Chapter Nineteen – Malachi
The summons to Viktor’s office came early the next morning, a terse command that brooked no argument. Rurik and I exchanged a glance, our expressions grim. Meetings at this hour seldom boded well. The walk to the pakhan’s domain was tense, our footsteps echoing in the cavernous hallways like a solemn march.
As we entered the dimly lit room, the air was thick with unease. Viktor sat behind his imposing desk, his face etched with severity. Dmitri stood beside him, his jaw clenched, radiating barely contained fury.
“We’ve found the rat,” Viktor spat in a chilling tone. A heavy pause hung in the air as he regarded us, his gaze piercing. “Valentina.”
The name hit me like a physical blow, disbelief crashing over me in waves. Valentina, our trusted head of IT, the one who oversaw our digital operations with effortless competence and assumed loyalty? It seemed inconceivable; a betrayal so profound it shook the very foundations of our brotherhood.
Rurik tensed beside me, his fists clenching as he struggled to process the revelation. Before either of us could voice our shock, the door opened, and Valentina herself stepped into the room, her eyes downcast and her posture radiating defeat.
“Explain yourself,” demanded Viktor, his voice laced with scorching fury.
Valentina lifted her gaze, her expression a mixture of defiance and resignation. “I married Levon Terzian months ago,” she said, her words cutting through the tense silence like a knife. “We kept it secret, knowing our love would never be accepted by either his people or mine.”
A collective intake of breath echoed through the room as the weight of her admission sank in. Rurik’s face contorted with rage. I placed a steadying hand on his arm, silently urging him to hold his ground.
“We knew we”d never find acceptance among you, so it seemed like the logical solution to take over both groups and integrate them, but we didn”t expect Petrosian to assign Levon to interrogate and guard Nika. You were supposed to capture and kill Armen, not my husband.”
“You betrayed us for that Armenian scum?” Dmitri virtually spat out the words, his voice dripping with venom.
Valentina’s eyes flashed with defiance. “I did what I had to for love. The plans just got derailed.” She glared at Rurik with a burning spark of defiance. “You murdered my husband.”
“Da, and I”d do it again over and over if I had the chance after what he did to Nika.”
I put a comforting hand on Rurik’s shoulder and nodded my agreement with his sentiment. “Why didn”t you and he just ran away, Valentina?”
She glared at me. “We”ve both dedicated our lives to our groups, but when it comes down to it, you can”t accept what makes us happy. We shouldn”t be forced to run away and live in hiding, surviving on scraps after everything we”ve given to the bratva and the Armenians. We were entitled to compensation.”
Viktor raised his hand, silencing the room with a single gesture. His gaze bored into Valentina, a mixture of disappointment and resignation etched into his weathered features. “You know the price of such treachery,” he said, his voice heavy with finality.
Dmitri stepped forward, his eyes alight with a hunger for retribution. “She should be dealt with like any man who betrays us.” His hand strayed toward the gun at his hip.
Viktor’s expression hardened, and he fixed his son with a stern glare. “There are still differences, Dmitri. It is a man’s duty to protect a woman, even one who has betrayed us.”
Dmitri’s jaw clenched, his nostrils flaring as he visibly fought to rein in his anger. For a moment, I thought he might defy his father’s edict, but after a tense standoff, he stepped back, his shoulders slumping in reluctant acquiescence.
Viktor turned his attention back to Valentina. “You are banished,” he said, his voice ringing with authority. “You will be sent to Russia, where you’ll live under the watchful eye of a pakhan there. Consider yourself fortunate that your life is spared.”
Valentina’s shoulders sagged, a flicker of relief passing over her features before she schooled her expression into one of stoic acceptance. She nodded, looking down, and turned to leave, her footsteps echoing like a death knell in the oppressive silence.
As the door closed behind her, a heavy pall hung over the room, the weight of her betrayal settling upon us. Rurik’s eyes burned with a fury that mirrored my own. We had trusted Valentina, welcomed her into our fold, and she had repaid that trust with the ultimate act of treachery. How could she have done this? How could someone we trusted so implicitly have turned against us in such a profound way?
Even though I fought against accepting it, part of me understood. She had fallen in love with him, and presumably, he had loved her. Considering there weren”t many things I wouldn”t do to protect and be with Nika, I had reluctant understanding for her situation. I could never condone her actions though. They had led to far too many deaths on both sides as Levon and Valentina played both groups against each other for their own ends.
