Page 45 of Married to the Don (Kornilov Bratva Duet 1)

Viktor

The man is pale and growing paler by the second at my feet, his blood pooling around his head. The gun is still warm when I tuck it into the waistband of my jeans, and when I turn around, my men are gathered and waiting in a semicircle.

I swore to them all when I took over for my father that I would not execute any one of them without a witness. I didn’t want them to distrust me, to think I would kill them for minor offenses without any group oversight.

They all seem pleased with the outcome. Still, the idea nags at the back of my mind that they are unhappy with my performance. That they don’t trust me.

These aren’t just my insecurities talking. Petr has told me there are whispers of discontent. Those whispers are growing louder now that I’ve been spending more time at home. They all just think I’m growing lazy. Only a few choice people know about Molly and Theo, and if word gets out, those people know they’ll be killed first for telling my secrets.

With Molly and Theo waiting for me at home, my work and home life have never felt more different. I’m the same person at work and at home, but here I kill men who betray me while at home, I build LEGO castles and play soccer in the living room. How can both be me?

“If any of you feel you are not being fairly paid, you are free to speak to me,” I say, my voice echoing around the concrete basement. “But if you are caught stealing from me, this is the fate that awaits you.”

A few of the men grunt in approval.

“I will not show mercy for anyone willing to cross our family. For anyone willing to lie to us for their own gain.”

Molly’s face looms in my mind. I lied to Fedor about her every week for a month. He thinks she’s dead. Not only is she not dead; she’s remodeling a guest room in my fucking house. If she asked, I’d let her remodel the whole damn house.

“Dispose of the body,” I say, nodding to two younger soldiers near the far edge of the group.

The cluster of men begins to break up, some of them leaving to take care of other work, others chipping in to help with mopping and wrapping the body in a tarp. I turn to Petr and call him over to me.

“I want a full review of our finances,” I say. “Assign a few men you trust to make sure everyone is receiving pay equal to their status and seniority. If they aren’t, have them run it past me, and then fix it.”

Petr nods and turns to leave, but I stop him. “I need you to be ready to leave with me in five.”

I haven’t told Petr where we’re going, but he nods in agreement and hurries towards the business offices upstairs to carry out my orders.

I want my men to fear my wrath, but I also want them to be happy. Unhappy soldiers who feel they aren’t valued turn against you, and I can’t afford that. Not now. Not when I’m trying to take care of my brother and his illegitimate offspring and Molly. My plate is fuller than ever before, and I need my men to trust me. I need them to believe I’m doing my best to take care of them, even if I’m doing it in a way different from my father.

* * *

“The Mazzeos?”Petr asks from the passenger seat. “Why don’t I know about this?”

“Because I didn’t want you to know,” I say simply.

He nods in understanding.

“I didn’t want to make the announcement that two of our men broke rank and attacked rival soldiers the same week another man was stealing from me,” I admitted. “I will announce it once I’ve settled things with Mario and his son and have decided on a punishment. Until then, I don’t want their insubordination to give anyone else ideas.”

“Good idea,” Petr says.

I sense he wants to say more, but he’s hesitant.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he says. But when I look at him out of the corner of my eyes, one eyebrow raised, he sighs. “You’ve been absent a lot. No one has seen you at the bar in a few weeks. They think your priorities are slipping.”

“Today should show them that they aren’t.”

“There is more to being their leader than discipline,” Petr says nervously. “They fear you, but they need to respect you and … like you. That happens over a beer.”

I know I should get out more, but the only reason I used to meet up with the men at the bars was to find a woman to spend the night with. Now, I don’t need that. I have Molly.

I shake my head. I don’t have Molly.

If anything, she has me.

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