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“I’ve maintained the house as best as possible and kept on all the staff there. So, everything is still in order.”
“Thank you for doing that.”
Igor chuckles. “Boy, you know you don’t have to thank me for such a thing.”
“I know, but I’m still grateful. I’ll speak to the lawyer about the assets, and I’ll go to the house before the end of the week.”
Father lived in a seven-bedroom manor home in Weston, which isn’t that much different to this in décor and style, but the surrounding acres of land are expansive. It’s big enough to fit another property of the same size and still be called expansive.
That was where I lived when we moved to the States and where I spent the rest of my teenage years until I left for college. After that, I got my own place in the city because I was more of a night life kind of guy. I’m still the same in some ways, but in other ways, I’ve changed.
“If you need me to go with you, I will,” Igor says.
“I’d like that.” I don’t need him to go with me, but I know the offer is his way of reconnecting with me.
“I thought so. I’m here to support you in whatever you need. Everyone here dealt with the loss of your father together, but you were by yourself.”
“It was difficult. I wish I were around.”
“More than anything, I wish that, too. And with that said, I hope you’re up to stepping back into your old shoes and settling into your new role in the Brotherhood.” The comment shifts the conversation to business mode.
“Definitely. I’m more than ready to get back on track.” My voice holds the depth of my determination to show him that I take my responsibility in the Bratva seriously.
Regardless of what Jason did to me, I’m fully aware I need to accept the parts of what happened which were my fault—the parts Igor and everyone else in the Zaitsev and the Creed will use to judge me.
If I were anyone else, it wouldn’t be as bad. But the son of Seimone Levitsky, one of the most notorious leaders in the Bratvas being incarcerated opened the door for the feds and all sorts of people to investigate us.
It also goes without saying that those same people who know about myearlyrelease are raising hell. There’s nothing they can do about it, but once doors like that have been opened, they can’t be so easily closed again.
“I can assure you that I have the Zaitsev’s best interest at heart,” I add, and I truly mean that.
“I know you do. It will be good for the Zaitsev to have their elite division back in order, as it should be.”
“I completely agree.” I try to keep the stiffness out of my voice. Our elite now includes Jason. That doesn’t even sound right in my head.
Igor’s face takes on a stern edge. “I pray that means I can go back to relying on you.” He holds my gaze with the same eagerness he showed when I first arrived.
“Of course.”
“Good, because I need you to see this as your second chance, and I don’t want you to fuck it up. I want you to get on with Jason and end this dislike you have for him. He’s been a massive support to us for more than twenty years. He more than deserves the position I’ve given him.”
There we go. Straight to the point.
“I’m sure you will always do what you think is best.” This is where I have to dance around the truth. “But I don’t like the way we rely on him as an organization.”
There was no way I could sit here and simply agree with everything he’s saying like some mindless automaton.
“We don’t rely on him. Dante... Jason is the most powerful weapon your father and I have ever created. He has ensured our longevity as leaders of the Creed. Jason has become more significant to us than ever. His political influences have built bridges we wouldn’t have been able to build had we not had our very own governor.”
“I understand that, and it makes perfect sense, but have you ever wondered what would happen if the day came when we lost his loyalty?” I’m just testing the water to see his reaction.
“I have no need to worry about that, and neither do you. I can assure you his loyalty is to me. He would be a fool if he crossed me.”
Jason might not cross him, but he crossed me. I don’t know the why yet, but clearly, Jason needed me gone for some reason.
“Only yesterday, he managed to secure our biggest business venture yet,” Igor continues proudly, his gratifying tone pissing me off even more.
“What’s that?” I’m definitely curious to know what that is.