It was Rurik who broke the tense stillness, his voice laced with barely contained rage. “We need to reevaluate our vetting process.” His fists clenched at his sides, the muscles in his jaw twitching as he fought to maintain control. “This can never happen again.”
I nodded, anger still simmering just beneath the surface. “Agreed. We’ve been too willing to accept people at face value.” My gaze flickered to Viktor, silently seeking his guidance in this matter.
The pakhan’s expression was inscrutable, his eyes distant as he contemplated our words. Finally, he leaned forward, his fingers steepled before him. “We will implement more stringent background checks, though I don”t know if it will really matter. When Valentina joined us, she was loyal and passed all our vetting. Love does foolish things to us all.”
“Surely you weren”t condoning what she did, Papa?” asked Dmitri, looking stunned.
The elder man scowled. “Of course not. She and Terzien have faced their consequences, and now I”ll reach out to Armin to see if we can broker peace between us. I have a feeling Levon was fomenting a lot of the actions on their side to incite a war so he and Valentina could swoop in and claim it all amidst the confusion.”
Dmitri stepped forward, his eyes alight with a fervor that bordered on fanaticism. “We should go further,” he insisted, his words tumbling forth in a torrent of passion. “We should present Valentina’s head on a plate as a peace offering to show we have severed ties, and the betrayers have paid with their lives.”
Viktor regarded his son with a mixture of pride and concern, his brow furrowing ever so slightly. “Your zeal is admirable, Dmitri,” he said, his tone measured, “But we must be cautious not to let our thirst for vengeance blind us to the need for discretion and compassion.”
“What need does the bratva have for compassion?”
Viktor shook his head. “We live in darkness, but it doesn”t have to be absolute. It”s a lesson you”ll learn with time.”
Dmitri’s jaw clenched, his nostrils flaring as he clearly fought to rein in his emotions. After a tense moment, he nodded tersely, stepping back into line. He clearly disagreed but knew better than to try to go against the pakhan, even if Viktor was also his father.
Viktor’s gaze swept over us, his eyes piercing. “This betrayal has shaken us to our core, but we won’t let it consume us. We are stronger than any single act of treachery.”
His words resonated within me, and I nodded enthusiastically. We were the Yelchin bratva, a force to be reckoned with, and no betrayal, no matter how devastating, would bring us to our knees.
“Go,” he said, his tone softening ever so slightly. “Enjoy your time with Nika. I”ll send for you again soon; you need time to cement your relationship, because she”s obviously going to be part of your lives.” It remained unspoken that she would be part of the bratva as well, at least peripherally.
I was relieved about that, because it meant we had more than just ourselves to protect her if the need arose. Rurik and I turned to leave, but Dmitri’s voice stopped us in our tracks. “Papa, allow me to accompany Valentina to Russia,” he said, his eyes burning with an intensity that bordered on obsession. “I will ensure she is delivered safely and that her punishment is carried out to the letter.” He seemed driven to prove to his father that he could still be trusted despite disagreeing with Viktor”s decision.
Viktor regarded his son with a mixture of pride and concern, his brow furrowing ever so slightly. “Your dedication is commendable, but I fear your anger might cloud your judgment in this matter.”
Dmitri opened his mouth to protest, but Viktor raised a hand, silencing him. “You are still young, my son,” he continued, his voice tinged with a paternal warmth that seemed at odds with the gravity of the situation. “In time, you will learn to temper your fury with wisdom, to wield your anger as a weapon rather than letting it consume you. You don”t need to prove anything to me at this moment, aside from being open to learning from your mistakes.”
Dmitri’s shoulders slumped. “Of course, Papa.”
Viktor’s gaze softened as he regarded his son, a flicker of pride shining through the stern facade. “You will make a wise pakhan one day, Dmitri,” he said, his words carrying the weight of a solemn promise, “But for now, let cooler heads prevail.”
With a final nod, Rurik and I took our leave, the weight of Valentina’s betrayal still a shock, but as we walked the familiar corridors toward the exit, each step made me feel lighter, as it brought me that much closer to Nika. Rurik seemed to feel the same, and we were practically floating to the SUV by the time we stepped into the parking lot. A giddy sensation swept through me, and I dared label it as happiness.