Chapter 13
“So, you came back,” I say, folding my hands together on my dining table and leaning forward. “Sounds like you finally realized how much trouble you’re in with the Red Hitters.”
“I had no choice,” Lily replies, a bitter tinge to her voice.
“You could’ve run,” I say, testing her a bit. I want to make sure she doesn’t try to get away again. She almost slipped away, and I can’t stand to lose her like that. It almost broke my heart to let her go the first time.
“I’ve realized running is going to get me killed. I’m stuck in this disaster, so thank you for that,” she says, folding her arms across her chest.
On the table between us, there’s a blue book and a silver ceremonial dagger. I take the book, flipping it open and reading the names written inside. So many have joined our ranks over the years, but there aren’t any women.
Lily will be the first.
“I know you’re being sarcastic, but you should actually be thanking me,” I say, laying the book down and looking into her stormy brown eyes. “Without me, you’d be dead.”
“Without you, I wouldn’t even be on the Red Hitters’ radar.”
“You’re welcome,” I reply, grinning a bit at her annoyance.
As unfortunate as it is that she’s wrapped up in this grisly business with me, I can’t help but enjoy her company. It’s been ages since I’ve had this much fun with another person. It can be draining working with wrinkly old grumps day in and day out.
Lily provides a little sprinkle of youth and energy to my life that I didn’t realize I needed until now.
“What’s this book all about, anyway?” she asks, leaning over the table to break the silence. “Some kind of initiation? I hope you’re not planning on using that dagger.”
“Relax, it’s not going to hurt that much,” I say, flipping open the book so she can see the names and streaks of blood inside. “You see these?”
Her eyes widen, and she nods.
“They’re from every person who has joined our ranks. It’s mandatory that you also give your blood, but it won’t be much. It’s just a little smear on the paper,” I explain.
She pulls her head back, shaking it so hard that strands of auburn hair fall loose from her bun. “No way I’m doing that. Has the knife even been disinfected? How many diseases do you think are already on that thing?”
I sigh. “Darling, this is a fresh dagger. Everyone gets a unique one for their initiation, and you get to keep yours once we’re done.”
She narrows her eyes, shifting in her seat as she tries to find another reason to resist the initiation ritual. “Okay, but you should still disinfect it.”
“Vodka will do,” I say, standing up and turning to the cabinet behind me. Inside, there’s a bottle with a piece of bison grass floating in the vodka, giving it a slight greenish-yellow tint. It’s as though someone poured the tiniest amount of olive juice in it.
I take the bottle, turning back to Lily and setting it down on the table. “This is from Poland. I’ve already had a bit, but I didn’t find it all that special. More of a gimmick, really, but it’ll do the trick for what we’re about to partake in.”
“Looks… weird,” she says, picking up the bottle and examining it closely.
“No weirder than what we’re about to do,” I assure her, turning away again and going to the dresser by the door. Inside the top drawer, there’s a stick of incense. It’s from Russia, and we only use it for any important ceremonies held within the Bratva ranks.
I pick a long stick from the bunch, returning to the table and handing it to Lily. “You can hold it while it burns. It might distract you from the blade.”
She lifts it to her nose and sniffs it. Then, her eyes light up and she looks at me. “This is what Dimitri smelled like. And you! I was wondering, because it was the same thing I smelled on both of you.”
“It’s used by practically everyone in the Bratva. Every ceremony requires it,” I explain, pulling out a lighter and holding it to the end of the incense stick. “As per the rules, no ceremony may go beyond the burning of one stick.”
“Sounds like a scrum meeting,” she replies with a laugh.
I raise an eyebrow, confused as to what she’s referring to.
“Oh, it’s like a work thing. In some workspaces you have daily meetings, and they’re not supposed to go past a certain amount of time,” she explains.
“Interesting…”
“Well, they’re not really that effective. I like your incense idea better,” she adds quickly.
I shrug, taking the dagger and opening the bottle of vodka. “It’s not my idea. The rules have been around for centuries.” I pour the vodka over the blade, coating the shiny silver metal entirely and dousing the tabletop in the process.
“Get the tip, too,” Lily says, pointing at it as the incense burns in her hand.
I shake my head, but pour a little extra onto the tip of the dagger. “Alright, that’s good enough. It’s just a small cut, nothing crazy.”
“I’ve come to expect the unexpected in the Bratva,” she replies.
I’m sure she won’t expect what’s coming next, but I admire her confidence. It’s nice that she’s bold enough to handle the Bratva. She might even be a little crazy, but we all have to be in one way or another. There’s no other way to cope with such an aggressive industry.
“Come here,” I say, beckoning her around the table. “I need you to write your name in the book.”
