Chapter 46
ANDREY
The convoy rolls through the city streets with military precision, three armored SUVs moving in tight formation toward Bogdan's estate on the northern edge of the territory.
I sit in the lead vehicle, my hands resting calmly on my thighs despite the adrenaline pumping through my veins. This has been building for weeks.
Beside me, my captain checks his weapon for the third time, his scarred hands moving with practiced efficiency. In the seat behind us, two of my most trusted enforcers sit in silence, their expressions hard and focused. Everyone knows what we're here to do.
End this.
I've been systematically dismantling Bogdan's organization for months, picking apart his network piece by piece until there's almost nothing left.
His captains have either defected to my family or disappeared entirely.
His smuggling routes are mine now. His protection rackets pay tribute to me.
Even his own men have started questioning whether their Pakhan can protect them anymore.
The answer is no. He can't.
My phone vibrates with an incoming message from one of my scouts positioned near Bogdan's compound. Minimal security visible. Maybe six men total.
Six. That's all that's left of an organization that once controlled a third of the city's criminal operations. The thought brings a cold satisfaction settling in my chest.
"Almost there," my captain says quietly, his dark eyes tracking the streets as we pass through increasingly familiar territory.
I nod once but don't speak. My mind is already three steps ahead, running through contingencies and backup plans. Bogdan isn't stupid. He knows I'm coming. The question is whether he'll fight or surrender.
Personally, I hope he fights. It'll make this more satisfying.
The estate comes into view as we round the final corner. It's smaller than mine, less fortified, with walls that look impressive but won't hold against a determined assault. The main gate stands open, which immediately raises my suspicions. Either Bogdan is inviting us in or he's already fled.
"Stop here," I order the driver.
The convoy halts about several feet from the entrance. I step out of the SUV, my boots crunching against gravel as I survey the compound. Men climb out of the other vehicles, taking positions with efficient silence.
The compound is quiet. Too quiet. No guards visible on the walls. No movement in the windows. Just the faint sound of wind rustling through the trees lining the property.
"Could be a trap," my captain mutters.
"It's not." I start walking toward the gate, my hand resting casually near the weapon holstered beneath my jacket. "He's given up."
We move through the open gate without resistance. The courtyard beyond is empty, the gravel paths neatly maintained but devoid of life. I count three vehicles parked near the main house, expensive sedans that probably belong to whatever captains are still loyal enough to stay.
Or stupid enough.
The front door of the mansion opens before we reach it. A man steps out, middle-aged with graying hair and the kind of face that's seen too much violence. His hands raise slightly in a gesture of surrender.
"Pakhan Andrey," he says, his voice steady despite the fear I can see in his eyes. "Bogdan is waiting for you."
I stop a few feet away, studying him. "Where are his men?"
"Gone. Most left last night when they realized you were coming." The man's jaw tightens. "The rest are inside, but they won't fight. Bogdan ordered them to stand down."
Smart. At least he's not getting his remaining people killed for nothing.
"Take me to him," I say flatly.
The man nods and turns, leading us through the entrance and into a foyer.
We move through the house in silence, passing rooms where I catch glimpses of men standing with their hands visible, weapons set aside.
They watch us pass with expressions ranging from resignation to relief. None of them make a move to interfere.
The man leads us to a set of double doors at the back of the house and pushes them open. Beyond is a study, smaller than mine but well-appointed. Bogdan sits behind a heavy wooden desk, a glass of vodka in his hand and a pistol resting on the surface in front of him.
He looks up when we enter, his dark eyes meeting mine without flinching. "Andrey."
"Bogdan." I move into the room, my enforcers spreading out behind me. "You know why I'm here."
"Of course." He takes a slow sip of vodka, his hand steady. "You've been dismantling my organization for weeks now. I'd be an idiot not to see this coming."
"Then you know you have two choices." I stop a few feet from the desk, my hands relaxed at my sides. "Join my family. Your men become mine, your operations fold into my network, and you live. Or refuse and die here."
Bogdan is quiet for a long moment, his gaze never leaving mine. Then he sets down the glass and stands, his movements deliberate and controlled. "You think I'd bend the knee to you? After everything?"
"I think you're smart enough to recognize when you've lost."
His laugh is bitter and sharp. "I lost the moment you decided I was your enemy. But that doesn't mean I'll crawl to you like a fucking dog."
