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Enzo dabs at his forehead with handkerchief. “I haven’t been out here in a while. I used to run a few miles on those paths almost every day.”
“Enzo means to say that he doesn’t exercise anymore, as evidence by his protruding gut,” Santo says jokingly.
“He’s not wrong,” Enzo says with a sigh, which sends a trickle down my spine. Enzo rarely lets Santo get away with his jokes, but something seems off about my biggest brother.
“It’s good to see you,” Franco says, a tight smile on his lips.
I give him a hug. “You too.”
“Dad’s furious.” Franco glances at Enzo. “Really mad.”
I turn as Enzo shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair. “I’m guessing Maxim’s the one that killed Zita and the guards?”
“Ben died? That’s a pity.” Maxim taps a finger against his hip. A gun sits in a holster partially hidden by his light jacket. “Zita deserved what she got, and Renato got in my way.”
“Can’t say we disagree,” Santo says as I return to Maxim’s side. “But three corpses on our property is a real pain in the ass. Enzo’s been running The Velvet Rope himself as punishment.”
“Papa sure does love to send people there,” I point out and Enzo almost cracks a smile.
“It’s not bad when you’re in charge,” he says and glances at Maxim. “Are we here to talk shit, or is there business?”
Maxim nods sharply and squeezes my hand. “I have a proposition for you all.”
My stomach knots and I know what he’s about to say. We discussed it the day before in detail, and it’s a good plan. Assuming my brothers decide to go along with it, which I think they will—but I’m not sure. It’s not an easy plan, and it’ll mean a lot of pain for everyone involved, but there’s a glimmer of something better in our future if only we can be strong enough to reach out and grab it.
Loyalty was drilled into us since we were kids. Loyalty is the most important thing in our lives, and the idea of turning our backs on our papa is nearly inconceivable. And yet Enzo looks even worse than he did the last time I saw him, and Santo and Franco don’t seem much better. All three of my brothers are worn down, and I know it’s because of Papa. It’ll only get worse if we don’t do something to stop him.
“My offer is simple. I’ll give you control of the Bastone empire in exchange for your father’s retirement.”
Enzo’s eyebrows lift. “Retirement? Is that some kind of bratva euphemism?”
“The Novalov family has land deep in the heart of Russia. We will escort him to a cabin we own and make sure he understands that he’s not to leave the property. I will hire local men to take care of him and ensure he’s as comfortable as he possibly can be in the Russian wilderness. The winters will be hard, but he’ll survive. We’ll leave him there, and one of you three will take over the business.” He lets that sink in. Enzo looks thoughtful and intrigued, but his eyebrows remain knitted tight. “However, you’ll swear fealty to my father. You’ll pay a percentage of your profits to our family, and the exact number will be negotiated later. You’ll run your business as you see fit, but you’ll also have the resources of the Novalov bratva at your disposal as well. Meaning business and political connections, bribe money, and soldiers to keep everyone safe and in line. It’ll benefit everyone.”
Enzo doesn’t speak. He looks at my brothers. Santo strokes his cheek, and Franco glowers at the grass. I can’t tell what they’re thinking, but it’s a good plan. The Novalov family can help my brothers grow the business beyond what we were ever capable of, and they’ll be rid of Papa’s toxic influence. My brothers can make more and become stronger if they ally themselves with Maxim, and all they have to do is give up a little bit of cash and autonomy in the short term.
“Will your father manage our affairs?” Franco asks softly, frowning and squinting at Maxim.
“No, he will not. I’ll ensure that you’re more like a client than an employee. You’ll have complete control of your day-to-day decisions, but you will be beholden to Novalov interests. If you choose to do something that goes against the bratva, you’ll have to pull back. We may also draw you into any confrontations we have with other rival groups in the future. But beyond that, your family will be your family, only stronger.”
“How do we know you’d stick to that?” Enzo asks.
“Because you growing stronger will benefit us. The more money you make, the more money flows into our coffers. My family has found that their clients work best when we give them as much slack as we can. This is not a new arrangement for us.” Which is true—he gave me a list of a dozen different families, gangs, and groups affiliated with the Novalov bratva in this way.
