Roots & Ruin (Bratva Hearts #1)

Chapter One

Dragna

“I’ve told you already Dragna, I want sixty five percent or it’s no deal.”

I don’t know how many times he is going to think telling me how much he wants is going to make me give in.

Nero sits across the table from me wearing a sleek, fitted Italian suit. Leaning back in his chair, he shoots his cuffs with a smirk on his face acting like he’s the fucking Don.

I hate the Italians.

My father was Italian and he was a bastard. My mother however, is half Russian, half Serbian and an angel of a woman, which leaves me, Pakhan of the Bratva and having to deal with idiots like the Italians thanks to my grandfather.

Nero has grown up thinking the world should bow at his feet when he’s never had to get his hands bloody before.

The scumbag really gets on my nerves.

He’s the Capo’s son and has grown up privileged, having everything he wants handed to him without having to lift a finger just because of the family he comes from. I don’t think he’s even so much as thrown a punch at another man before.

At twenty seven years old he is a child in this game, especially compared to the rest of us who have grown up seeing the real brutality of the underworld.

He’s a strategist though, throwing numbers and smart words around as a way of getting inside your head to make you think you will profit from a deal. I’m not so fucking desperate or stupid however to accept his demands. He can go to hell for all I care.

Two of the Italian’s men accompany Nero around the table alongside myself, my Sovetnik and four of our men.

We have spent the last three hours playing poker, drinking whiskey and as of now, I’m tired of entertaining him all night.

I can hear the faint bass from the club below us and it thumps along to the headache I feel brewing.

I love being Pakhan but when it comes to dealing with assholes like this, I’d fucking love a day off.

I decide I’ve had enough as I stand from the poker table.

“Quite frankly, I’m done with you tonight Nero.

You can accept our terms of thirty five percent, skip off back to your father and the Don with a deal, or fuck off with nothing but your tail between your legs.

My men will show you all out.” I say lifting my glass with me and taking my suit jacket off the back of my chair.

My Sovetnik stands with me along with one of our men. My remaining men stay seated, staring at Nero incase he finally decides to grow some balls and pull a stunt everyone in this room would know to be idiotic.

I’m not taking any chances getting cocky in thinking he wouldn’t do anything though, because that is when you make mistakes, and I don’t make mistakes.

I don’t let anything or anyone distract me, I don’t let anyone in who I haven’t grown up with within the Bratva and I don’t have women around me either despite what my mother begs every time we have dinner together.

My life is business, profits, getting my way, making sure nobody fucks anything up, and if they do, then it involves putting them down. This is what I’m known for which is why I’m surprised as hell when Nero speaks as I begin walking to the door.

“Fuck you Dragna.” He says with an exasperated sigh.

“Forty percent and we’ll sign off on the deal in the next five minutes. Everyone leaves here happy with something tonight.” He says as he looks me in the eye and lifts his glass in the air as a sign of cheers.

He’s waiting for my next move hoping I will agree and raise mine back.

I don’t.

I bring my glass to my lips and toss back the whiskey ignoring his demands.

Nero’s face is priceless, I’ll have to watch it back on our CCTV later to see it in his eyes that this is the moment he realises he’s fucked up.

I can’t help the smirk that breaks free across my face as I let out a huff of a laugh.

“When are you going to learn it’s bad etiquette to insult a man in his own territory Nero?

You heard about my deal and my terms and wanted in on it to try and prove yourself to daddy and Don dearest. You come to my club to try and negotiate as if you are something, but in reality, you are nothing.

” I say as I put my suit jacket on, not even looking him in the eye.

“You are a fucking blip on my radar and only because of who your father is, not because you are anyone important. Now get the fuck out before I get my men to dig three new graves on our plot.” I add as I finally grace him with a pointed look.

Nero stares blankly at me like he can’t believe I’ve actually threatened him before his head ticks a little to the left and he inhales deeply.

