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The amount is staggering, but even more so is the fact that I’m going to be a father. I never thought the day would come, though I dreamed of it sometimes. All those lonely nights in a cell finally came to an end, and my life has unfolded to reveal the most incredible new reality.
But then there’s the issue of my brother. I can’t stop thinking about Damien’s potential involvement in all this, but I haven’t had time to find him and demand answers. I need to rebuild my empire with the money and the mother of my child.
Miracles only stick around if you appreciate them, and I’m not about to let all this slip away because of a family feud. It would be a grave disservice to myself and to Kimberly.
So, Damien can wait. I’ll have the opportunity to confront him in the future. Right now, Kimberly’s safety is all that matters.
We’re headed down to Nevada, where the weather is warm and the opportunities are endless. I hear the Las Vegas crime scene is crowded, but just outside the big city there are plenty of opportunities for a wealthy Bratva boss like me to carve out his niche.
“Since we’re dealing in cash, we’re going to have to stay in a hotel for a few days before I can find a seller who is willing to hand over property for cash,” I explain to Kimberly as we barrel down a lonely road just after midnight. The stars are shining like glitter, and the moon is big and bright. The world feels wide open to me, but I know Kimberly doesn’t feel the same. She sees her walls closing in, but I’m here to prove to her that it’s really the opposite.
She sighs, pulling her legs up onto the seat and hugging her knees. “I hope it’s not some kind of trap house.”
I laugh. “No, darling, it’ll be somewhere nice. Gated community.”
She frowns, looking over at me suspiciously. “Just how much money did you take from my basement?”
“Enough,” I reply, unwilling to reveal the numbers. Knowing her, she’d be counting every dollar to make sure we have enough, but that’s not the way things work in the Bratva. Money comes and money goes. You can’t get too stingy or you’ll end up with a clogged pipeline.
No money out means no money in.
“You should be a little more open if you intend to marry me,” Kimberly says.
“Well, when we’re married, perhaps I will,” I counter.
She squints at me, pushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “You’re on thin ice, Avraam.”
“Fuck, that’s no good. I hear it’s pretty hot in Nevada.”
She’s not laughing at my jokes, but that’s alright. They’re more for myself than anyone else. I need to take my mind off the gravity of our situation. It’s not the danger that I’m concerned about, nor is it building back my Bratva kingdom.
It’s Damien. I just don’t understand how he could betray me like this.
Speeding down the dark road at night, my mind is caught up in memories of our brief past together. We were together a lot as kids, but when we came to the United States, our connection was severed so hard and so fast that I believed I’d never see him again.
And I was right, up until he inserted himself in my life again. He claimed to have been watching me this entire time, but why? Does he actually care about me, or does he see me as a threat to his lifestyle.
I wasn’t willing to accept favors from him or start anew under his command. Does that make me the villain? Is that all it took to tear us apart again?
It’s confusing and frustrating, but I try to hide that from Kimberly. I don’t want her stressing out more than she already is. Her pregnancy is delicate, and I don’t want to hurt her or the baby with unnecessary worry.
Kimberly relaxes a little as the night wears on. It’s not easy for her to keep her eyes open after a few hours on the empty road, and she’s fully surrendered to the dream world by the time we cross the border into Idaho.
The silence gives me time to think. This hasn’t been easy, but it’s going to be a lot better now that we have the money. The black and white tile floor in the basement was surprisingly easy to remove, and once that was up the ground was soft from years of water damage.
In all honesty, that’s probably why Kimberly got the house for so cheap. The foundation is soft, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the entire house needed to be rebuilt in a couple of years.
But that’s largely irrelevant now that we’re moving to Nevada. Kimberly isn’t keen on leaving everything she has behind, but it’s not like she’s been in Montana for very long.
It’s not about the house or the job. It’s the stability that she craves, something I won’t be able to provide until I get my Bratva kingdom rebuilt.
And I find out who is trying to kill me.
But like the rising smoke from the barrel of a .45, the devil behind the shooting isn’t far away. I get a call on my phone as I drive, and I answer it, curious who has managed to obtain my number.
“Avraam,” the distinct voice of Damien growls through the phone.
I look toward Kimberly, who is snoozing peacefully through the white noise of the road beneath us. I’ll have to keep my voice down not to wake her.
