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We pull up to the front of my brother’s casino, and I wait until Mikhail opens the door. I step out and shake my legs, getting circulation back after sitting for so long. I walk toward the entrance with my head held high and not so much as a glance at others around me.Babushkataught my siblings and me that we are above others because of who our father is. Mikhail and Dmitri, on the other hand, have their heads on a constant swivel, making sure there are no dangers lurking around. It’s not that I don’t care about my safety, of course I do. But I’m really good at reading an area before I even step out of the vehicle, and I can fight for myself. I only have a security detail because it’s required and because they wanted to do it aside from being my seconds in command and heads of the brigadiers.
As I stroll inside, I assess there is more hotel security milling around than usual. They are trying to blend in but failing because of their increased presence. Yes, there is definitely something going on.
My brother’s casino is outright owned by him and not the family. But he still has ties to the Bratva, such as hiring people who want to go legit and get out of the organization. I respect the fact that some people don’t want to be a part of the Bratva, my brother and sister included. My brother has always wanted to own his own casino, and he worked hard to get it.
Grayson’s best friend and assistant, Aleksei, is waiting for me and moves us toward a private doorway. Someday I expect Grayson to make Alek his partner and offer him partial ownership of the casino too. We move through the back of the casino into the inner bowels, where offices and staff are. Alek flashes his security card when we reach the elevator. The doors open, and once inside, he does it again. The elevator ascends to the private office and security floor, where Gray’s executive office is located. It is only accessible by personnel who meet special requirements.
We move off the elevator as a group, none of us making chitchat or socializing. Alek is silent, which confirms my suspicions that something very serious is going on. When he opens the door to Gray’s office and I see my brother’s disheveled appearance, I’m taken aback.
“What’s wrong?” I ask in greeting. His eyes, identical to my own, move to me. His normally pressed suit is wrinkled. His hair is down from the normal tie or slicked back style he wears it in. I can tell he’s been pulling at it. The dark circles under his eyes and his untrimmed beard and mustache speak of his anxiety.
“We have issues. Someone has been trying to hack the system, and for some fucked-up reason there are runners on the premises. I’ve had gaming commission officials dropping in for surprise inspections. They’ve hinted that complaints have been made. On top of all that, we’ve caught a couple guys counting cards. AndBabushkachased off my woman.”
“Well, that could be a good thing.Babushkahas a sense of people; maybe this girl is after all this.” I wave my hand around and then unbutton my jacket to take a seat across the desk from him.
“She’s my wife.” He drops the bomb. “She had no clue this is mine. She had no clue about us.” He moves his hand between the two of us and then my guys. “Babushkajudged Erika based on her appearance instead of her heart. I have a call into Father to discuss my wife and what’s going on here.”
“Guys, out,” I order my men, and they step out. When we talk to Father, we don’t usually have an audience. I dial his number knowing unfortunately that he’ll take a call from me faster than he will from Grayson. It has nothing to do with the fact that I’m his legitimate son but more to do with the fact I run his business here.
“Syn.” His thickly accented voice comes across the line, calling me son in Russian. He’s always spoken a blend of English and Russian around me, just as my mother did French. Because of that, I speak all three languages fluently.
“Pakhan.”
“Your brother is trying to get a hold of me. Do you know why?”
“I’m here,Otets,” Gray says loud enough for him to be heard across the speakerphone. Gray calls him Father instead of his title as head of the Bratva.
“Well?”
“I wanted to go over a few things with you.”
“Go on. I do not have all day.”
"I got married,” Gray says, then quickly adds, “and I’ll be moving across the country where my wife lives. I’d like to convert to a partnership with Alek, and someone is fucking with the casino.”
We discuss what’s going on with the casino and how much trouble this could bring down on the Bratva as well as Grayson. Father agrees that Gray should have considered Alek years ago as his partner. Even though the family has nothing to do with my brother’s casino, Gray shows our father respect by seeking his input in these matters. It’s decided I’ll look into the runners. I need to find out why they’re operating in the Lucky Dice Casino. They work for bookies holding bets, but the practice is illegal on casino properties. I need to find out if they are associated with our cardroom or with another family. If so, just being on these premises is a direct insult to us. In the meanwhile, Gray and Alek will work on the hacker issue and with the authorities.
As we head back down to the car, I have a feeling this whole situation has something to do with our past and will need to be handled without any more people getting hurt or involved. That means I’ll have to wait to bring Sparrow into the fold. I’ll keep a contingency on her just in case something goes wrong. I hate that I have to wait even longer, but as long as I know where she is, she can’t run from me.
We head to my office located above the restaurant and poker cardroom I run. The Russian Cardroom, like my restaurant, is exclusive. Everyone is vetted before they can enter a game. It’s attached to Yelena’s, named afterBabushka.We cater to Russian, Baltic, and Ukrainian cuisines.
* * *
Sparrow
Iwatch the SUV pull away from the curb and drive off. I know he’s watching me. My body senses him when he’s close by. Even though Andrei has left, I still feel safe. I know he’s got someone watching over me. It sounds weird, but I can feel him. He’s so powerful and consuming it’s as if the air changes when he’s around. But I’m not afraid of him.
I crave him.
I’ve tried to keep his presence a secret from my brother because I know he’ll think I’m being naïve and stupid. At first, I thought Andrei was after me because Brett owes money to most of the bookies in town. When the big, scary bodyguards started showing up with food, water, and gifts, that’s when I figured that wasn’t the case. Andrei could have had them just grab me up and take me right then, not this wooing he’s doing. I hide the gifts from Brett so he won’t pawn them for money or break them. He hates me getting any attention or special things. I once went to the store and bought myself new shoes for work and he threw them out.
Brett hates me, and since I’ve started having more and more dreams about the night our mother died, I hate him too. I doubt the stories I’ve been told are true. But he’s my brother and I’ve been taught to be loyal to him, no matter what. Even though now I question everything. Things my mother said before she died flash through my mind. I was only four when I lost her. My father always told me a bookie he had owed money to killed her by mistake. But these images keep flickering through my mind of my father doing it. I don’t know who to trust. I’m worried it really was my father and I wonder why.
I finish cleaning the salon. One day I hope I can afford to come to a place like this and get my hair trimmed. I usually trim my own hair. It’s easy with it being all one length. I can’t wait until the day I can get away from my brother and this life of working just to pay his bills. I can barely afford the rent for our small apartment. Just this morning the building manager cornered me and demanded I pay him with my body. I shiver at the recollection of his grimy hand brushing down my cheek.
I exit out the back door of the salon and lock up. The bus ride home is quiet in the late hour. I keep my head down so I don’t attract any attention. I’ve learned through the years to make myself less conspicuous. I blend in. I wear hoodies to cover the shape of my body. Most people mistake me for a young teenage boy when I wear my hair up and covered with the hood on cooler nights. During the heat of the day, I still wear my hair up but keep my head down and move around the crowds. I avoid the Strip and the main tourist areas.
As soon as I open the main door to the apartment building, I notice the landlord standing there. But when he spots me, he turns his back on me and runs the other way. Before he turned, I saw bruises on his face. I wonder if he propositioned another woman who instead of saying no just punched him. I proceed to my apartment and smile when there is no notice on the door, that’s one less stress I’ll have. But my smile dies as soon as I step inside. My brother is standing there with his body shaking in anger. His fists are clenched along with his jaw.
