Page 35 of Merciless Union
I need to see what exactly this “shit” is so I can go further with my plans.
We park down the street. I look at my phone as I get a text and sigh. Nik glances at me, raising an eyebrow in question.
“My mother is taking my wife out for lunch today,” I explain.
“Will Elena be there?”
“Probably. She follows our mother everywhere.” I look at him. “Why do you want to know?”
Nik shrugs. “Just curious.”
“Well, stop being curious about my sister. We have work to do.” I grab my gun out of its holster, and Nik follows suit. The two guards in the front seat of the car get out after us.
Walking with purpose, I approach the door and bang on it with my fist.
The door opens with a click, and Stepan pokes his head out.
“Ah, Maxim,” he says, opening the door wider. “Won’t you come in?”
I glance over his shoulder, seeing a handful of my father’s men in the living room. Men who are supposed to be working for me and not taking meetings with Stepan fucking Pasternack.
“What’s going on there?” I nod toward the men.
Stepan glances behind him like he’s surprised those men are there. “Oh, that. It’s nothing. Just a friendly get-together.”
“Well, then. Don’t mind if I do.” I walk past him, giving him my best glare. Stepan gulps. “I love a friendly get-together.” My voice is dripping with sarcasm.
All the men in the room—around ten of them—quickly stand when they see me.
I don’t bother putting my gun away and neither does Nik as he takes his place at my side. My other two guards bring up the rear. The living room feels even more cramped, tension filling the space.
“Truly, Maxim,” Stepan says, “it’s just a few friends hanging out. I know you didn’t spend a lot of time with us when your father was alive, but I assure you, these men are my closest friends.”
I nod, looking around the room. “And I guess it’s typical for fathers and sons just to hang out together.”
“What do you mean?” Stepan asks.
I nod toward one of the men, Vladimir Novikoff, and his son, Erik, who’s the same age as me. “I wasn’t aware that friendly get-togethers included fathers and sons. I sure as shit never just hung out with my father.”
Erik, who’s tall with dark hair that makes him look like fucking prince charming, says, “Well, some of us actually have good relationships with our fathers.”
Fuck, I hate him. Since Eric and I are the same age, we were always forced to be around each other while our fathers worked. Erik always prided himself on his good looks, and many women fawned over him, which made him think he was better than me, even though I was the son of the Bratva boss.
I huff. “I’d rethink that statement if I were you, Erik. No one says any shit, any implication, anything about my father and me. You hear me?” I flex my hand around my gun.
Erik shares an amused look with his father. “I’m not doing anything wrong, Maxim.”
“You’re pissing me off. That’s a criminal offense in my books.”
“Woah,” Stepan says, stepping between us. “No need for all the theatrics. Truly, Maxim, it’s just a friendly hang-out. Sharing stories, eating good food. Nothing more.”
“So, it’s not a meeting to discuss taking over behind my back?”
Stepan frantically shakes his head. “No. How can you even think that about me, Maxim? After how long I’ve worked for your father, you have my loyalty.”
I slide my eyes over to him. “You fucking swear?”
He holds up a hand. “On my dead wife’s grave.”
