It’s strange how much someone thinks when there’s nothing else to do.
I’m sitting on the freezing floor with my back leaning against the equally cold wall. My legs are bent and my hands lie limply on top of my knees.
My brain has been in a constant state of overdrive ever since Sergei locked me up in his basement—or rather, his torture chamber.
I know what he’s doing. By putting me in a cold room with torture devices laid out on the table, he’s showcasing what he could do to me before my death.
Vladimir already made his intentions known by punching me a few times until he busted my lip and bruised my chest. He said it was only an introduction until he got permission to get rid of me.
However, there’s something neither he nor Sergei seem to understand.
I couldn’t give a fuck about being tortured or killed.
Inflicting that type of fate on countless people myself fully prepared me to accept it once it comes.
But that was before I married Lia. At some point, protecting her became my life’s priority and I survived if not for anything, then for that purpose alone. Now that it’s impossible for me to live, I can’t stop thinking about how her life will be after I’m gone.
I know Kolya, Yan, Boris, Ogla, and the others will do their best to make sure she and Jeremy are well taken care of. Not only do I come from a rich family, but I’ve always invested in various ventures to grow those assets. I have enough fortune that will sustain them for generations to come and they would never have to worry about money.
But that still doesn’t put me at ease, probably because I thought that I’d always be there for them. That I’d spend the rest of my life shielding them from the world.
I shouldn’t have made assumptions. I don’t usually, but it won’t be the first time I’ve gone against my principles and normal courses of action because of Lia.
It started when I didn’t use her as soon as I knew she was Lazlo’s daughter and then chose to keep her instead. It continued when I broke off my perfectly logical engagement in order to marry her. After that, all my decisions were made with the sole purpose of protecting her, keeping her closer, and chaining her to me, even if it meant hurting her in the process.
Now that I’ll be gone, the thought of leaving her all alone hurts more than I thought it would.
It hurts to the point that I’m considering other options to resolve the current situation. If I go with what Sergei wants and divorce her, I can hide her in a place he can’t find. I’ll be able to visit her often…
No.
He would make it his mission to finish her life. Besides, I’d go out of my fucking mind if she wasn’t in my sight at all times. I’d always think something has happened to her and that she’s hurt, or worse, fucking dead.
But isn’t that better than not knowing how she’s doing at all? I could come up with ways to defy Sergei, to flee if I have to. Go to another corner of the world where it’s only Lia, Jeremy, and me.
The brotherhood is all I’ve known since I was a boy. The only home I had, even after my parents’ deaths. When my father was shot dead in one of Nikolai’s assassination attempts, I was already desensitized at that point and didn’t think twice about him. Because I still had a place I belonged to—the Bratva.
But I’m ready to throw it all away if it means keeping Lia safe and with me.
Releasing a deep breath, I stagger to my feet. I’m about to knock on the door and demand to speak to Sergei when it opens.
Vladimir and Kirill appear on the threshold. The bulky man stares down at me with a snarl in his lips while Kirill is smirking.
That should be a good sign.
Vladimir has never really liked me, mainly because he believes I’m treated better than the rest of the brothers and because he thinks I want to hurt his beloved Rai, the previous Pakhan’s granddaughter, whom he made an oath to protect.
Kirill, however, has often been on my side, even when he manipulated his way into finding out my secrets so he could use them to force my hand.
“Come out,” Vladimir says. “The Pakhan wants to see you.”
I go outside and squint at the morning sun glaring from the long windows.
“Why, Adrian.” Kirill wraps an arm around my shoulder. “I leave you for a moment and you get yourself beaten up by our brute, Vladimir?”
The latter grunts. “He deserved it.”
“No one deserves your punches,” Kirill says with absolute nonchalance, then whispers, “You have surprises.”
“What are you talking about?”
Kirill raises a brow. “You mean to tell me you didn’t plot the entire situation?”
“What situation?”
Kirill frowns. “I know you planned it, so don’t even pretend you’re not aware of it.”
Before I can ask what the fuck he’s insinuating, Vladimir opens the dining room door. If Sergei is bringing me here, he must’ve organized an internal meeting for the brotherhood.
Sure enough, everyone is present. Igor, Mikhail, Damien, Rai, and Kyle. Their senior guards are all here and so is Kolya. He stands near my chair that’s been left empty on Sergei’s right.
Vladimir and Kirill take their usual seats. Unsure whether or not I’m allowed to sit on the Pakhan’s table anymore, I remain standing.
“You look like shit, Adrian,” Damien says while chewing on a pastry. “That’s a first.”
Rai places her cup of coffee down and speaks in a reproachable tone. “You shouldn’t have hit him, Vlad.”
