Page 1 of Bossed Around By the Bratva

Chapter 1 - Akim

Sitting in the joint Dubow and Morozov board room at my eldest brother, Aleksandr Dubow’s main offices, I felt slightly intimidated. Never have I seen a boardroom filled to the brim. Today, though, was different.

Three Bratva families were gathered to conclude the alliance. The top dogs in this alliance, the Morozov family members, were scattered throughout the room. Some were talking with members of my family, the Dubows. Others stood with some of the Chrenykh family members.

Each little cluster was busy working on the kinks of the alliance. There was a mutual respect that could be felt in every corner. It was an amazing day for me as I had a majority hand in this alliance proceeding. I would rather be burned alive than ally with the Aslanov family.

The Aslanov family wanted to ally with the Morozovs. But I felt something in their family dynamics was off. Even though I couldn’t say what, I was firmly against the alliance.

When about half of the Morozov family agreed with me on this, I was surprised. They had already started negotiations with the Aslanovs. But some of them could also see the danger ahead should that alliance be formed.

The Aslanov family had no moral values; they would trample anyone who got in their way. The Chernykhs might look at things from different perspectives, but they aren’t purely evil. My sister, Tasha, also married Vadik Vasiliev, who works for the Chernykhs. I had to ensure we kept the alliance tightly knit.

I was pulled from my thoughts as Alexandr, my eldest brother, suddenly spoke next to me. “Akim, did you hear me?”

Shaking my head, I looked up at him, towering over me. “I asked if you would be fine with a shuffling of the family members?”

“Shuffling?” I replied, feeling stupid as I had no idea what he was talking about.

“Open your ears and pay attention,” he said, leaning closed and breathing down my neck.

Nodding, I glanced around. No one else seemed to notice the absence of my mind. Sitting up, I listened as they started ironing out the alliance rules. When I pushed for the Morozov family to create an alliance with the Chernykhs instead of the Aslanovs, I never imagined being caught in the middle.

“We have come to an arrangement,” Roman Morozov said. His voice was clear and loud as it carried his words through the room. A deadly silence suddenly filled every corner.

Iosif Chernyk, the eldest brother of their family, stood up. He folded his arms across his chest. As he spoke, my mouth fell open. I never expected him to be so calm, yet controlling. “I have to insist,” he started. His tone was quiet. Yet, I could hear his authoritativeness coming through. “ I feel that to keep things in order and perspective, I must insist that we push the younger members of all three families to the forefront of operations.”

The room was filled with grumbling and mumbling as most didn’t seem to have their own opinions. Especially the younger members like me. Then Iosif raised his hand and waited for everyone to settle again. “I want this as it is the only way to avoid potential chaos or betrayal from more experienced members.”

Once again, the room filled with whispers and murmuring. “Yes, we agree,” Roman Morozov replied, stepping towards him.

“So do we,” I heard Alexandr stating. “Can we sit back down and draw it up?”

Glancing around, I noticed almost everyone nodding in agreement. Alexandr joined the other two on the opposite side of the table. They pulled out chairs and sat down in a little circle. The room fell silent again as we listened to them assigning offices, warehouses, and other positions to us, the youngest ones.

First, Timofey Chernykh was assigned to one of the Morozov establishments. He would work with Morozov personnel under him. Pavel Vasiliev was also moved to work at one of our warehouses, controlling Dubow workers. They had another Chernykh taking the reins on a shipment warehouse, and a Morozov leading some of the labs.

Then, it was my turn to be reassigned. I was displeased as I loved doing the dirty work, which I excelled at. I’ve gotten so good at the dangerous side of our business dealings and loved it that I wanted to protest. But as I was about to raise my voice, I bit back my words.

We were partially here because of me. I wanted this alliance, so my silence was all I could offer now. I felt my heart sinking to my feet as I was assigned to one of the Morozov real estate project branches, working with Chernykh employees.

I wanted to reject it, but Anton, my second-oldest brother, grabbed my hand and shook his head at me. Lowering my head, I swallowed the anger, pushing up. Sitting in an office, doing paperwork, and meeting with investors and clients wasn’t for me. I have never found any pleasure in such things.

I listened in silence as more people were assigned other projects and shuffled like chess pieces on a board. Once the alliance agreements were captured and signed, I headed out.Standing in the lobby, drinking coffee, I scanned all the players. This was a one-time meeting. Never again would so many bosses be in one place.

Evelina Morozov came up to me. “Thank you for pushing for this alliance. I am sure it’s going to be good for all sides,” she said.

“I hope so,” I replied shortly. I wasn’t in a good mood and didn’t want to discuss it. I was still struggling to get a grip on my anger with the shuffle.

She extended her hand, holding out a set of keys. “These are for the Estate offices,” she added as I took them. “I’ve sent you a message with all the details.”

I stood flabbergasted as I watched her turn and walk off. I jumped slightly as a big hand closed on my shoulder. Turning, I saw Abram, my other brother, standing there, a smug grin covering his face as he spoke. “A whole new world of adventure awaits you, little brother. Welcome to the corporate part of the business.”

Clenching my fists at my side, I fought the urge to slug him. “Yeah, rub it in,” I spat back as I turned and walked out. I still couldn’t believe my luck as I drove to the address Evelina had sent.

The day’s negotiations had drained the energy out of me. The little I had left, I swallowed with the lump forming in my throat. I wasn’t corporate material. But I knew that I would make it work by giving my all. I have never backed off from any challenge.

Parking outside the office building, I glared at the five-story office building. Office lights still burned on the second and third floors. It was a great architectural design. The corner offices boasted wall-to-wall windows, and the ones in betweenwere about half the size. The outside was painted a silver grey. This contrasted perfectly with the golden window frames.

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