Page 61 of Secret Bratva Baby
A man with a wild grey beard comes over and hands Luka a clipboard. “Morning, sir. Here’s the latest.”
“Thanks, George. This is Rose. She’s going to be doing some of our paperwork for us.”
“Hi, Rose,” George says with a wide, friendly smile. He holds his hand out towards me. It’s coated in grease.
I take it anyway, and he shakes enthusiastically. Then he lets go and looks in horror at my hand.
“Oh my word. I’m sorry about that.” He tugs a cloth from his back pocket and grabs my hand, wiping the cloth across my fingers. I laugh at his comfortable forwardness and eagerness to help.
He looks about sixty, old enough to be retired, but still fit and healthy.
When he’s walking away, Luka remarks, “George is a great guy. He’s too old to manage the heavy lifting anymore, but he’s a brilliant manager. He’s good with everyone. Even the difficult guys.”
“Why do you hire people if they’re difficult?” I ask, curious.
“Everyone comes from somewhere. Everyone has a past. We followed in the footsteps of some of our allies, the Dubrovs, and we hired people who have nowhere else to go. Sometimes ex-cons or ex junkies. People whowantto turn their lives around but can’t catch a break. We give them good pay, good medical and other benefits, and they’re slowly able to get on their feet and take care of their families. Most of them only went down the wrong path because they were desperate,” he says, surprising me with this information. He’s a really good man. He has a good heart. I saw this in him years ago—and now again.
“What happens if you hire a junkie and he relapses? There was a girl I worked with at a restaurant once, a waitress. She would sneak off and get high in between serving tables. Then she would steal and damage things and freak out. It was terrible to watch. Really sad.”
Luka nods. “We’ve experienced similar things. We’ll try to get the person help if they want it. But we won’t enable them.They have to choose it. If they aren’t interested in turning their life around, then we have no choice but to kick them out. The thing is that every person here has a role to play on this team. When one link isn’t working, it impacts everyone. If one junkie is acting out, it can throw other people off their goals.”
I nod. “That’s good. It’s amazing to help people, but not to let yourself be used.”
He chuckles. “People here know better than to try and take advantage of us.”
Luka lifts the clipboard George handed him and holds it out for me. “Take a look at this. It’s our upcoming shipment schedule. See this column? That’s the product—we use codes for each one. Then this column is the truck number, the tracking number, the driver, and here is the date it needs to be delivered.”
I glance over the spreadsheet. “But it’s all in code.”
“Correct. I’ll give you the cypher. You’ll need it if you’re going to help organize the schedule.”
“Me?” I say excitedly. “That’s a big task.”
“And you’re perfectly capable of doing it. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you everything you need to know first. I won’t throw you in the deep end.”
He slips his arm around my back and guides me further into the warehouse. We walk around. Luka lets me take my time, meeting the people who work there, listening to some of their stories, and getting updates on their families. They are all just normal people trying to make their way through life. Some of them are covered in tattoos, their faces hidden behind ink; others are missing teeth, some are dressed smartly, and others in overalls. Every single person I meet is amazing, though. They are all welcoming and enthusiastic about what they add to theteam. I can see the sense of purpose in them, perhaps a sense of purpose that wasn’t always there, that Luka and his brothers gave back to them. These are people who live in the gray areas of life that I was telling Luka about.
The black and white structures don’t fit them. They aren’t welcome in the normal systems of society because of their past, but they can’t improve their lives without work—they have to choose the gray areas. It’s not even a choice.
What Luka and his brothers have put together here is a workplace that is like a family. Non-judgmental of one’s past, but also not allowing people to use it as an excuse not to become a better version of themselves.
I glance towards Luka, in conversation with a tall, thin man with blonde hair. They are talking about an issue with one of the trucks.
While he’s busy, my eyes trace over him. His dark features can sometimes be imposing and ominous, but right now, all I see is a strong, honorable man with an amazing heart. A kind man who wants to give back to the world. A man who is patient and caring.
He finishes his conversation and turns back to me. “Well, did you have any questions about any of this?” he gestures around the place.
“Not yet. I’m sure I will eventually, though.”
“You look deep in thought,” he says softly as he gently brushes a stray blonde curl away from my eyes.
“I’m just taking it all in,” I smile, staring into his eyes. My heart spins a little when he smiles at me, that handsome smile that takes my breath away.
“Shall we get some lunch and then come back so I can start showing how I organize my office?”
“We peeked into your office during the tour—I wouldn’t be so bold as to call that organized.”
He looks offended, his mouth dropping open.