“I’d do it again. He fucking betrayed us.”
“Now.” Kirill smiles. “Betrayal is a strong word, Vladimir. He only had a lapse of judgment, a very rare one at that, which should be taken into consideration.”
“He still put another organization’s best interest before the brotherhood’s.” Igor glares at me. He never forgave me for choosing Lia over his daughter and he probably never will.
“Not intentionally, though.” Mikhail frowns, his confusion clear. “Right, Volkov?”
Damien scoffs. “Do any of you actually believe that Adrian would do anything without a prior plan? He plots everything and has control freak issues. Even I can figure out that much.”
“I believe it.” Kyle takes Rai’s hand in his and kisses her knuckles. He’s lean, too pretty for his own good, and British. “If someone touched my wife, I would slaughter them with my bare hands, even if they were the damn president.”
At least he understands.
Vladimir glares at Kyle, then at me. “That doesn’t give him the right to endanger the brotherhood’s affairs.”
“And be secretive about it,” Igor says.
“We can just choose a punishment and get it over with,” Mikhail suggests.
Damien raises his hand. “Pakhan, me! I want to punch Adrian’s face a few times.”
Kirill throws a napkin at him. “Shut the fuck up, Orlov.”
“What? Vladimir did it, why can’t I?”
“Don’t you have anything to say?” Rai stares at me. “You should explain.”
“I already did to the Pakhan. I have no further explanations to offer.”
“You should,” Kirill grinds out. “Make it count.”
“I killed Richard because he assaulted my wife and would’ve raped her if she didn’t defend herself. I would do it all over again if I got the chance. If you consider that betrayal, you can go ahead and punish me for it. I have nothing left to say on the matter.”
Sergei stares at me. “I should kill you.”
“Do it, Pakhan,” Vladimir says.
“Pakhan,” Kirill speaks in a placating tone. “He had a convincing reason.”
“One he hid from us until we found out on our own,” Igor counters.
“I planned to kill you to set an example,” Sergei continues. “But I had a curious visit late at night.”
“From whom?” Mikhail asks.
Vladimir clicks his tongue.
“Lazlo Luciano and his underboss.” Sergei interlaces his fingers on the table. “He said we’d share his new mayor and he would even give us an in with the cartels he signed with, but he had one condition.”
“What?” Damien stuffs his face with a cupcake. “Don’t leave us in suspense, Pakhan.”
“He’ll only deal with Adrian.”
While I asked Lazlo to help me in the past, I knew he wouldn’t do it so readily, and certainly not with his underboss present. Nicolo Luciano is too cautious and has always questioned any move before Lazlo could take it. The younger brother wouldn’t agree to share their power with us when they secretly planned to push us aside after they’re done with squashing the other Italian families.
The timing is too perfect, too…convenient. As if Lazlo had a major push.
It can’t be.
I narrow my eyes on Kolya and he lowers his head. The fuck?
“If it were any other person or any other circumstances, you would’ve had a bullet in your head right about now. But we need the Italians and the cartels, and you will make sure they’re under our control.” Sergei stands. “This doesn’t mean you get out of any punishment. I’ll think of something fitting of your betrayal.”
I nod. “Am I free to go now?”
“Yes. This is your first and only strike, Volkov.”
With another nod, I turn around and step out of the dining room. Kolya follows after me, and Fedor, who was smoking in a corner away from all of the other guards, joins us, stubbing out his cigarette on the way.
I rein in my temper until we’re in the car and we’re moving off Sergei’s house. I face Kolya who’s sitting beside me in the backseat. “What the fuck happened?”
“Lazlo came to meet Sergei.”
“That’s not what I’m asking. How the fuck was he convinced? The answer will determine whether or not you remain alive, Kolya.”
“I assume Mrs. Volkov met with him.”
“You assume?”
“I saw the tracker moving when we were on the plane. Kill me if you like, but I had to turn a blind eye because I knew that was the only possible way to keep you alive. Thankfully, it worked.”
Fuck!
I grab him by the collar. “At the expense of disclosing Lia’s origins. At the expense of dragging her into all of this. Now, Lazlo will never let her go.”
“Who cares? She’s your wife and she did the right thing by going to Lazlo. If she hadn’t, Sergei would’ve put a bullet in your head. You won’t be able to protect her if you’re buried six feet under, Boss.”
I release him with a harsh shove, my knuckles burning with the need to drive my fist through a wall.
Or a person.
The reality of the doomed situation slams into me with a violence that bleeds through my veins.
I am alive. I am. But at what price?
Because from now on, it’ll be impossible to keep Lia out of the limelight.
