker.” The duh was implied.
Keep. Cool.
“What about her?”
His lips thinned with displeasure. I could tell he didn’t like how blasé I was being about the whole thing.
“Every attempt to locate her or learn more about her identity has failed. I do not blame you. Her ability to break in and out of our home shows how skilled and cunning she is. But without that information, we cannot accurately anticipate her movements. Only assume. She’s a wild card, and we have no idea what she will do in the lead-up to your wedding. ”
“Are you afraid she’ll kidnap me?” I joked.
“Yes,” he responded with a straight face.
A sliver of excitement cut through me at the mere idea of it. I highly doubted she would do something like that, though. Or that she would even be capable of pulling something like that off. She was crazy, but I didn’t think she was that crazy.
Still, the idea was…tantalizing.
I walked back toward the exit with a smirk dancing on my lips. “If she did, I’m pretty sure I would like it.”
“That’s what we’re afraid of!” someone yelled as I bolted from the kitchen.