Chapter Three

U Holub? restaurant, Bílovec, Czechia...

“Chert voz’mi! You were right.”

Zafira Guzun, the Guzun family Matriarch, or Comare, as she was still called after all these years by the majority of Bratva groups in the EU, stared with a deep frown at the live CCTV footage on the security monitors. Even after Viktor’s death, when she withdrew from the Business and allowed her children to rule, she was respected and feared by those who had intimate knowledge of the power she had over the once-powerful Pakhan.

Except she never truly stepped back. She merely retreated into the shadows from where she continued to build a network of loyal followers who preferred her way of handling matters that threatened the well-being of the Guzun Bratva Group.

Neither her kids nor any of the Guzun Bratva associates knew about her covert life—except Antonio and one other person. The one man she had trusted with her life, only to find out, in the end, that he, too, had betrayed her. Even though he had sworn unconditional fealty to her, without her asking for it, she now realized that he had been very selective in what that care and protection entailed. That he still chose to shield Viktor’s reputation from her hurt the most. He had kept his best friend fucking a woman at his bachelor’s party from her. How many others were there that Bogdan Rusu had kept from her?

Her chest closed up. With fingers circling her throat, she gently massaged it as it felt like something was squeezing her esophagus closed, slowly suffocating her by those memories—of the ultimate betrayal by the only man she had ever truly loved and trusted unconditionally.

Enough, Zafira! No more. He’s out of your life for good. He chose to walk away rather than fight for a love that has been dormant for years.

The sharp voice echoing in her mind snapped her out of her momentary lapse into the emotional darkness that had wrapped itself around her from the day Bogdan had walked out of her life. The days of empathy and being nice were over. All those who believed she and her family could be walked over were about to suffer the consequences of their ignorance.

For Zafira Guzun was as fierce and fearsome as Viktor Guzun had been—even more so since her children’s lives were threatened.

“Of course, I am.” The deep voice of Antonio Baritva rumbled through the small room. They were secure in the office building across the street from the restaurant. Her new bodyguard and advisor had set up the surveillance there. A necessary precaution that Bogdan had always insisted on when she ventured out alone to functions or meetings with any Bratva or syndicate leader. Somehow, Antonio knew every trick Bogdan had implemented to keep her safe, even though he wasn’t around to train his successor.

No, the bastard just turned around and walked out of my life!

Her body turned cold as the echo of the last words he had ever said to her raced through her mind.

“So be it. I’m done defending myself, and I’m done being your emotional punching bag. You want me out of your life, Zafira? Then so be it... I’m gone.”

Why couldn’t she forget? She was supposed to have moved on. A year, twelve long months, and still, his words hounded her every day when life quieted down, and she settled into sleep. Much-needed rest that she never got since the hours were filled with memories, needs, and hidden desires she had been too proud to voice in the years since Viktor’s death.

“Comare?” Antonio’s concerned voice yanked her back to the present predicament. “Are you okay? You look pale?”

“I’m fine.” Other than with Bogdan, she had yet to share her emotions or inner fears with Antonio. He was trustworthy and loyal to a T, but as the saying went, once bitten, twice shy. Zafira would never open up to any man like she used to with Bogdan.

Her eyes sharpened on the screen as she watched the footage of the Czech police raiding the birthday party held for one of the deputies of the Solntveso Bratva. Two hundred partygoers were detained, which, as was usual at these affairs, included dozens of prostitutes. The event was held in the restaurant U Holub?, owned by Seymon Mochilevich, aka Uncle Seva, aka the Brainy Pakhan—also a longtime friend of Zafira. Seymon was a well-known Russian mobster who was regarded as one of the most powerful gangsters in the world.

“Who else was aware that the party was a cover for the meeting with me?” Zafira was supposed to meet with Seymon Mochilevich and Artem Melnyk, head of the Solntvesoka Bratva. Foot tapping on the floor, she leaned forward with her fists on the desk. “What the fuck is going on, Antonio? I thought you did a due diligence check before I accepted the invitation to come here rather than meeting in Moldova.”

“I did, Comare. Nothing indicated that the police or anyone else knew you were attending the party. Besides, they have nothing on you, so even—”

“There’s always a reason for a raid, Antonio. You know as well as I do that Luciano Maranzano escaped, and he’s out there somewhere with a burning desire to kill every last Guzun member of my family. He’s secured one of the widest networks across the globe he can now tap into for support. Someone like Artem Melnyk could be easily swayed to turn on one of his own.”

“Which is why I pulled you out of the restaurant the moment I got word that the police were on their way. According to my source, they had been tipped off that the Solntveso group intended to execute Mochilevich at the party over a disputed payment of five million dollars.”

“Mogilevic hasn’t arrived yet,” Zafira said thoughtfully. “Why do you think that is?”

“Could be that he’d been warned by a senior figure in the Czech police. You know he has a couple of them working with the Russian Bratva.”

“Or he could be siding with Maranzano, and the raid was used as a cover to assassinate me.”

“I thought you were friends since school?” Antonio watched her intently. “Why would he betray such a friendship?”

