Chapter 27 - Arseny

This is more Kervyn's scene than mine, going to a gentlemen's club on a Saturday afternoon for a business meeting. I half wish he were here doing the negotiating for me. But I need to do this. This is what I've been working toward for a month. I'm nicely healed up and presentable, and Elena has coached me on her father as best she can.

I pull up to the club and take a deep breath when suddenly my door opens. I look up to see a valet. "Good afternoon, sir. May I park your car for you?"

"Yes," I say, climbing out and adjusting my suit. I take out fifty dollars and tip the man. "Not one scratch on her."

"Of course, sir, we'll take good care of her." I walk toward the door when I hear someone calling me.

"Milov. I didn't think you'd show up," Emery Sokolov walks toward me, getting up from his seat on the porch.

"Mr. Sokolov," I greet him with a nod of my head. We turn and walk inside the giant clubhouse, and a doorman offers to take our coats. I slide out of mine and hand it over, taking the ticket he gives me back for collection. Sokolov does the same, leading me to the matre'd, who smiles.

"Mr. Sokolov, it is a pleasure to host both you and your guest," he says. "I believe you've booked our private meeting room. It is a nice day out, so we opened the concertina doors to let the fresh air in."

"Thank you, Wilson. That's perfect."

"If you go to your left, you can select which cigars you want to be delivered to you during your meeting," he motions to the door on the left, and Sokolov leads me there.

I look around, somewhat in awe. Danil would love this. I wouldn't put it past him to come out here. I should ask him.

"Do you know what you like, or may I select something for you?" Sokolov asks.

I look at him. "I trust you to select something good."

"A wise man," he turns to a man in a butler"s attire standing in the corner of the room. "We'll take two Linea de Oro Hidalgos from the Romeo y Julieta line. My account, Pearson."

"Yes, sir."

I follow Sokolov to the exit door, where another butler waits for us. "This way, sir."

They lead us to what I assume is our private meeting room, but it would put even Kervyn's fancy library office to absolute shame.

Walnut bookshelves line one side of the wall, filled with leather-clad books with gold titles. A wooden ladder is attached to one end of the bookcase to reach the top shelves. A huge globe circled in gold sits on one side of the room, with a map of America on one wall and a map of Las Vegas beside it.

The concertina doors to the right are pulled open with a beautiful view of the lush gardens maintained by the club.

Sokolov moves to sit in a chair, and I sit opposite him while the butler stands to his side. "The usual, sir?"

"Times two." He holds up two fingers. "One for my friend as well. My account."

"I can afford to buy my own drink," I say calmly.

"I invited you to meet me here. I provide the hooch, the tobacco, and the food. Now, you may state your case. Tell me why I should let someone who kidnapped my daughter be with her?" He pauses as Pearson enters the room and brings us our cigars. He clips and lights them for us and then steps out of the room.

I smoke my cigar for a bit, enjoying the taste it leaves in my mouth. "Elena is the love of my life," I say. "I didn't know that when I kidnapped her. When I took her, I was angry that your family had purchased all the butchers and forced the owners out. It seemed like a slap in my face, even though I justified it as an insult to my family." I take another long drag and blow a smoke ring. "She's feisty. That's what I first fell in love with. She's smart and well-read, funny and can cook, and cheats at poker, I swear."

"Something her brothers taught her, no doubt," Emery says. "Go on."

I pause as the butler brings in two glasses and sets them down. Sokolov looks at me. "Heated brandy. Hennessey, to be exact. A popular brand here."

I take it and sip it. "It tastes like vanilla and honey and…" I let the liquid coat my tongue, "dried fruits. Very nice."

"You have good taste buds."

He watches me for a moment, so I feel I'm good to continue. "I appreciate that she is the most gorgeous woman on this planet, but as you can see, that's not the only or even the first reason that I'm in love with her. I am going to be with her, and with all due respect, sir, I'm going to fight you tooth and nail if you forbid us from being together."

Another butler comes in with a tray of hors d'oeuvres and sets it on the table between us.

I look at the selection of snails, carpaccio, Foie Gras, and other fancy things Danil would love. I pop a snail in my mouth, and it's absolutely delicious.

"You should register here. It's affordable, and you make good business dealings," Sokolov says.

I nod as I pop another bite into my mouth.

Sokolov continues, "So, you'll fight me tooth and nail? Well, I won't lie. I hated your father, boy. I hated him with the passion of a thousand suns. Darius had just been admitted to the family when your father had gone back on a deal with me, and two of my brothers got thrown in jail because of it."

