Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“We need to take that out,” I told him, and of course, he knew what I meant.
“In a bit, just…look at this first.”
He had whatever he wanted to show me queued up already so all he had to do was hit Play. There was a news report from eight days ago about a car accident downtown. The fire was a surprise.
“The hell?”
“Fire is always good. Makes things final.”
It certainly did. “I’m dead?” I asked him.
“To most. Not to Pasha. Him, I told. Your father, Galina, Lev, the maggots you called your friends, and everyone else—to them, yes.”
“Okay,” I said, a million questions running through my head.
“First, because I know you would worry, Pasha agreed to care for Vanya,” he said and showed me a new video. Pasha visiting Vanya in rehab, and there was a team of reporters with him. “He’s gotten a huge popularity bump with caring for his cousin after losing you, his brother. I understand that he is beloved on Twitter.”
I glanced at him.
He shrugged and shook his head. “Maria, my oldest, she says this is important.”
I couldn’t help smiling. “I knew that wasn’t something you were on top of.”
“No,” he agreed, grinning. “But so you see, Vanya will be safe, yes?”
“Yes,” I replied, sighing deeply. That, at least, was positive. It meant that Vanya now lived under Pasha’s umbrella, which meant that he, like my brother, was untouchable. It was smart of Pasha to do that, to make everything public so Vanya couldn’t simply disappear.
“Your funeral was nice. Many people came.”
“Great,” I said flatly.
There was more video to watch. Shots of my father, my stepmother, and Lev, all crying, with Pasha the only one who appeared truly broken. A reporter spoke to Galina, who said she was leaving for Paris, that she needed to get out of the city since it reminded her of me.
I scoffed.
“Wait,” Sava said, grinning as he pointed at the screen.
Whoever had done the report had tracked her there, in the city of lights, at some café, where she was shown sipping champagne and laughing. As soon as she saw the reporter, she shrieked that she was in mourning.
I glanced at Sava.
“That part is my favorite.”
“You’re a sick man,” I assured him as Sherry lifted the tumbler of water off the end of the table and offered me some more.
“Can you hold that yourself and put it back?” she asked me.
Once I gave her a nod, she smiled and left the room, closing the door behind her.
“Shall I tell you the story now?” Sava asked me.
“Please.”
He huffed out a breath. “Your father was in debt up to his eyeballs to Anton Kolashkov. Did you know?”
“No. How can that be?” That made no sense.
“He’s been expanding the legitimate side of the business so fast, he had to take out loans because he knew there were illegal things you would not do.”
My father and I had many discussions and meetings with others over the years about what he thought would be beneficial to our bottom line. But human trafficking and drugs and selling guns were not things I would approve. Hurting those who were already corrupt, that I had no issue with. Taking advantage of the weaknesses of powerful men was what I liked best. But selling a child, putting a gun in their hand, or pumping them full of drugs was a hard line for me that no one dared cross. I’d made certain to have my own safety measures in place so that no one would ever be able to override my vote. Or thought I had. Lev was supposed to be my most steadfast support system. It had never even entered my mind that he would turn on me.
“Tell me,” I prodded him.
“Your father borrowed money from Kolashkov that he was supposed to pay back in favors and influence with Pasha.”
That made sense. Trade on something no one else had, a fully legitimate golden goose of a son.
“Wait.” My brain felt sluggish, and it was taking me some time to process, likely because of the drugs. “You said was supposed to? Not anymore?”
“Even almost dead, you listen better than anyone I know,” he praised me. “Last week, your father had Lev take out Kolashkov, both his sons, and the others in his circle. There’s no one left to oppose him as he and Zeljko Constantine take over the business.”
“No,” I rushed out, horrified over what he was telling me. “My father hates Constantine. He’s a beast who sells women and children and makes junkies of parents and—”
“It’s done,” he told me, wiping his hands together. “And your father knew you’d never agree, and he was certain that too many of the men were loyal only to you.”
My father had always told me I was too close to my people. But I ate with all of them, not only Lev, Adrian, and Stas. I gave out bonuses for all the holidays. I checked on their spouses, parents, and children. I made certain that everyone under me was taken care of.