24. Alexander

Chapter 24

Alexander

A swarm of men work on the burned-out husk of Fed Jeweler. They shovel away the ruined debris and begin to lay plans for how they’ll renovate and fix the mess. Lev’s in the middle of the workers pitching in where he can, and even though he’s got no real construction experience, nobody has the heart (or the balls) to tell him to cut it out.

I watch for a while until Lev’s looking tired, and that’s when I entice him over with a cooler of cold beer and hoagies from Luciano’s down the block. He’s exhausted and sweaty as he sits in the alleyway with me, not really making eye contact as he drinks and eats, basically trying his best to pretend like I don’t exist.

But the anger’s draining from him. I know him too well. Lev’s a good man at heart and doesn’t like to hold grudges for long. He understands better than most how flawed people can be, and although he’s got a darkness hidden deep inside of him that he does very well to keep contained, I also know he cares about his family more than he likes he admit.

“I caught your sister playing piano in some junk shop yesterday,” I tell him casually and he just glances up.

“Sounds like her.”

“She just up and wandered off without saying anything.”

“You look into the shop’s owner?”

“Yeah, just some normal civilian. Nothing shady there. But I can’t have her walking around the fucking neighborhood while the Marino’s want her head.”

Lev grunts and slugs back some beer. “Should’ve thought about that before marrying her.”

“She’s feeling trapped and I can’t even blame her.”

“What am I supposed to do about it?” His expression is flat and there’s an edge to his voice.

“I need muscle.”

“My father’s not going to approve fucking babysitters for his traitor daughter. You know that.”

I tilt my head and can’t even argue. He’s got a point there. “But you might approve bodyguards for your sister.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

I stretch my legs. He finishes his beer and tosses the can into a nearby dumpster while I watch him and wait. Lev looks conflicted like I knew he would, and finally he turns to me, frustration etched all over him.

“Look, even if I cared, there’s nothing I can do,” he says, throwing up his hands.

“Yeah? Why’s that?”

“We’re short on manpower already. The Zeitsev’s got their Canadian job going and half the Bratva’s working on that. Natalya marrying Adriano was supposed to keep the Marino’s off our fucking backs while we get the import logistics all set up.”

“I’m not asking for a lot here. Just a few guys at most.”

“I hear you, but I can’t spare them. Since Dad’s solution backfired, thanks to you and your fucking wife, we’re tasked with handling the Italians. This is everything we have for now.”

I let out a frustrated breath. It’s not a surprise, but it’s hard to swallow. The Canadian import job is a big one of the Bratva—the drugs that will flow through that pipeline will make everyone rich, fat, and fucking happy—and it’s eating up too much of our resources. I knew what would happen, taking away Natalya and making her my wife, but I couldn’t have foreseen this.

I want to make her happy. And if I can’t do that, I have to find a way to make her content. Letting her go to that music shop is one little gesture I can make in good faith, except I won’t do it, not if that means putting her in danger.

That’s my priority. Whether she likes it or not. Her safety has to come first above everything else, including her own damn happiness.

“If you hear of anything that might help, let me know. I’ll think of something else then.”

Lev glares at me as he moves toward the back door. “Just because we’re working together, don’t think we’re good. You know how badly you fucked us.”

“I know.” I push myself to my feet. “What more can you need? Want another shot at me?”

There’s a ghost of a smile on his face. “You wouldn’t survive it.”

I show my teeth in a vicious grin. “Try me.”

For a second, I think he’s going to charge again, but he only laughs and shakes his head. “You know what Step always said about you? He said you were the most bullheaded mother fucker he ever met, and usually it’s a good thing. It makes you a stubborn hard worker. It also makes you an annoying perfectionist. He admired that about you though.”

“Stepan was always better than me. That’s why I had to try twice as hard. Your brother made everything look effortless.”

“Yeah, he really did.” Lev stares into the building, not moving. “Sometimes I wonder if it would’ve been better if I had been the one to die that day.”

“Nobody else wonders that.”

“You sure? I bet my dad’s asked himself a dozen times already why his better son took the bullet and not his careless, good-for-nothing youngest.”

“Step’s gone. We got to stop wondering what life would be like if he were still here.”

Lev grunts and nods to himself. “Yeah, I know you’re right. I just keep coming back to him though.”

“We all do.” More often than I like to admit, I find myself thinking about Step and what things would be like now if he were still alive. What Lev said the other day keeps haunting me. Would Stepan really hate me for this? The fucked up thing is, I really think he would’ve been even more angry than Lev is. I think if Step were still alive right now, what I did with Natalya would’ve ruined our friendship.

I’m lucky he’s gone. He’d fucking hate me right now.

But I keep that to myself.

“I’ll see what I can do about Natalya. I don’t give a shit if she’s happy or not, but I don’t want to give those fucking Italians the satisfaction of killing her.”

“Good to know your motives are pure.”

“Fuck you, Alex.” There’s no malice in his tone though, and he disappears back into the shop.

I slump down in the alley, sitting on top of the cooler. I sit in silence for a while, listening only to the found of workers in the building, the cut of their shovels in the ash and the banging of their hammers on the smoke-damaged walls. I stare at my hands and think about Step and the dozen ways I’ve fucked up my relationship with the people I care about the most lately, and finally I take my phone from my pocket and connect to the security system back in my apartment.

It boots up slowly and shows fuzz for a few briefs moments until an image appears.

The living room is empty. I pan the camera right, toward the balcony, and I can just make out the pool.

Natalya’s still in there. I can see her as a vague outline in the distance.

I have more cameras to install, but this will do for a now.

I sit back to keep an eye on my wife while I finish my lunch.