Chapter Seventeen
Dmitri
Ididn’t get to take weekends off. Unlike people who were lucky enough to work a nine to five, I had to deal with business whenever it came up. That meant I had to leave the house in the early afternoon.
After sitting with Sarah and Alexis while they ate breakfast, I worked out for an hour, like I usually did. When I came back upstairs, I came across Sarah and Alexis sitting on the floor by the coffee table in the living room and drawing pictures together. Alexis popped up and came right to me, showing me a picture of what I thought looked like a firetruck, but she said it was a dog. Not sure how I got that one wrong.
I took a shower, then told Sarah I was heading out to take care of some business. She looked at me curiously but didn’t ask for details about what I would be doing. I appreciated that. Even though I was a seasoned liar, I didn’t like having to lie to Sarah. She was so earnest and sincere, and it felt disrespectful to be dishonest with her, even if it was for her own good.
“Promise me you’ll stay in the house while I’m gone,” I said, staring at the drawing of an elephant in front of her. She was a decent artist.
She looked up at me and pursed her lips. I almost expected her to tell me I wasn’t the boss of her, but she surprised me by giving a curt nod.
“Fine, but only because I don’t have anything else going on today.”
I smirked, enjoying the fact that she justhadto give me some sass even as she agreed to do as I said.
I wanted to bend down and give her a kiss her before leaving. It felt like a natural instinct. But I suppressed it.
“You’ll be safe as long as you’re here,” I said.
I made sure of it as I left, checking in with the two men I had watching my place. I owned a ground-floor apartment in the building across the street, and I always kept a couple of men there. My state-of-the-art security system was also important in keeping my home safe, but it was the armed men right across the street that really kept things secure.
I didn’t linger at the apartment for long. I told my men to make sure to keep an especially close eye on things today. The Italians probably weren’t stupid enough to make a direct move on my home, but I didn’t hold onto my power by making dangerous assumptions.
I also told them to tell me if Sarah tried to leave. I didn’t think she intentionally lied to me when she said she would stay at the house while I was gone, but I still sensed that she was unsure about me and if she’d made the right choice by coming to my house. I didn’t need her to talk herself into leaving while I was gone and couldn’t stop her.
After I had a conversation with theboeviks, warriors in our organization, I headed to Alina’s, a Russian restaurant owned by the Bratva and run by my Aunt Alina, Lev’s mother.
The restaurant was busy, in the middle of a lunch rush, and I drew a few stares as I walked through the main dining area, heading to a private room in the back of the restaurant. Nikolay was at the bar in the main dining area, Gina, a woman he’d been seeing off and on for the past year, practicallyplastered to his side. She ran a hand down his arm and batted her eyelashes flirtatiously.
I shook my head and looked away, hoping he wasn’t fucking her again. Gina was the brother of one of my brigadiers, so she was a part of the Bratva, but she held no position, no power. I always thought that bothered her because she overcompensated with a high and mighty attitude that made her relationship with Nikolay toxic.
I continued to the private room. There were several people already there, waiting for me when I arrived. Maxim and Lev sat at a corner table with their backs to the wall. I sat at the table next to Maxim and Lev’s, taking a seat beside Ivan. He was one of the older members of the Bratva, one who had been a brigadier during my father’s time as Pakhan. He was too old to be such an active participant in day-to-day activities, but he was good with money, and I thought of him as an adviser of sorts. He might have been a part of my father’s Bratva, but that didn’t mean he had the same ideals as the son of a bitch that raised me. Ivan was trustworthy and reliable. He gave me a nod as he lifted a beer to his lips.
I didn’t eat lunch at home because I knew Aunt Alina would have food for all of us, and I was right. Nikolay joined us at the table and Alina came into the room immediately with one of her servers. They sat plates of golubtsy in front of each of us, and I inhaled the scent of one of my favorite dishes. Spiced pork and rice were wrapped in cabbage leaves and smothered in stewed tomatoes.
“It looks amazing, as always, Aunt Alina,” I said.
She smiled and pinched my cheek. “Only the best for my favorite nephew.”
“Hey,” Maxim said. “What about me?”
“How do you think I feel?” Lev asked. “She’s my mom, and she didn’t even acknowledge me.”
Alina placed her hands on her hips and cocked to her head to the side as she stared Lev down. “I don’t want to hear complaining from you, young man. Dmitri was the first to complement my food. That makes him my favorite today.”
Nikolay chuckled. “He might enjoy the food, but I’ll be the one to tell you that you look lovely today, Alina.”
I rolled my eyes and Lev groaned. This was a running joke between Nikolay and Aunt Alina. He’d pretend to flirt with her, and she’d just roll her eyes and shake her head at his antics without ever telling him to stop, which always drove Lev crazy. Alina and her server left the room, shutting the door behind them.
“Man, stop hitting on my mom,” Lev grumbled, but Nikolay just laughed.
“I can’t help that she’s a MILF and I’m the only one in the room who can appreciate it because I’m not related to her.”
“I’m not related to her,” Ivan said. The man was in his late sixties, which made him about twenty years older than Alina.
Lev shook his head. “Not you too, Ivan.”