Page 31 of Hers to Command

Of course. I expected backlash, but hearing it makes my stomach tighten and I fucking hate it when my body is weak like that. “What are they saying?”

“They’re calling it betrayal.” Toni’s voice is hard, but there’s an undercurrent of frustration. “Anya marrying an Italian, especially you... They think she’s abandoned her Russian roots just like her brother. And they’re using that to rally support around Dmitri.”

I rub my temples, feeling the tension build. “How many?”

“A good number of them,” Toni says, his tone flat. “Enough to make a difference. From what we can tell, Dmitri’s been talking to them, making his intentions clear. He’s after the entirety of the Bratva’s Toronto operations, and with more men defecting to his side, it’s looking like he’s got a real shot at it.”

I lean forward, my elbows resting on the desk, and stare at him. “How do you know this?”

Toni gives me a small, grim smile. “A few ways. But most importantly, we’ve got a guy on the payroll who’s a small fish with the Russians. He was able to record Dmitri offering incentives to those who were on the fence. And now, with Anya married to you, he’s spinning it like she’s turned her back on them, saying the city will fall to us and the Bruno syndicate, leaving no space for the Russians to operate. It’s got some traction.”

I curse under my breath. This isn’t good. I hate it when someone else has control over my timeline and I haven’t decided yet how I want to play this.

Mostly, all I’ve been thinking about is playing with Anya. And not in the business-like sense.

And now the asshole is using my marriage to solidify his claim. And the worst part? He might just succeed, which means we played into his hand and that just pisses me off.

“What’s worse,” Toni continues, apparently intent on ruining my day completely, “a lot of the others who haven’t outright joined him are sitting back, waiting to see what happens. They don’t have anyone else to look to. Without a clear leader stepping up, they’re inclined to follow Dmitri, if for no other reason than stability.”

I stay silent for a moment. “Give me your take. Where does that leave us?” I ask, my voice low but controlled. In this case, it won’t hurt to take Toni’s opinion into consideration. There is a reason he’s my second in command. He’s not only loyal and ruthless when he needs to be, he’s also smart and observant.

Toni shrugs, though there’s tension in the movement. “There’s a very high likelihood that the Brotherhood will replace the Bratva’s leadership through Dmitri. Same city split up, but there will be a drastic attack on our shipping monopoly, unless we do something about it. And what we do depends a great deal on how you want to handle the agreement with the Bruno syndicate.”

My mind races. The Bratva men defecting to the Brotherhood is a problem, but it’s not insurmountable. I can work with this. I just need to find the right leverage.

“I need to talk to Gianna,” I say, standing up abruptly. Toni raises an eyebrow, but he doesn’t question me.

“You want me to set up a meeting?”

“No. I’ll handle it myself.” I grab my jacket. Gianna’s always been calculating, always playing her own games. She’s married to Mikhail, which complicates things, but I know she’s as annoyed about the Dmitri situation as I am, which could swing in my favor.

I turn to Toni before leaving. “If anyone makes a move, I want to know immediately. I’ll let you know when we head out to meet the Brunos.”

“Understood,” he says, and I walk out of the office.

The door opens, and I glance up as Mikhail and Gianna walk into the back room of the restaurant on Lake Shore Boulevard. Mikhail looks just as irritated to see me as I am to see him. The guy’s a killer through and through, but the idea of him having real insight into what’s going on with the Bratva? Doubtful. Gianna, on the other hand, is all composure, dressed immaculately, her eyes sharp as she assesses the room.

The back room of the restaurant is dimly lit. It’s not my restaurant, but it’s in my territory. It’s perfect for a meeting like this—somewhat neutral, yet undeniably under my control. The air smells of rich Italian food, but I can’t say I have much of an appetite despite the extra workouts I’ve gotten, thanks to my new wife.

It’ll be fun to see Mikhail’s face when he finds out I not only married his sister, but have also been fucking her brains out. But that has to wait.

Gianna sits down across from me, composed as always, while Mikhail glares at me like a bomb waiting to go off. Not that it’s enough to bother me. I stay calm, knowing it’ll tick him off even more. Maybe he already knows about Anya and me. No matter.

“Thank you for coming. I think it’s time we had another conversation about how to handle Dmitri and the Solntsevskaya Brotherhood, especially given the recent passing of Adrik Tsepov.” I shift my gaze to Mikhail. “My condolences.” I give him a small nod and then return my attention to Gianna, since I doubt Mikhail is planning on having a heartfelt exchange about the passing of his father. I wouldn’t even have bothered with the condolences if it weren’t for Gianna sitting in the room with us.

Politics.

This conversation isn’t something I particularly want to have either, but it’s necessary. The alliance between mine and Gianna’s syndicates is fragile, especially after I messed with her butler fairly recently, may his soul rest in peace. And now, with Dmitri’s moves potentially pitting Mikhail and Gianna against me, it’s crucial that we lay out the rules now.

“Indeed.” Gianna says smoothly, her eyes flicking toward Mikhail for a brief moment. “I’m sure you’ve heard about Dmitri’s recent activities by now.”

I nod, keeping my gaze on her, but Mikhail’s presence irritates me. His father’s death might put him closer to this situation than most, but it doesn’t make him any better at navigating it. Gianna’s the real strategist here, and it would be a hell of a lot easier to have this conversation privately.

“He’s making moves,” I reply, my voice even. “And some of the Bratva are leaning his way. Not unexpected, but it’s becoming a problem.”

Mikhail leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. “A problem I’m willing to solve quickly,” he says, his tone aggressive.

I suppress a sigh. This isn’t going to be easy.

---