I expected this. Part of me even respects it. Bogdan built his organization from nothing, clawed his way to power through violence and cunning. Men like that don't surrender easily.
"Then you choose death," I say quietly.
"I choose to go out on my own terms." Bogdan's hand moves toward the pistol on the desk.
My captain tenses beside me, his hand going to his weapon, but I raise my hand slightly to stop him. I want to see what Bogdan does, to know if he's brave enough to follow through.
Bogdan picks up the pistol, his movements slow and deliberate. For a heartbeat, I think he might try to shoot me. It would be stupid, suicidal even, but desperation makes men do foolish things.
Instead, he raises the weapon to his own temple.
"Tell my men they're free to join you or leave," he says, his voice steady. "But I won't be part of your empire."
Then he pulls the trigger.
The gunshot cracks through the study, loud and final. Bogdan's body drops, blood spraying across the expensive desk and the wall behind him. The sound echoes in the sudden silence, and for a moment, no one moves.
I stare at the body, feeling nothing. No satisfaction. No regret. Just the cold certainty that this was always how it would end.
"Clean this up," I say to my captain. "Gather his remaining men and give them the choice. Join us or leave the city. Anyone who stays answers to me now."
He nods and starts barking orders to the enforcers. I turn and walk out of the study, leaving Bogdan's corpse behind without a second glance.
The drive back to my estate is quiet. I stare out the window, watching the city pass by, my mind already moving to the next problem.
Bogdan's territory is mine now. His operations will be absorbed into my network within days.
The other families will see this as a message about what happens when you oppose me.
Good. Let them see it.
By the time we reach the estate, the sun is high in the sky, casting long shadows across the grounds. I step out of the SUV and head straight for the house, intending to find Mariya and tell her it's done.
But she's not in the bedroom, not in the library or the sitting room. I check the kitchen, the gardens, even the training room where she sometimes watches the guards practice.
Nothing.
A thread of unease winds through my chest. I pull out my phone and check the security feeds, scrolling through camera angles until I find her.
She's jogging along the perimeter path, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, her body moving with that natural grace I've come to love watching. Relief floods through me, followed immediately by irritation. She knows she's supposed to stay closer to the house when I'm not here.
I'm about to close the feed when she stops running.
Just stops, mid-stride, like something caught her attention. She stands there for a long moment, perfectly still, then slowly starts walking toward the perimeter gate.
My pulse quickens. Something's wrong.
I move to the desk and yank open the drawer, grabbing the binoculars I keep there for checking the outer grounds. My hands are steady as I raise them to my eyes and focus on Mariya's position.
She's standing near the gate, her posture tense. And on the other side of the fence, partially hidden by trees, is a man.
He's older, maybe late fifties, with graying hair and a build that suggests he was once powerful but has softened with age. He's wearing civilian clothes, nothing that would draw attention, but there's something about the way he stands that makes me suspicious.
The way Mariya is staring at him, frozen in place, tells me everything I need to know.
Yegor. Her father.
Fuck.
I grab my radio and bark orders to the guards stationed near the perimeter. "There's a man outside the eastern gate. Detain him. Now."
The response is immediate. I watch through the binoculars as two guards appear from their positions, moving quickly toward the fence. But Yegor sees them coming.
I drop the binoculars and run.
My boots pound against marble floors as I tear through the house and out the back entrance. The distance to the perimeter feels like miles. My heart hammers against my ribs, adrenaline flooding my system.
I see Mariya ahead, still standing near the gate. She hasn't moved, hasn't run toward him or away. She's just frozen there, staring at her father.
Yegor spots me the moment I clear the tree line. His eyes widen, and he takes off running, disappearing into the forest beyond the fence before my guards can reach him.
"Fuck!" I shout, but it's too late. He's gone.
Mariya turns around at the sound of my voice. Her gray eyes lock onto mine, and I see the exact moment confusion shifts to fury.
I reach her, breathing hard, my hands going to her shoulders. "Are you okay? Did he say anything to you?"
She shoves my hands away, her face flushed with anger. "What the hell did you do?"
"What?"
"You scared him away!" Her voice rises, sharp and accusing. "He was right there, Andrey. Right fucking there, and you sent guards after him like he's some kind of criminal!"