“Friendship means shit in the criminal world, Antonio. I’m sure you learned at least that over the years with us.” She sat down and crossed her legs with feminine grace. The dark blue silk of her evening gown rustled quietly in the room. “It’s become common knowledge that since Viktor’s death, someone has quietly built a highly structured criminal organization. Although only a selected few know I am the leader who is referred to as the Shadow Don, I don’t think Seymon likes that the Shadow Don is now described by agencies in the European Union and United States as the boss of all bosses of Russian Bratva and crime syndicates in the world.”

“Of course, a title he coveted. I didn’t think about that.” Antonio shifted his weight. “It’s believed you direct a multibillion-dollar international criminal empire, which is why the Federal Bureau of Investigation describes the Shadow Don as the most powerful and dangerous gangster in the world.”

Zafira shrugged. “You know I still operate in the shadows, Antonio, but it’s true. I have immense power and reach on a global scale. It took me years and hard work to secure valuable connections to prominent government, military, and law enforcement officials, not to mention powerful politicians around the world. To achieve that in a male-dominated industry wasn’t easy. No matter how many fearless female Bratva there are, women are still not given the time of day.”

“Yet your own children nor anyone at the Guzun Bratva know you are the Shadow Don who the FBI accuses of weapons trafficking, contract murders, extortion, drug trafficking, and prostitution on an international scale.”

“They’re reaching by adding prostitution to the charges. It’s the one thing I have no interest in exploring.” Zafira shrugged. “My children don’t need to know... not yet. Everything I have done over the years has been to protect them. First, from how volatile Viktor had become in the later years, threatening the continuation of the Guzun Bratva, which was hugely financed by my family at the time, and now, to keep them safe from Luciano Maranzano.”

“My lips are sealed, Comare.”

“Except, now it seems one of the trusted few has ratted me out. The question is, just when?”

“How can you be so sure, Comare?”

“The only reason Luciano Maranzano would want me dead is because I am the only one standing in his way to achieve his goal to become the supreme boss of all bosses globally.”

“But he shot you over a year ago.”

“Exactly, Antonio, which tells me whoever has sided with Maranzano has been doing so for years. Yes, he had a mole inside the Guzun Bratva, but he was also always one step ahead of us, the Novaya Volna Group. He knew what we were planning, when we intended to move, the decisions we made. Someone I trusted with my secret is either under the bastard’s spell or...” Her brow furrowed ominously.

“Or someone wants the power for himself.”

“Exactly.” Zafira grinned. “My bet is on the latter. Power and money are a hard taskmaster, and in our business, it’s what talks. Of the ones who know who and what I am, any of them would kill to take my place.” A delightful laugh escaped her lips. She was clearly unconcerned that someone taking her place meant she would have to die first.

“Oh, to be a fly on the wall when Maranzano realizes he has been played.”

“Well, look at that,” Antonio folded his arms across his chest. “They’re taking Artem Melnyk into custody.”

Zafira straightened. “I could use this. Since there is bad blood between Melnyk and Mochilevich, this is the perfect opportunity to cull the weak from the strong.” She shook a finger at the screen as if she was scolding the now subdued man being led to a police van. “You never bring out guns at a party where there are innocent women and children, Artem. Let that be a lesson.” Her nose inched upward.

“I believe it’s time I visited my good old friend, Triska Cermak.” She smiled regally as she got up and sauntered toward the door. “Did you know that she and I gave birth at the same time?” she said conversationally as she opened the door and gestured to Antonio to follow her. “She and her husband Marek were on vacation in Moldova when she had complications with her pregnancy, and her daughter was born prematurely.”

“Are you saying that you are a personal friend of Marek Cermak, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic?”

Zafira winked at him. “The one and only, Antonio... the one and only.”

“So, Artem Melnyk is going to rot in jail. How does that assure you that he’s the real danger and not Seymon Mochilevich?”

“Because, my dear, I am going to make sure the two other people who know my identity as the Shadow Don realize I am the one who had him prosecuted. They’ll know none of them will be safe against my wrath. I’m done being used and underestimated. After tonight, not one of them will ever make that mistake again.”

After securing Zafira in the backseat, he got into the GMC SUV and started the engine.

“Whereto, Comare?”

“I believe it would be wise to stay away from the hotel. No need to play devil’s advocate, right? Let’s head out of the city. I’m sure we’ll find a decent hotel where we can stay overnight. Next week is soon enough to visit my dear friend.”

Contrary to her devil-may-care attitude, Zafira felt the band of betrayal once again tightening around her chest. She had given the three men her trust and offered them untold wealth and power as part of the Novaya Volna Group. No matter how much she tried to ignore the feeling, she was hurt and rapidly became angry. Had she been a man, with the equal power and control she already wielded, none of them would have dared to step out of line. One of them did more than that and sided blatantly with the enemy. In the time they had been driving, she had reached the conclusion that it was Artem Melnyk. He was the one who always watched her with a dark glimmer in his eyes. For some reason, she had recently felt a wave of hatred flowing from him. Now, that feeling was what cemented her belief that he had been the one who had given in to the coercion of Luciano Maranzano.

Although there were many variables in what played out tonight, her instinct warned her that she had been the ultimate target.

Zafira Guzun always trusted her instinct.