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“Might as well wear the matching necklace,” Evelina said, hopping off the bed to rummage through my stash.
“See, it’s not so bad being married,” I said, inwardly laughing at my extreme change of heart.
Evelina shook her head. “Yuck, no thank you. I’ll die single.”
“Oh my God, don’t say that.” In our family’s line of work, I didn’t let anyone casually joke about dying.
She rolled her eyes at my concern. “Is Yuri going to be at your meeting?”
“Yuri’s in court today, and he trusts me to deal with it,” I said. “But Ivan will be there with some hired muscle in case the Moscow guys get any ideas.”
“I don’t think they will,” she said. “Who wouldn’t want to be able to stay here in this paradise?”
“Says the girl who’s about to leave for New York soon,” I teased.
“Eh, I’ll be back eventually.” She gave me a look that warned against prying, so I let her keep her secrets.
The driver Yuri hired for me was waiting when I hurried outside. I jumped in the backseat, eager and nervous at the same time to start this new chapter. I felt a little silly being chauffeured around, but between catching up with my class and the meetings I’d been having with Ivan to get ready for today, I couldn’t find the time to go take the driving test to get my license.
We pulled up in front of the bar where the meeting would be held and I sighed, knowing it would hurt the driver’s feelings if I didn’t wait for him to hustle around and open the door for me. I was just glad this was a somewhat secluded spot, away from tourists or anyone who might have rubbed shoulders with Yuri. We were supposed to go to our first big society function in a few weeks and he told me to brace myself for all the attention I’d get there. It would probably be lots of fun, but I cherished it just being us for now.
Ivan and his guards were already there, and I was surprised and pleased to see Yuri’s other brothers, Aleksei and Nikolai, were there too. They had been a little cool at first—I had blown up one of their warehouses after all—but they seemed to be warming up to me at last Sunday’s family dinner. It meant a lot that they’d come to show their support for my new leadership of the Orlov-Morozov clan.
“There’s our firebrand,” Ivan called when he noticed me.
I blushed at their new nickname, still not completely sure they weren’t teasing me. They told me it was because I was so passionate about corraling my father’s men, but I thought there was a bit of gentle ribbing underneath it. They said they were over the warehouse, but it would probably be a while before they really were.
Soon, the others arrived together in a group, the men from Moscow seeming to hold back, as if they weren’t sure they belonged. I honestly understood them, and I stood in front of the rows of chairs and looked each one in the eye.
“We’re a family,” I said. “By choice if not by blood.” I glanced at Ivan, who nodded encouragingly. This was all my show. I swallowed and continued. “Complete and utter loyalty is expected without question. If you can’t show me that, you can leave now. No questions, no shame. You can live your lives how you like, as long as it never interferes with my family. Us, if that’s what you choose.”
I looked pointedly at the door, but no one got up to leave. One of the Moscow men raised his hand, looking around sheepishly when I told him to speak.
“I for one, am happy to be here,” he said in English, albeit with a thick Russian accent.
That was another thing I could commiserate with, but they’d all grow more confident over time. A few of the others piped up to agree and then quieted down to let me continue. I laid out the rules and went over a few of our upcoming plans, finishing with my most important decree.
“You answer only to me, or Ivan if I can’t be reached. If you have any tax questions, only then should you speak to my husband, Yuri.” I reiterated the importance of staying on the right side of the government here, and then I called for the bartender to bring them all shots of our imported Russian vodka.
I declined my shot, ignoring Ivan’s questioning look. After everyone left to set up their new homes and prepare themselves for what came next, Ivan asked if I wanted to go to lunch with Aleksei and Nikolai.
“We’re meeting up with the wives, I’m sure they want to hear how it went straight from you.”
I shook my head. “I’d love to some other time, but I’m meeting Yuri. I have something important to tell him and it can’t wait.”
My husband’s eldest brother gave me a knowing look. “Ah well, congratulations, then.”
He couldn’t possibly know, could he? The glint in his eyes told me he probably did. I swore him to secrecy until Yuri knew.
I had the driver take me to the courthouse, then sent him home. I waited for Yuri to come out, even more nervous about my news than I was about the meeting that morning. He looked happy to see me and hurried over to sweep me into a hug. “What a great surprise,” he said. “We have just enough time to grab a quick lunch before my next client.”
He plied me with questions while we walked to a nearby sandwich stand, taking our food to one of the shaded outdoor tables.
“I’m so glad it went well,” he said. “Not that I was ever worried.” He smiled at me, his eyes full of pride. “You were born to do this.”
“You’re being kind, but thank you,” I said.
He shook his head. “It really ties into your interest in psychology, doesn’t it? You understand those guys so they’ll be happy to serve you.” He finished his bite and asked if I was going to sign up for more classes.
