“I love you, too, Emma. Don’t be sad. This is just a natural part of life. It’ll be okay,” Gran says. “Now…help me eat something before I starve.”
We laugh together, and I help her eat her lunch, as small as it is. When she says she’s full, I throw away the trash and tuck her in for a nap. I’ll be back later this evening to go with her to the hospice facility, and I need to get the paperwork started.
CHAPTER THREE
IVAN
I WOKE UP this morning and I was already behind for the day. I knew things would get busier once my father retired but ever since I took over aspakhanof thebratvain Boston I’m lucky if I get four hours of sleep a night. Last night it was only three hours and they were not restful.
As the leader of thebratvaI make the decisions but I also rely heavily on my brothers. After all, it’s in thebratvaname. We are a brotherhood. I looked up to my father when he waspakhanand I saw how the men respected him but also feared him. He was hard, but fair, and was also the kind of man who could be ruthless when he needed to be.
“Mikhail, where are we on the warehouse?” I ask my advisor. I’m in the office of my city home today. I stay in the city during the week and at my home outside the city on the weekends or if I need extended periods of peace. Usually when tourist season hits Boston I’m out of the city because the noise drives me crazy.
“Almost done. We sign the final paperwork tomorrow,” he responds.
“Make it happen today. It’s taken long enough and we should already have it in our possession,” I reply. Seriously, I know the Irish want that warehouse too and I won’t let them have it. “Next.”
“Shipments will arrive tomorrow night. I’ve got one crew receiving the real shipment and a decoy crew further up the harbor,” Mikhail explains.
“Excellent,” I reply. “The Irish have more eyes on us lately and this should hopefully steer them in the opposite direction we want them to be. What else?”
“Keeping up appearances boss. There’s the gala being attended by politicians and business leaders the day after tomorrow. You should bring a date,” Mikhail reminds me.
“No. I’ll go to this gala but I’m not taking a date,” I say firmly.
“Boss, you should really reconsider taking a date. You arepakhannow. You need to ensure survival of our organization and strengthen your position. That means having a family and providing heirs. To do that, you must date.”
“Mikhail,” I say to him as I place a hand on his shoulder. “You are my advisor and my friend. I understand what you are saying here. However, I am not ready for that yet. I need to keep thebratvaorganized and on track during this transition. Once the transition is settled we can work on finding me a wife.”
“Yes boss.” Mikhail sighs.
“Mikhail, speak to me as a friend and not yourpakhan. What are you really thinking?”
“I want to see you happy and settled,” he said.
“You are not settled. Why should I be?” I argue.
“I am not thepakhanof thebratva. It is not significant that I am not married and settled,” Mikhail counters. He lets out a chuckle that makes his shoulders shake slightly.
“This is my organization now.”
“Fair enough Ivan,” Mikhail answers, holding up his hands in surrender. “However, there are those among us who would see you fail. They would see you crash and burn so they can have a piece of what’s left, which would be a larger piece of what they currently have.”
”What do you suggest I do?” I ask him.
“You will find the right woman when the time is right. You’re in your early thirties and there is plenty of time. However, you should do it sooner rather than later before someone tries to take over and push you out,” he says.
“Thank you Mikhail. That’s all for now.”
“Yes boss,” was the reply as Mikhail backed away from my desk and left my office.
I swivel my chair around to observe the view from the office window. My Beacon Hill home was a gift from my parents when I graduated Cornell with my M.B.A. My father said it was a good real estate investment and I have modernized it a lot over the years I’ve owned it, including purchasing the houses on either side of this one for increased security and extra room between me and my neighbors. I like my space and value my peace, especially in my line of work.
The master bedroom overlooks the public garden as does the room that became my office. There’s something I find peaceful about looking onto a green space and I enjoy the calm it brings in the middle of chaos. Maybe that’s why I also enjoy my Watertown estate so much. With my future mapped out before I could walk, I knew I would need a place to get away.
I look at my watch and realize I’m late for lunch with my brothers. We have a standing weekly lunch with each other in Brookline at a restaurant run by a man from the old country who serves traditional Russian food. Boris is a good man and I make sure he and his wife are taken care of. I was the only one of my brothers born in Russia so our weekly lunch at Boris’ restaurant is my way of keeping them connected to our roots.
Now that I ampakhanmy brothers will need to start taking on larger roles within thebratva. They already have positions that make the best use of their personal interests and professional skills. Before our father retired and I took over, he made sure to start including myself and my brothers in roles that we would eventually take over. This way the old guard would be used to having us around and it would hopefully make the power transition easier. My brothers are not as ruthless as my father’s men are and I’m hoping that doesn’t affect this leadership transition.
