Page 58 of Savage Little War

I let out a dry laugh. “I just saved lives by killing Paolo Ferro and his men. You should be thanking me.”

Victor balls up his hands into fists, acting like he’s actually ready to fight me in this gazebo in front of dozens of people. “You will suffer for this. You, the foolish Bratva men who follow you, and the Irish.”

“We’ll see about that,” Sean replies, not seeming fazed or convinced.

“Try,” I say.

That’s what the Council does most of the time. Talk a lot of shit and not do anything about it. No wonder it’s so easy for me to tell them to fuck off now.

Victor glares at me before turning and walking out of the gazebo, leading the rest of the Council members away until it’s just Sean and I left behind.

“You’ve had to deal with those guys all your life?” Sean questions me.

“Some have been replaced throughout the years, but yes,” I tell him, remembering how I used to respect them and my father when I was young, naïve, and didn’t know any better. Now, I’ve seen their true colors. I know how cowardly they are.

There’s nothing to respect about them.

“Are they going to be a problem in the future?” Sean asks as he raises an eyebrow.

“Maybe,” I admit. “But if they move, I’ll move first. Don’t worry about that.”

“Of course, I’m going to worry. They hate my daughter. They hate that the two of you are getting married,” Sean replies.

“Because they want the alliance with the Suyunovs,” I tell him. “But it’s not going to happen. I don’t care how many times they bark those orders at me.”

Sean watches the Council members get into multiple cars in the parking lot and drive off, his brow furrowing. “Just keep your eye on them.”

“I will,” I say. I’ve had my eye on them for a while now.

Sean turns to me and sticks his hand out. “I should get going.”

“Thanks for doing this with me. It’s time that they accept our alliance and my marriage to Cara,” I tell him as I shake his hand.

Our union will change everything for the Bratva, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to forge the most successful alliance in Bratva history. Aligning Bratva families with other Bratva families only takes us all so far.

But I see a whole new vision when I picture the Bratva and the Irish together.

Connections. Shared resources. Protection from outside enemies. Peace.

We can achieve all of that if the Council stops standing in the way.

“Are you headed back to her now? She should really get to a doctor soon,” Sean says with a worried frown.

“Already made an appointment,” I assure him. “You’ll hear what Cara wants to share,” I say. “When she’s ready.”

Sean lets out a soft, hopeful sigh. “Yeah, I hope so. I’d like to be involved in my grandchild’s life.”

That’s a conversation that I need to have with Cara but not for a while. She deserves to rest and recuperate from this last trip, and I think that I’m going to do the same if I get the chance.

“Cara is coming around,” I tell him. “Just be patient with her.”

Sean nods. “Goodbye, Dmitri.”

I nod to him before watching him walk out of the gazebo to get into his car.

For a while longer, I stand there alone.

I watch a kid race across the grass while his father laughs like the world is simple.