“You’re making a mistake Dragna. When you realise this, give me a call. I’ll be waiting. Other people might be afraid of you, but I’m not. I’m smart and I’m here for that reason.” He says as he stands, grabbing his phone, a gun he has probably never used and his wallet from the table.

He makes his way to the door with his two men flanked by ours who will make sure they leave peacefully.

I watch the arrogance in his steps as if he’s got one up on me by getting in the last word. When he doesn’t get a call from me in the next few days though, he’ll realise just how badly he’s fucked up tonight.

————————————————————

“Come on brat, fucking let loose for once, it’s been a ball ache of a night.” Lev says as he slaps my shoulder and hands me a vodka knowing I need it more than the whiskey after that meeting.

The music from the club is thumping through my whole body as we stand side by side, forearms resting on the balcony railing.

We both watch the crowd below. All the bodies everywhere. People grinding against each other, sweating, throwing their hands in the air, enjoying their night. The strobe lights make their movements look jerky as they move in time to the deep techno playing.

While usually I’d spend my time here overseeing the club myself to make sure everything is running smoothly, tonight I just want to get home.

Something about how Nero was acting has stuck with me. Whether he’s pissed me off more so than normal, or it’s my usually correct intuition, I feel something and I don’t like it.

“I’m going home Lev. Stay and make sure everything runs well for the rest of the night.

Don’t let anyone know I’ve gone, I don’t want someone thinking they can act up just because I’m not here.

Call me if you need me to come back.” I down the vodka he gave me and pull my phone from my back pocket to text my driver.

Lev knows this is out of character for me to not stay the rest of the night, but he doesn’t protest. He loves this club and this business as much as I do.

He’s your typical twenty four year old who loves women, clubbing and drinking his weight in alcohol.

But he is also smart as hell, business minded like myself, reliable when things go wrong and not to mention our prized fighter in the underground MMA scene we run.

At six foot three and two hundred and five pounds of pure muscle, people look at him and know not to fuck with him, which is exactly why I trust him with the club despite being ten years younger than me.

He’s good to keep around as an extra set of eyes, and sometimes fists when the situation calls for it which keeps him happy too.

“You sure you want to go home? Look at the group by the bar, five girls, not a man in sight and I don’t spy a single ring on any fingers.” He says as he waggles his eyebrows at me and grins.

I shake my head him and roll my eyes. I’m not getting into this conversation with him again when I already deal with it enough from my mother.

“C’mon, when are you gonna finally find a girl D? A woman would ease all that tension you have on nights like this.” He continues on.

“You’re starting to sound like my mother moy brat.” I say in response as I casually glance down at the crowd below.

“If she hasn’t convinced me to find a nice girl and settle down since becoming Pakhan, then you of all people aren’t going to. I don’t have the time or the energy for anything but this business and life, you know that.”

Lev takes a sip of his drink, looking at me like he feels sorry for me and I hate it.

People assume I’m unhappy without a woman and being so focused on Bratva business all the time, but I fucking love it. I thrive in this environment, much to the enjoyment of my grandfather who trained me my whole life for this role.

Nothing pleases me more than destroying anyone who’s tried to fuck with us, making millions in deals and having the whole city in my back pocket.

“I’m just saying D, a warm body to take the edge off might help. Try it sometime.” Lev says as he downs the rest of his drink and slaps me on the shoulder before walking towards the stairs.

He makes his way through the energetic crowd with a grin on his face and I don’t have to watch him to know he’s heading to the group of girls he’s been eyeing our whole conversation.

He gets away with having his fun in the club because I know that he’s still got his head in making sure everything runs smooth and can deal with it if it doesn’t.

My phone dings and I’m grateful to see it’s Mikhail letting me know he’s outside the entrance of the club ready to take me home.

I glance down at the crowd once more and inhale deeply, the stress from tonight’s meeting becoming evident as my headache thumps even harder than it did an hour ago.

I push off the balcony railing and begin making my way towards the stairs hoping that once I get home, I can shake the feeling that Nero has left me with.