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Chapter 31 – Viktor
Sophia’s words rangthrough my mind as Volkov and his daughter piled into their armored SUV and disappeared into the night. Something was off, but this was the underworld. Whatever their angle, whatever reason the little socialite had gone into Sophia’s work room, in the end, it was all part of the game. I think I shocked the hell out of my sister when I didn’t turn into a maniac. Honestly, defeat was weighing on my chest. Even though I could put on a front and push it back, it was still there—the fact that I was stuck with Volkov’s daughter, unless by some miracle we escaped the contract.
With their departure, the air grew lighter, and the tension on the faces of our soldiers eased. I made a mental note to speak to my guards after my uncle left to see if they gleaned anything interesting from their time spent with the East Coast presence. It was grasping at straws, but if I could find out what Anya had been after, perhaps there was something there that could break the contract. It was a long shot, but I was becoming desperate. After tonight, I realized I couldn’t ever let my own guard down around her. What a way to spend a marriage; always watching my back.
“Plemyannik, we need to speak,” my uncle muttered, lighting another cigarette.
I couldn’t ask him not to smoke those, even outside my house, but dammit, it was tempting. “Yes, sir?”
My cousin came to attention and slid his phone into his pocket. Finally. “Viktor, this peace treaty with the New York Syndicate is more than an important business transaction. You know that, right?” Nikolai asked, stepping closer to his father.
I ground my molars. They clearly had an agenda. As I watched Nikolai try to act all superior, I wanted nothing more than to knock back his rooster feathers. “I do,” I clipped, answering the question without leaving the door open for more conversation.
Nikolai pushed through regardless. “It’s your head or marry the princess, cuz. Volkov might seem pleasant, but he’s out for blood. We’d hate to lose you.”
I was appeased there was a thread of emotion in Nikolai’s gruff statement.
“You should never have gone to New York,” Uncle Igor muttered, flicking ash on the front step.
“I never gave any indication of backing out of my marriage,” I stated. “What’s this about?”
“Your house guest—Sophia’s little friend—she needs to go,” my uncle said, spitting a wad of tinged spittle onto the concrete.
I had to clench my jaw tightly to keep from lashing out. After a few deep breaths, I finally trusted myself to speak. “She’s in danger until this skirmish with the Serbs is done.” I cut my hand through the air to emphasize what I said next. “She’s not going anywhere.”
“And what measures have you taken to ensure she keeps her mouth shut when it comes to our secrets?” Uncle Igor asked quietly.
I started. I’d known this question was coming up. “Who said what?”
“Volkov just told me that Briana knows about the Bratva; that she didn’t believe the cover story about a random act of inner-city violence on your engagement party.”
I looked my uncle dead in the eye and lied. “She’s known for years.”
The bushy, grizzly brows on my uncle’s forehead jumped. “She has?”
I nodded. While Sophia assured me she’d spoken to Bri and made the situation crystal clear, I’d done my own digging to make sure there was adequate protection for Briana. “Her father has some under the table business deals. While she’s not part of a crime family, she knows how to keep her mouth shut and her nose clean. Learning about us didn’t change that—she’s been trustworthy for years.”
“I thought as much,” Uncle Igor muttered. “You wouldn’t have let Sophia room with her if she wasn’t.”
He believed me.I relaxed a fraction, aware I needed to make a point of speaking to Briana about how dangerous it would be if she talked about us, and how I could only do so much to protect her. However, Bri was smart, and I did trust her. With my life.That thought eased something in my chest.
“Regardless,” Nikolai continued, “Volkov is displeased your mistress resides in your home, and that she was hostess tonight with your bride-to-be present.” Nikolai slid his hands in his pockets, face pinched in silent mirth.
