Page 46 of Hers to Command

Not that I let that stop me.

I swirl the wine in my glass, watching the deep red liquid catch the dim light from the desk lamp. The men I met today might have heard me out and are seemingly willing to give me a shot, but it’s obvious I’ll have to prove myself before I can truly count on their loyalty.

Sergei backed me up, but he isn’t going to hand me the leadership on a golden platter. If I want it, I need to earn it.

And if I want to solidify my leadership, Dmitri has to go.

I recline in Riccardo’s leather chair, the scent of his cologne lingering in the room. My fingers trace the rim of the wineglass as my head falls back against the backrest and take a few deep breaths. The scent relaxes me.

Dmitri isn’t just an obstacle, he’s a threat. And he will remain one unless he dies or returns to Russia. If the fact that he had me grabbed off the streets isn’t enough of a reminder, knowing he has the backing of the Solntsevskaya Brotherhood, one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Russia, is.

It’d be great if he tucked tail and headed home to his family, but I don’t see that happening. Not if the information Riccardo was able to get so far is true. Coming to Canada and marrying me was an ultimatum from Dmitri’s father, who was fed up with his fuck-up of a son partying and ruining their merchandise. Apparently fucking unwilling women is his thing. The fact that my father passed so soon after his arrival wasn’t what his father had expected, but it looks like Dmitri is using it as his opportunity to either prove himself to his daddy, or at least to set up shop away from his family’s judging eyes. Or both. Which means he won’t leave willingly, leaving me with option B.

Killing him won’t just be about taking him out of the equation, it’ll send a message. I just have to make sure that the message is sent to my people, convincing them I’m the right person to take over the organization, and not to his people, potentially causing a massive retaliation.

Which means it can’t be messy. Dmitri’s family is the kind that doesn’t forgive or forget, and if they connect his death to me, I’m fucked.

I need a plan to get myself and Dmitri face-to-face without too many people knowing it’s happening.

The wine goes down easier than it should, as I consider my options. Dmitri surrounds himself with guards, making it hard to get to him. Especially since I’ll have to organize this by myself if I want to take all the credit.

I’ll also need to be the one who pulls the trigger, but that’s a problem for future me.

What I need first and foremost is information.

I have one possible ace up my sleeve. It’s anything but a safe one to play, but it’s the best one I can come up with at the moment.

Dmitri is bound to keep an eye on any of the men who haven’t joined his ranks and even those who have done so recently, which makes relying on any of my men risky when trying to get information.

But we Russians aren’t the only ones in this city.

Given that Riccardo pissed Dmitri off and they had that airstrip debacle that Dmitri doesn’t know I’m actually responsible for, Riccardo’s men are bound to draw attention, too.

Lucky for me, Gianna has kept the Bruno syndicate out of the entire situation for now. Mikhail’s absence hasn’t drawn much interest yet either, and, most importantly, Eric Merlino owes me. Big time.

I got his girlfriend out of a situation my father put her in, and if I read him right, Gianna Bruno’s cousin and primary enforcer isn’t the type to forget a favor. If I play this right, I could get what I need from him, as long as it doesn’t cross Gianna. He wouldn’t mess with his family or the Bruno syndicate, no matter what he owes me, but that’s fine. The question is, how far can I push this?

Having him take out Solntsev isn’t an option. The risk for Eric and the Bruno syndicate would be too high. Merlino would never go for it. Plus, my own men might not see it as the show of strength they are looking for. But information? That’s somethingEric can’t object to. Information for information. I gave him the info he needed when he was looking for Mia. Now it’s his turn.

I tap my nails against my glass, mulling it over. If I actually approach him, it has to stay quiet. No one can know he helped me since it would open up questions about why he’s doing it. I didn’t exactly stick up for the family when I leaked that info about Mia. It was impulsive and happened on a day when one of our girls overdosed. I’ve always disliked the way things are run in the clubs, but there wasn’t much I could do about that. But kidnapping a woman, one who was pregnant no less, and dosing her didn’t sit right with me at all. So I helped Eric, and now that decision might just pay off.

I push back in Riccardo’s chair, setting the wineglass down on his desk with a soft clink.

If Riccardo were here, he’d probably call this reckless. But he’s not here.

And Dmitri isn’t going to kill himself.

I stand, grabbing my phone off the desk and pulling up the number Eric used to contact me, hoping he kept the burner and checks it regularly. I don’t call him. This has to be done face-to-face, not leaving any records, just in case. Somewhere quiet. Neutral.

I send off a message.

As I head upstairs to change for the night, I check the time. Riccardo is well past due to be home. Maybe he’s pulling back after our fight. I don’t know if it’s anger or something else, but part of me wishes he was here now, offering his ideas. Or at least distracting me with sex.

Actually, yeah, sex would be the perfect distraction. Both from the situation and the fact that he annoyed the fuck out of me this morning. It’s fucking hypocritical anyway that he got upset that I went to that dinner by myself, when he suggested I organize itin the first place and said that he’d back me up while taking over the Bratva.

But Riccardo and I want different things. He’s trying to keep me safe for whatever reason, and I’m trying to take control of my life.

The realization is distracting. Why does he care if I’m safe? Is it an ego thing? Nobody should get to his wife, even if it’s a fake marriage? Is it because he really hates the idea of Dmitri taking over? Both make sense and the latter explains why he’s helping me beyond our initial agreement.

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