6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I lya, the Russian, Year 4

“I despise everything about today.” My brother sat on the couch in my office, sipping bourbon as he watched me check my guns. We were almost to the finish line, and yet my brother was still running his mouth. It had been one year since the failed wedding, and I had a meeting with the Greeks to discuss a new arrangement.

“I’ve heard you. Don’t care.” I secured my guns in my shoulder holster, adjusting the straps to ensure they lay flat.

“You need to care. If you don’t close this, you’re going to end up dead.” Adrik had been repeating the same thing for a year. I was going to die, and he wouldn’t have any family left. I had heard it all, and I still didn’t care. In fact, I was tired of hearing it at all.

“I only let you question me because you’re my brother. If you were anyone else, I’d murder you in your sleep and get another Sovietnik.” I leaned against the edge of my desk with my arms crossed. “This is the only time I’m going to explain this to you. You know the wedding invite was non-negotiable. It was an opportunity for us to pop a few more doors open. I was looking forward to that before Toula walked down the aisle.”

“So, what? You got blinded? You’re a grown man, obsessed with a teenager.”

“The first time I saw her walk down the aisle, I thought nothing of it. She’s a princess in a world of blank faces, but there was something off. I watched the room, but I kept coming back to her. I had to satisfy my curiosity and figure out the mystery. Finally, I realized her eyes were dancing. Her thoughts were still running, and the more I watched, the more I understood. Like a fool, I surveyed the room to see if anyone else had noticed. It had just been me.” I took a deep breath. “She speaks to me directly. Not anyone else, and it’s worth the risk if I can keep her forever.”

“You’re still thinking with your dick. I know it. The men suspect that there’s something else behind all the recent growth, and they would be right.” He finished the bourbon, setting the glass on the table beside him.

Adrik met my gaze, unflinching as the tension settled around us. When was the last time I had seen my brother without a drink in his hand? I couldn’t remember, and it made me wonder when he’d started to nurse old wounds with hard liquor. “You’re drinking too much. It’s not even seven in the morning, and you’ve already got bourbon in your hand.”

“You drive me to drink, and it’s not in my hand.” I only saw Adrik like this when he was afraid. I knew he was anxious that I would lose. My mother had always made rash decisions, and I could only assume that my brother thought I was doing the same thing. I told myself if his drinking became worse, eventually I’d step in. Today was about arranging my marriage .

“Small technicality.” I couldn’t help it as I chuckled. “You tell me I’m wrong, and yet, you still follow my orders. What does that say about you?”

“I’m a dumb motherfucker.” He clicked his tongue against his teeth in disapproval. “The next time you invite someone to the brothel as your guest, can you make sure they’re not annoying as fuck? How are the rest of us supposed to blow off steam when he’s always there?”

“Use the backdoor.” My chuckle turned into a laugh at the innuendo as I rolled my eyes at him. “You’re just using that as an excuse because you’ve been through all the girls who work there. Maybe this is a sign you’re trying to settle down.”

“Fuck you.” He stood from the couch, smoothing the wrinkles from his suit jacket. “Take your own advice and find a brunette whore. Would save you a lot of trouble.”

A growl escaped my lips, all my good humor slipping. “You’re drinking to dull the scars from our past, and I’ll ignore it for now, but you won’t speak of her like that again. You won’t be able to when I cut off your tongue and feed it to you.”

There was a knock on my office door, and when I called out, my driver for the day stuck his head in the crack, telling me the car was ready. Grabbing my suit jacket, I slid it on, adjusting the cuffs. Before we walked out the door, I stopped and placed a hand on his chest. “If you can’t keep your mouth shut, you’ll stay here.”

He flicked my hand away. “You may be my boss,” he sneered, “but I’ll always be your older brother. Get your fucking hand off of me, like I’m a fucking servant.” He poked his finger into my chest, the alcohol clear on his breath at this distance. “I have done everything you’ve asked leading up to today. Don’t forget who’s actually loyal to you.”

** *

T he wait was excruciating as I stared at the top of Don Petrakis’ head. This wasn’t how I liked to do business, but I was at his mercy. If I wanted to win his favor, I was going to have to play his game.

I’d brought Adrik and a few of my most trusted soldiers as a show of force, but it hadn’t mattered. The minute we’d stepped into the foyer, the serving staff had separated us. The butler had shown me to the don’s office, wrapping his fingers politely against the door.

