Page 78 of One of Them

“I am Taya Laurov. The only daughter of the Black Widow and Kristian Laurov, the most respected of the rulers. As the last of Pakhan Laurov’s kin, I am here to stake my claim over the Bratva’s approval of leadership.”

The members eyed the chair I occupied, glancing between my face and the furniture, slowly making the connection.

I let the moment linger, allowing the weight of my words to settle before I continued, aiming straight for the jugular. “I hereby do not recognize either Ilya Aistov or Malek Zuev as the rightful leaders of the Bratva.”

The words tasted bittersweet on my tongue, but with them, an era was coming to an end. “Their actions have not prioritized the best interests of the Bratva. Therefore, I call for their immediate removal and for a new Pakhan to be appointed in their place.”

A graveyard silence followed. Ilya’s eyes widened, threatening to pop out of his skull. I could practically see the wheels turning, desperately searching for anything to undermine my claim, but I pressed on before he could throw doubt into the mix.

“Should the Bratva require proof, a DNA test will be conducted to confirm the legitimacy of my claim.”

I covered all fronts, patched up any air holes. There wasn’t much they could do now and I relished every second of that certainty.

“Should the Galkin family choose to recognize Ilya as a member of their family, I’ll have no issue with that. Ultimately, the decision is theirs. I only request that Ilya no longer hold any position of power and will bow to the rightful Pakhan. Given the circumstances, if his fiancée wishes to be freed from their marriage contract, I’ll grant it. As for Malek, a decisionwill be made, along with the newly appointed leader, regarding his role in the brotherhood.”

I eyed the two men, absorbing their desperation like a sponge. Not long ago, I’d been in their exact position, standing on unstable ground, trying to make sense of who had pulled the carpet out from under me.

“One more thing. I took it upon myself to ensure the safety of the Galkin family and anyone connected to me or them by adding them to the List of the Angels.”

I slammed the document down in front of Ilya, savoring the despair that seeped from him.

Enjoy the taste of your own medicine. And choke on it, I thought.

“Their current spouses, their future partners, their children born or unborn are included,” I said, my voice sharp. “My father’s list has been reinstated. And signed by others outside the organization.”

I watched them, letting the words sink in, knowing the chaos they’d bring.

“As my witnesses, and for the necessary demonstration, I brought in a representative from each organization bound by the agreement.”

I turned the phone over, revealing the faces of the men from my summer meetings, all present. Even the Don. They’d kept their word.

Satisfied with their reactions, I ended the call with a nod, then looked back at the room.

“In case any of you get stupid ideas…” I paused, letting the weight of it settle.

“She can’t just march in dictating us,” Ilya protested, his words childlike.

Ridiculous and sad, considering how I once idolized him.

“She can, Mr. Aistov,” the handler replied firmly. “Pakhan Laurov was so respected in the community that he and his family held the most votes. Add to that the vote of the Black Widow or Inna, as I knew her. And now, with Ms. Laurov officially anointed, the total gives her the majority.”

Ilya faltered, but the handler wasn’t finished. “Her decisions can’t be overturned, not even by all your combined efforts.”

The handler’s gaze turned back to me, and I could see the sincerity in his words. “Your father would be proud of you, Taya. I have long awaited someone from his blood to step forward and lead us.”

I nodded, the weight of his praise not lost on me. “Thank you.”

When we spoke earlier, I realized how strange it was to meet someone who knew my parents. The handler seemed eager to share stories about them, but I stopped him. As much as I appreciated his intent, I wanted to hold on to the few memories I had left.

“I’m afraid I might disappoint you in that regard,” I admitted to the old man. Looking around the room, I addressed the other families politely. “If you don’t mind.”

The handler clapped his hands, signaling the end of the conversation. He hurried the other members out of the room for dinner.

As the crowd filtered out, I finally spoke to the Galkin men. “You guys stay,” I suggested. “I think you’ll want to hear this.”

There was no way I could see this through without slipping back into who I was around them, so I avoided eye contact, focusing on the task at hand.

“Laurov’s daughter?” Malek spoke, his voice dripping with disbelief. “I’ve been fucking royalty?”

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