She slides out of her chair, walking softly over to me. She’s taking her time, and I see the fear in her eyes. She’s been brave so far, but the idea of drawing blood is frightening to her. I’d like to comfort her, to tell her that everything is going to be okay, but that’s for later.
Tonight, she joins the Bratva.
“Here’s the book,” I say holding it out to her.
The moment she reaches for it, I drop it on the floor, grabbing her hand and bring the dagger to her fingertips. Before she can even scream, I’ve sliced open the middle one.
“What the fuck?!” she stumbles back as I let her go, holding her hand.
“Quick and easy,” I mumble, bending over and picking the book off the ground. “Your name is already in here. I just need the smear and we can say your vows.”
She holds her fingers tightly, shooting me a dirty look. “You should’ve told me you were going to do that. You didn’t have to trick me.”
“Expect the unexpected, darling.”
I know she hates me for throwing her words back at her, but she’ll get over it. Joining the Bratva is always an exhilarating experience, and she’ll soon be distracted by all that comes with it.
Money, power, respect. She even gets to carry a gun, but I doubt she’s going to want one.
Not optional, sadly. She must be able to defend herself, and not only that, but be willing to kill someone without a second thought. Hesitation is what ends lives. Snap decisions save them.
I open the blue book, flipping through pages until I find Lily’s name. “Put your finger here,” I say, holding the book out to her.
She eyes the dagger in my other hand, refusing to come close enough to fulfill her obligation.
I sigh, putting the dagger on the dining table. “I’m not going to cut you again. All I need is your blood and we can continue.”
She steps closer, holding out her bleeding finger. “I hope there’s not much more of this.”
“Just the oath, then we’re done,” I reply, taking her finger and pressing it into the page. It leaves a lovely splotch of blood, a vibrant crimson on the off-white page. Everything about Lily is just so beautiful.
“Good girl,” I mutter, giving her finger back to her and closing the book. “Now, all I need is your verbal agreement to a few things. Are you ready?”
She nods.
“Verbal agreement, please.”
“Yes.”
“Okay, so to start with, I need you to understand that all oaths are taken for life. You can’t back out of them unless you’re officially relieved by me. I’m the only one who can break you from your oaths. Understand?”
She starts to nod, then remembers what I told her. “Yes, I understand.”
“Good. The first rules in the Bratva is that you must follow my command, no matter what it is. Failing to do so will result in severe punishment. In your case, I wouldn’t put you through anything physically harmful, but I can’t rule out other forms of punishment such as imprisonment and isolation,” I continue.
She cocks her head to the side. “Does that include personal things?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, like if you wanted me to do something… in the bedroom. Are those commands too?”
I’m tempted to say yes just so I can own her body forever, but I don’t need to manipulate her into sleeping with me. I want her to do so willingly, like she did before. That’s the only way I will enjoy it.
I put my hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “Don’t worry, darling. Unless I tell you that it’s an official command, you can say no. I only use commands for Bratva related things.”
“Any examples?” she asks, clearly reluctant to agree unless she’s absolutely certain this won’t get her in trouble. That’s better than most people who join. I’ve had men sign their life away without even listening to what I was telling them.
I drum my fingers on my chin, thinking for a moment. “An example would be if we were attacked by the Red Hitters, and I told you to shoot one of them. You’d be obligated to do so.”
“Shit,” she mutters, looking at her feet. “I’ve never killed anyone before.”
“But you will. I can promise you that,” I tell her, not wanting her to discover the truth the hard way. Everyone in the Bratva kills. It’s part of the lifestyle.
“As… as long as they’re bad, I’m willing to do it,” she says, looking back up at me with determination in her eyes. “You told me Dimitri had done it many times before, and if he’s done it, then I don’t feel so bad about doing it either.”
My face is stone-cold serious, but inside, I’m glowing at her response. I knew she was a Bratva girl the moment I laid eyes on her. She wouldn’t be standing here now if she wasn’t capable of turning to the dark side.
Moreover, I think she actually likes it, though at this point she’s unwilling to admit it.
“Anyone who is not part of the Bratva is bad,” I tell her, keeping my voice low and serious. “We try our best to avoid civilian casualties, but I’d be lying if I said there haven’t been a few over the years. It’s unlikely you’ll ever be involved in something like that, though.”
She nods. “Yes, okay. I can deal with that.”
“Good,” I say, clapping my hands as the incense stick burns to the halfway point. I need to go a little faster so we don’t run out of time. “Let’s move on to the next point.”
Within five minutes, I’ve explained everything there is to explain to Lily, and she’s agreed to everything. I award her with the dagger, and tell her that tomorrow, we’ll start her firearms training.
But tonight, I’d like to do a little personal initiation, since she’ll be staying with me for the foreseeable future.
And that personal initiation involves my head between her soft thighs.