The don had called out, and as I’d walked towards his desk, the only thing he had asked me for was the marriage contract. I’d pulled the papers from inside my suit coat, handed them to the don, and now, I waited. There had been no fake handshakes, nor had there been any fake pleasantries. The don had adjusted his glasses on his nose, flipped to the second page, and read.

I didn’t say a word, instead discreetly surveying his office. It was brightly lit, but even though it faced the back of the compound, there were no windows. Instead, he had installed mirrors that gave the same appearance. If it had been me, I would have placed cameras behind them. The walls were an olive green, and there were blue accents floating around the room. This was a show to remind any visitor who they were dealing with: the οικογ?νεια. I wouldn’t have normally noticed such a thing, but I had nothing better to do until the don finished reading. It was a twenty-page document, and he was tracing his finger over every word, looking for any inconsistency.

When he reached the last page, I focused on him, waiting. The first one to speak would lose the upper hand, and I couldn’t risk him potentially saying no .

He took off his glasses and set them on his desk. Shifting in his chair, he clasped his hands in front of him before raising his head to stare at me. I didn’t flinch. I’d joined the Bratva at fourteen, and there had been a long line of men that I wouldn’t have thought of crossing. Unfortunately, the don wasn’t one of them. I’m sure he believed he ruled with an iron hand, but his empire rested on a house of cards that the right wind could easily blow down.

“You want Irini?” he finally said.

I thought it was funny that he had instantly brought up the arranged marriage. I’d laid out four areas where he could increase his profits by partnering with us.

“Not really, but it’s a symbol of good faith, and I’ll treat her well.” I wasn’t lying, but I stuck to the absolute basics.

“Why ask for a marriage when you could have just asked for the business?” His fingers tapped out a rhythm on his desk. I wasn’t sure if he wanted me to hurry this up, or if he was just going to deny me.

“You wouldn’t have granted me this meeting if it was only about business. The οικογ?νεια have no connections with the Bratva in this city.” I wasn’t out of line, but there was a hint of the truth buried among the questions and answers. He didn’t trust my intentions, and I needed him to agree to keep my plans alive.

“Perhaps. We’ll never know.” He lowered his head so that he could stare at me over the bridge of his nose. I was sure it worked on his subordinates, but to me, it just made him look silly. “You attended Irini’s first wedding. Why her?”

“Why not? She’s your oldest, and her widow status doesn’t bother me.”

“I wouldn’t have questioned you if you had come for Toula. She’s the better option. ”

I didn’t know if this was a trick, or if he was just making an observation.

“Toula is the top of her class. She shows promise in being an asset to whomever her intended will be. I could easily tell you no on Irini, and offer you my prize.” He picked up the contract on his desk, letting the pages fall forward. “Yet, you insist on Irini, or at least this says so. Why?”

I couldn’t tell him the truth. I’d promised “his prize” that I would protect Irini from his greedy grasp. Shifting in my chair, I bought myself a few more seconds. “I’m doing you a favor.”

If I hadn’t been paying attention to him, I would have never seen the flash of anger that burst in his eyes.

“You haven’t said a word about the business aspect of the proposal. I’m going to assume that it passes your inspection. It’s a suitable reward with minor risk, and I’ve built the infrastructure to support it. It also doesn’t include an exclusivity clause. If your people choose to enter the hospitality industry, we’ll support them as well.” I took a minute to let that sink in before I continued.

“It’s your tradition, but I understand that if a daughter doesn’t produce a child in five years, her father pays retribution. I’m a betting man, and you and I both know that Irini won’t survive an actual marriage. You will end up having to pay retribution to anyone, and you can’t leave it alone because she’s your first daughter. If you agree to this, you can save face among the rest of the families in the city.”

“By giving you Toula in five years?”

I couldn’t tell if I was getting through to him. The don had a reputation for loud, emotional outbursts when things didn’t go his way. I didn’t see any sign that he would let loose on me.

“I’m only asking that you keep Toula pure for five years as the retribution. If Irini doesn’t make it, Toula will step in to fulfill the agreement. If Irini does, Toula will be a little older than a typical arranged marriage, but you’ll still be able to get a good price for her.”

He shook his head and grabbed a pen from the cup on his desk. Signing his name with a flourish, he handed me my copy of the documents. “My lawyer will be in touch.”

I stood from my chair and shook his hand. Turning around, I headed for the door, my finger rubbing over my tattoo of the XT. All the work I’d done to prepare for this moment had paid off, and yet, I didn’t feel like celebrating. I still had five years to wait.