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We didn't take long to return to Stepan's office and get situated in our previous positions. "Well, any questions?" Stepan asked as he leaned back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping against the wooden desk.
"Could I have some insight on what it is you're going to have me do during the trial week?" I had the job posting memorized in my mind, but I wanted to know how much of it was fact and if there were any details that went amiss.
"Since you're applying for a rather general and open field position, we'll try to run you through our typical assignments such as bounties, surveillance work, and protection detail, but it'll probably be heavier on bounty hunting and all that it entails. Of course, you will also have to do the boring office work that comes with it all, such as the research and reports." Stepan replied after some thought. "I'll probably try to see if I can organize something where you have to work as a part of a big team so that we can see how you function as a team player. Even though most of the time you will be paired off in teams of two or three at most, there are times when you might have to partake in larger teams for an assignment." He quickly added with a sweetened smile.
"Alright, sounds fair." So, there was nothing far off from the job posting, which was good. Humming softly, I took a moment to think while tapping my finger against my plush lips. "Any tips on surviving the next week or how to be successful through it?"
Giving me a reassuring and warm smile, he answered my question. "Just do your best, don't be a try-hard, don't get killed, don't let Lev get to you, and don't be afraid to speak your mind. I'm pretty open with my employees and like to hear their thoughts and opinions on everything. I have no doubt that you'll do perfectly fine, and if I had a better insight into your background or it was more solid, then I would probably hire you, so this trial period is just a formality for me to cover my bases."
"Alright, where do I sign?"
Chapter 3
Hanna
"Oh my gosh! I can't believe it! I'm so happy for you!"
My friend squealed and hugged me tightly when she saw me, not bothering to say 'hi' to me.
Chuckling softly, I patted her arms to get her to release me. "Don't be quite that happy yet, it's only a trial period, who knows if it'll go beyond that." I didn't want to keep my expectations high. For all I know, the end of the week will bring an end to everything, and I'd be back to looking for another bounty or another 'official' job. Even if I felt good about all this, I didn't want to give myself too much hope to have it crushed later.
"Oh, come on, you basically got the job already. You're a kick-ass bitch, your skills are top-notch. You've got nothing to worry about. If you didn't then Stepan would have sent you out the door." My friend Angel assured me with a wide grin as she looped her arm around mine to drag me into the club. "The trial really is just a stupid formality, you basically have the job already unless you blow it by being a snob, slob, or a lazy-ass."
Sighing heavily, I shook my head as I let her pull me up to a table in the second-floor VIP area after she nodded at the guard who let us through the moment he saw Angel. "You are way too happy about this. Honestly, he really could just let me go after the trial." I was stuck in limbo for a reason. Stepan didn't show me the door nor welcome me on board fully.
He was skeptical about me, which I didn't fault him for. At least he was willing to give me a chance, one I wouldn't blow.
"Oh please, go back to your cheery self from this afternoon when you texted me about how well the interview went." Angel giggled with a roll of her eyes as she dragged me down into a booth. "You've got this, don't worry, you'll be official by the end of it. You're going to blow him away with the trial week, and there's nothing in your background that would make him say no."
Angel had a good point; nothing in my background would be grounds for making me unhirable. Surprisingly, I've kept out of trouble growing up, at least out of trouble with the law. My school record was nowhere near perfect with how many times I got suspended throughout the years for getting into fights. Other than that smear, and the fact I was a high school dropout, there was nothing terrible.
"Can you like not mention anything about me to him though? I'm pretty sure he doesn't know about my relationship to you, and I doubt knowing would sway his decision, but for my ease of mind and for the sake of keeping things clean for now, can you keep quiet until I'm officially hired or something?" Again, Stepan didn't seem like the type of person to let his relationship with Angel get in the way of his decision regarding my employment, but it felt weird to me if he knew before things would become official.
"If that's what you want. Then don't worry, I won't say a word. Besides, it would feel kind of weird to ask if he hired my friend or not." Angel assured me with a smile before waving down a server and ordering us a round of drinks.
"Is Lev always such an ass?" I asked with a chuckle, picking up the shot glass the moment it was set in front of me.
I'd like to get some insight into the two men I'd be stuck with for the next seven days. Even if Angel hadn't been married to her husband for a long time, surely she would know something about her two brothers-in-law that would help me.
"Dude, he's a male you, so yes, he is. I want to say he's a big teddy bear underneath, but I can't because so far he's been an asshole to me. Granted, I don't blame him, I'm still a stranger to the family, a little blip to his stability. I wouldn't worry about him though, he's just rough around the edges like that." Angel replied with a soft chuckle before downing her shot.
"Oh please, don't compare me to that gorilla. I'm way better." I scoffed playfully with a smile before downing my shot with a scowl. "Vodka? Really?"
"I need to get used to it otherwise Arseny is going to drink me under the table." Angel sighed, chuckling softly at the end before pushing another shot at me.
Shaking my head softly, I chuckled while playing with the shot glass in my hand. "Still can't believe you're married, and to the Nikolai Volkov. Honestly, the world is screaming at you at this point to get comfortable with mafia life because there is no escape now."
The mafia life was something no one ever left freely, or left in general unless it was by way of a body bag. I had already long accepted my fate, unlike my friend Angel, who was the daughter of the Qing Triad's head. Even if her presence was almost nonexistent, she was still tied to the triad whether she wanted or not. She had been trying to remove herself from the triad entirely and put the mafia life behind her for a long while, but the world had other plans for her because now she was married to the head of the Volkov Bratva.
Everyone, Angel included, still tried to come to terms with it all because the marriage was very abrupt. Her stepmother kidnapped her after work and forced the arranged marriage on her. The marriage definitely changed the dynamic of everything, but not in a bad way. Thankfully, Angel's husband was more than fine with her continuing her little diabolic plan of tearing down the triad. Still, we had to be more cautious because of the truce between the bratva and the triad until Angel could fully find a way out.
Unlike Angel, I've already long accepted the ill fate the world has dealt me. I was doomed the moment my father was killed, and my mother got her hands on me. While the other kids grew up with friends, I grew up with monsters. My childhood ended the day my father shut his eyes for the last time.
I'd been a part of the triad ever since I could remember, from being their plaything to their weapon. As much as I hated it, at least it gave me Angel and my other friends—all of whom I considered family.
"All jokes aside though, he's treating you good? You know I won't hesitate to put him in his place, whether that be a kick to the balls or six feet underground if he does hurt you." I didn't give a damn if he was the Pahkan of the Volkov Bratva, no one—and I mean no one—lays a hand on any of my friends and gets away scot-free.
I might tease Angel endlessly about her little situation, but I still worried for her deep down. Angel hasn't had it easy when it came to men and love; her last one nearly killed her, literally. I didn't want her to get hurt again because I really might lose her this time if she did.
