Chapter 1 - Anton

Flying back to Miami was the last thing I expected to do. But if your family wants to ally with one of the most prominent Bratva families, you attend the meetings. Piotr Smirnov was once again accompanying me. Yet, this time, it was only me and him. The rest of the family was back home in New York.

I sighed and closed my eyes as the plane took off. There was so much to get done. Even though this was my second meeting with the Morozovs, I felt my nerves gnawing at the back of my head. I ordered a ginger ale to try and calm the storm raging within.

It felt like I had barely closed my eyes when I heard scurrying and scuffing around me. Opening my eyes, I saw the cabin crew preparing for our landing. This flight was quicker than the last.

Stepping out, I took a deep breath, allowing the smell of the ocean and fresh air to fill my lungs. I actually liked Miami. It was a complete contrast to New York.

“I booked rooms for us at one of the Morozov gambling dens. This way, we are where we need to be for the meeting,” Piotr said, grabbing his bag and heading for the limo.

“Great stuff. Let’s get moving then,” I replied, giving him my signature cocky smile.

It didn’t take us long to get settled.

“Let’s go see where Ivan is,” Piotr said as we headed down to the bar. Passing the kitchen, I could hear the glasses clinking as the staff prepared for the opening.

I followed Piotr into the bar, where we found Ivan speaking to a group of employees. He was one of the biggest men I had ever met.

“Hi, guys,” he said, holding up his hand. “I’ll be right with you.”

Piotr and I waited for Ivan to finish. He came over smiling as he stretched out his hand. “How have you both been?” he asked, shaking our hands. He made me feel small as he towered out above us.

“Good, thanks,” Piotr replied.

His large hand wrapped around mine, crushing it lightly as we shook. Nodding, I added my greetings quickly, wanting him to let go. “Good, thanks, and you?”

“Business like usual,” Ivan commented as he headed around the bar. “Come, let’s go to the office. Roman, Ashan, and Luder should be here by now.” As far as I understood, these were his cousins and all part of the family business.

We followed him through a door behind the bar. It looked like we had entered a storeroom. There were boxes of alcohol, glasses on a shelf, and a cabinet against one wall. Just past this was another door. It opened into a short corridor with two doors exiting from it.

Ivan opened the one on our left and held it for us to enter. Roman, Ashan, and the one called Luder were already waiting. After quick greetings and an introduction to Luder, we all sat down at the small round table. One wall was lined with cupboards and shelves.

Towards the back of the room was a large oak desk with a computer and phone. I assumed this was Ivan’s desk.

“When you called, you only mentioned expanding your current operations in New York. What exactly do you need us to assist with?” Piotr asked.

Ivan glanced at the other three men. “Right, you guys wanted this meeting; explain what we need,” he huffed.

“Okay,” Luder said, standing up. “I’m going to work with you on this operation.”

Piotr glanced at me, smiling lightly.

“Great stuff. What do you need?” I replied with a nod.

Luder grinned as he explained, “Our drug operations in New York are small. We want to grow them but have been battling with customs and border laws. We need you to find someone on the inside. We want details on everything about them. We must find a loophole to push more products.”

“No problem, I can investigate that for you. I know the company we need to bypass.” I replied quickly.

“Outstanding,” Ivan added as he rose. “How about a drink before you go and rest? I am sure you have had a long day.”

Piotr rose, tapping Ivan’s shoulder as he answered. “Yes, sounds good. We can chat some more in the morning.”

I walked with the others back to the bar. I listened as they caught up on family, kids, and events on this side of the world. My entire life, we have stayed in the shadows. No one knew we were Bratva. Coming out like this with the Morozov family by our side was a big move.

Swallowing the last of my drink, I wondered what our father would have said about all this. We greeted the men and headed to our rooms.

It was around four when I woke. After freshening up, I headed down to the restaurant. Many of the Morozov family were already there. I met the wives and some of the kids. After a pleasant breakfast, Piotr and I returned to our rooms.

Luder handed me a file with all the details required before we left. I placed it in my carry-on to make sure it stayed with me. As I grabbed my bag, there was a knock on the door.

