Bohdan pulls out his phone. “Sir, you need to calm down. First of all, don’t think the bastard is working alone. He’s not smart enough to pull shit like this, and we all know it. But before we continue with that, we will have to compensate the three menwho died. They had children and wives who haven’t heard from them, and they keep coming to our operations to ask where their husbands are.”
I suck in a breath. This is getting even more and more complicated. But it is not going to be solved if I sit on my ass and let that young fool disrupt my business. Billions are being lost while one stupid Georgian cannot keep his fucking hands to himself.
I sit down. “What? You think my men’s lives are worth nothing?”
“No,” he says.
I stand up and walk towards the window. “My men’s lives are worth everything.” I nod my head, looking outside, watching the city of Moscow with cars passing by. This is my empire. This is what my father built, and my grandfather and his father before that. I will not let a Georgian street bastard who doesn’t even know his mother ruin my operation. He needs to learn and listen.
“What would you like us to do?” Bohdan asks.
I turn back, facing everybody in the room. “He has a brother called Stanislav.”
The room goes silent.
“Pakhan,” Bohdan says carefully. “The boy is barely involved in any operation, and I don’t think we should be going after him. I mean, the missus said he was nice to her when she was kidnapped.”
I cut him off. “His brother. I want him taken.”
“Dato loves that boy. He protects him, keeps him safe, away from his dirty work.”
I smile. “So we’re going to show Dato what it feels like to lose someone. I think maybe another one of his family members needs to die. By the time only the bastard child is left, then the mastermind will come out.”
“So you want us to kill him?” Bohdan is asking for confirmation.
“Kill him? No. No. No. No. I don’t work like that.” I walk back to the table. “I want you to find him. Watch him. Learn all his patterns, his routine, who he sees, where he goes, who he fucks, or who fucks him. I don’t care.” I look down at each one of them, letting them see the seriousness in my eyes. “And when the time is right, we will take him so that Dato knows who he’s playing with. He thinks that my being silent about the bullshit he’s pulling means I’m weak. He thinks that because now that I am a married man, I care about my family, I wouldn’t still do reckless shit. I am a reckless motherfucker. He should not cross me.”
“Yes, Pakhan!” everybody shouts in unison.
“Now, the ports. How are we fixing that situation? I should expect by now the rest of his crew should have been slaughtered and fed to the fish.”
Bohdan walks forward. “Yes, sir. We’re already moving operations through Latvian routes. It’s slower, but after today ends, we will be able to get back the Russian-to-Poland port.”
“Very good.” I head for the door. “The meeting is over. Everyone, get to work.”
They all file out, but Bohdan lingers.
“Sir, you should be resting. The doctor said you were really injured and even though you are healing fast, you still need to rest just in case.”
I sigh. “Bohdan, I love you as a dear friend. The doctor said a lot of things. He said I needed time to heal and relax. I am relaxing. I just came back from my honeymoon. I will be fine, okay? It’s not as if the wound got infected. I’m okay. So don’t worry about it and just do your job.”
He nods. “Alright, sir. I’ll keep you updated.”
“Yeah. You do that.”
Chapter 29
Zoya
Ihave a massive case of first-day nerves. Even after a long soak, I can't seem to relax. I stare at my clothes for way too long, eventually picking out a simple jeans-and-top combo. In the mirror, I'm my own worst critic, fixing my shirt and over-analyzing every detail. It doesn't even feel real yet, but it is happening. I'm officially a college student.
I’m looking at my rings on the dresser, and that diamond is a lot to handle this early in the morning. I pick up the engagement ring and just hesitate. It’s so loud and clearly costs a fortune. It feels weird wearing it to class. At the same time, I really don't want to kick off my first day with an argument with Alexei because I left it at home. I know exactly where that conversation goes. I give in and put them both on.
I head downstairs and find Alexei waiting by the car. He looks up the second he sees me, his eyes scanning me from head to toe, taking in every single detail of what I’m wearing. Before I can say anything, he moves toward me. He wraps his hand around my waist and pulls me into him. "You look beautiful today, as always,Vedma," he says, warmly.
I chuckle, trying to keep the mood light. "I’m going to be late," I remind him.
Instead of releasing me, he leans down, kissing my forehead, then my lips. It’s a slow kiss that leaves me breathless. When he pulls away, I’m still processing it. He takes a step back to pull the car door open for me, looking pleased with himself. I sink into the seat, my mind a mess, while he sits down next to me, cool and collected.