I look at him, surprised. "My father just said one of you was a traitor. I always assumed…"

"It was me? Has Elena not told you I shoot straight? I'm an up-front businessman, even if the business I deal in is shady, so to speak. Hooch, dope, counterfeit money. These are all things I dip my hands into, but they are all with business partners. I don't like to mess people around. I guess Darius must have seen how bitter I was about your father"s betrayal and carried that grudge with me. I'm not the type of person to take it out on my enemy"s sons, though. Clearly, Darius didn't get that memo, and your kidnapping of Elena was just the excuse he needed to complete his attack. For that, I'm sorry."

He eats some carpaccio, and we sit quietly, sipping on our brandy and eating food.

He turns to me. "I'm returning everything," he says. "The butchers can all go to you, and you can reinstate the rightful owners. I have no use for them. I never did. Darius just took them from you to piss you off." He turns to the butler. "Two more brandies, please."

"I return everything, and we're even, Arseny. I don't want any more trouble from you or any other Milov."

"What about Elena? Do you approve then?" I ask.

"I think you know by now that Elena doesn't like to be owned. It took me many years to learn that about her. She's a genius, she really is, and she deserves to be acknowledged as one. Elena's fate is her own, and she can decide whether you are worthy of her or not."

I nod. I"m pleased but trying not to show it. I know Elena chooses me. Ours is a love that outshines even my brothers and their wives.

"Arseny, there is one thing I want to tell you about Elena." He waits while our new brandy is set down. I take the moment to pop a snail in my mouth. They're so damn good.

"If you hurt Elena…" He swallows hard. "If you so much as make her uncomfortable one time. No one, not even your brother Kervyn, will be able to stop the hell I will rain down on you and your family. If Elena chooses you, I expect you to choose her every time."

"May I then return the favor and say if you get in the way of Elena and me being together, and if you upset her while she does business for you, I will hunt you down, skin off your face, and parade it around town for people to see?" I smirk, and he nods.

"Fair enough." He sips his brandy. "Have another snail. They are really good."

"I intend to propose to Elena." I pop another snail in my mouth.

"I thought you might. You have my blessing to do so. Though I will warn you, she has never been one for flashy ceremonies or giant gestures. She likes it straight, like I do. Simple is best. She doesn't like to bullshit around." He sips his brandy.

"I know. I know her very well. And what I don't know about her, I will spend my life getting to know." I down my brandy and stand up. "If you'll excuse me. I'm sure she's anxiously waiting for me to come back and tell her what's transpired today."

"Tell her I send my love," he says. "Pearson, another brandy. I'm expecting another business partner shortly and more snails."

I smile and pop one last one in my mouth before I go to the door and hand in my ticket. I get my suit jacket back, and I put it on, feeling for the ring inside the pocket inside the jacket.

The valet pulls up my car, and I tip him again since I don't know what's customary. He looks happy, poor kid.

I'm nervous now. Elena and I had discussed what we'd do with either outcome of my talk with her father: everything from running away to the cabin together to moving in together, but marriage hadn't come up.

Truth be told, I never thought I would get married in my kind of work. I always assumed I'd eventually just get grumpy like Wynter and maybe get a dog. But never would I imagine spending the rest of my life with a beautiful woman who wanted me just as I am. I would never have to explain the blood, the cuts, or the scars. I would never have to hide what I do. I can just be me in every sense of the word.

I stop at a traffic light and fidget. She doesn't like flashy or flamboyant, I know that. So it's going to be a simple request. A simple question, and I hope she says yes.

I park my car outside my butchers and walk in. I go to the manager"s office, where she's looking over the books, and when she sees me, she jumps up. "You're back, how did it go?"

"Well, I told him how much I love you, and he told me how my dad betrayed him. But he says he won't hold it against me as long as I treat you right," I smile and kiss her softly.

"And nothing changes?" she asks.

"Well, there is one thing I'd like to change, Elena, if you let me."

"What's that?" she asks.

I reach into my jacket, pull out the ring, and kneel down. "Your last name."

"Arseny," she squeals. "It's beautiful. But…"

My heart sinks. "But?"

"But I'm still going to do business for my dad and see my family like normal. I don't care how awkward it gets, okay?"

"Of course, Elena, you're free to do whatever you like, and I will always be there to protect you."

I put the ring on her finger, stand, and she kisses me, jumping into my arms and wrapping her legs around me. I slam the door shut.