Piotr entered, grinning. “You ready to leave?” he asked.

Nodding in agreement, we headed back home. Tasha, my sister, was waiting for me as we landed. “Can you take me to get my truck?” I asked. “I want to get working right away.”

She glanced at me sideways as she spoke. “Are you sure? Don’t you want breakfast first?”

“No, I’m good; I had something before we left,” I replied, grinning at her. “Is there something else?”

“Nope, I was just asking.” She replied as we drove off.

We pulled up to my brother’s mansion, where I had left my truck. After tossing my bag into the back, I took off. I had to get inside the offices of Elite Import and Export, but I wasn’t sure how yet. For now, I would do some surveillance and get the workers' identities.

I stopped across the street from the large four-story building. Looking around, I saw a coffee shop on the corner. That would be the ideal place to set up. I collected my camera bag and laptop from the compartment in the back of my truck before heading to the shop.

There weren’t many tables and chairs, but one was ideal for what I needed. It covered the entire front and one side of the building. Taking a seat, a light-haired waitress came gliding towards me. “Good morning, sir,” she said in a soft but pitching tone. “How can I serve you today?”

I smiled at the beautiful woman. “Just a cup of coffee will be fine, thanks,” I replied. She left but returned shortly with my order. “May I have the internet password?” I asked as she started turning away.

She stopped standing sideways. Her smile widened as she spoke. “Sure, it’s ‘barista’ all small letters. Is there anything else?”

“No, thank you,” I replied, giving her a broad smile. Her cheeks instantly flared up. Turning away, she moved back inside quickly. I typed the password on my laptop, and everything opened.

I tried searching for employees in the company but couldn’t find many. Picking up my phone, I called Tasha. “Hey, sis,” I said as she answered. I need a list of employees and their history on import, freight, customs and border security,” I added.

“No problem, give me half an hour. I’ll email it to you,” she replied before hanging up.

Sitting back in the chair I sipped my coffee while studying the building. I took a couple of photos of the people moving in and out. I sent these to Tasha with a note. ‘I hope these can help.’

Tasha sent me a nicely detailed file. It held each employee’s personal details such as name, date of birth, social security number, and more. Under each employee was also a list of their family members. Almost all of them were clean, and their families too. Working in that industry didn’t allow for a criminal past or ties.

As I read each one carefully, I tried to assess who would be most likely to assist. I had to find some kind of dirt on at least one. There were a couple of employees with financial issues. I thought these could be persuaded if I had to. I made a note next to each of them.

Then, as I got to the third one from the last, I hit pay dirt. Joyce Lewis was the perfect candidate. She had a cousin called Jax, whom Tasha had found. Jax wasn’t the honest kind of man, it seemed. I felt sure I could use him to get through to the woman. Reading her profile, I noticed she was an intern.

Yet, I was optimistic. I hoped she could get to the details we wanted. Glancing at her photo, I knew she was the one. She was an attractive blond woman with magnificent green eyes. Her smile was warm and made her look young and innocent.

Except for Jax, everything else in her file made her look like a Girl Scout. She was so innocent, I thought, sitting back. She had graduated top in her class and hadn’t even received a parking ticket in her life. I felt sure she was a good person, but I would keep an eye on her for a day or two before making my move.

I spent the next two days staked out at the coffee shop. I studied her photo intensely so I could know what she looked like. I noticed she liked to wear her honey-blond hair loose. This way, it framed her face perfectly. I took pictures of her entering and exiting, getting to know her schedule. She always arrived earlier than most and left after all the others had gone.

Tasha had also hacked the internal security system so I could monitor all her activities. I watched her with deep interest as she went about her days. The more I learned, the more I could see her innocence. With every picture, her striking green eyes and warm smile moved me. By Thursday, I felt bad about having to use her for this. Yet, I knew there was no other option.

I sighed deeply, getting up and heading across the street. There wasn’t any more time to waste. I had to act sooner than later. Crossing the street, I glanced at their board. ‘Elite Import and Export’ it read. But the slogan underneath caught my attention. I knew why the Morozov family chose this business. ‘Private, no border or custom hassles!’