Page 35 of Velvet Chains
Son of a bitch, he’s been watching us this whole time, waiting for his chance to strike.
I grit my teeth, the muscle in my jaw ticking. She’s right again, as much as I hate to admit it. We can’t afford any weak links, not now, not with Papa’s health hanging in the balance.
“This cannot happen again,” I growl, my voice low and deadly. “I want our security protocols reviewed and tightened immediately. No one gets within a hundred feet of our family without being vetted six ways to Sunday.”
Ksenia’s fingers dance across the screen of her iPad, pulling up a video feed. She slides the device across the table, her eyes hard as flint.
“You need to see this, little brother. It seems our resident cockroach got a bit too handsy with your new wife.”
I grab the iPad, my jaw clenching as I watch the footage. It’s grainy and dark, but I can make out two figures in what looks like a supply closet. My vision goes red as I recognize Laura’s face, her features twisted in fear and anger.
And there, pinning her against the wall like a fucking piece of meat, is Jankowski. His face is inches from hers, his hands gripping her arms hard enough to leave bruises.
The rage boils up inside me like a volcano ready to erupt. I want to reach through the screen and rip his fucking throat out, to paint the walls with his blood for daring to touch what’s mine.
No one lays a hand on my wife. No one.
I’m going to hunt this bastard down and make him wish he’d never been born. I’ll break every bone in his fucking body, starting with the fingers that dared to touch Laura.
And then I’ll let Ksenia have a turn.
My sister clears her throat, suddenly serious. “I would have brought this to your attention sooner, but you were tied up taking over everything from Papa’s businesses. Preparing for the future, I assume?”
“I’m on it, Ksenia,” I grunt, running a hand through my hair in frustration. “Our old man is still running the business like it’s the goddamn Stone Age. I’ve been drowning in paperwork for days, trying to make sense of all this shit.”
Ksenia nods, her expression grim. “You better catch on quick, little brother. Papa’s gone and declared you the next Pakhan. Trust me, not everyone’s going to take that lying down.”
I feel a weight settling on my shoulders, heavy and suffocating. There’s always some ambitious bastard waiting in the wings, ready to challenge the new boss and make a grab for power.
“I’m picking it up as damn fast as I can,” I grunt, the muscle in my jaw ticking. With Papa’s health failing, I’ve been spending every spare moment learning the ropes.
Being the Pakhan… It’s a heavy burden, but one I’ve been preparing for my entire life. My father has been grooming me for this role since I was old enough to hold a gun, teaching me everything he knows about the business.
And Ksenia has been by my side every step of the way, my fiercest ally and my most trusted advisor. She may be cruel, but her loyalty to the family is unshakable.
“I’ll be ready,” I say, my voice low and determined. “I won’t let any of those dickheads get close to our family or threaten the Morozov Bratva.”
Ksenia’s lips curve into a ruthless smile. “That’s the spirit, little brother. We’ll crush anyone who dares to challenge us. The Morozov name will be feared and respected, just as it always has been.”
I glance at my watch, the hands ticking closer to midnight.
Where the hell are the others? We don’t have all night.
Chapter 15
Victor
“THEY’LL BE here,” Ksenia says, as if reading my mind. She takes a long drag from her cigarette.
“But we have bigger problems than tardiness, Victor. The busted operation with the Vasilievs has our buyers getting restless.”
I clench my fists, the mention of those svolochi sending a surge of rage through my veins. “They fucked us over good, didn’t they? Fifteen million worth of product, gone in a blink.”
Ksenia nods, exhaling a plume of smoke. “And now we have to clean up the mess. The buyers are demanding compensation, and if we don’t deliver…” She trails off, letting the implication hang heavy in the air.
“Blyad!” I snarl, slamming my fist on the table yet again. My glass jostles, the amber liquid sloshing dangerously close to the rim. “We’ll make it right. We’ll find out who’s been feeding the Vasilievs information and put a bullet between their fucking eyes.”
Ksenia leans back in her chair, swirling her wine thoughtfully. “It has to be someone close to us, someone who knew the details of the operation. Are you sure that we can trust our boys?”
