Page 1 of Mafie Queen

Prologue

I was fifteen when I met Boris. I knew even then that I was expected to grow up and be the soldier he needed. I fought by his side time and time again, and yet, he refused to acknowledge me. My strengths went unnoticed for years, my loyalty was neglected when it really counted.

If Boris’ father needed someone to blame, I was the person he chose every time. And hell if I didn’t suffer for it. It was in those moments between being beaten for a man who refused to see me and fighting his battles that I learned who I was.

I have always been tougher than him, stronger. I think that’s why his father used to direct blame at me. He knew Boriscouldn’t handle the tough love needed to make a leader, so he handed it to me instead. Every time there was a fight at school, I was the one taken out to the barn and taught a lesson. Every day in college, when Boris prioritized business classes over his father’s private lessons, I was the one who had to pick up the slack.

Then Damir shows up in Boris’ life and it’s like he becomes a new person. He was always so kind to him, making business deals and treating him with a favor Damir never earned but I had.

That was why he had to go. I had the whole plan figured out perfectly. I would kill Damir and steal his daughter. If his wife would have me, then I would have the personal whore that I was owed after years of service to the Bratva.

Adrik was just a plus. As I planned to remove Damir, I found his brother was also plotting against him. We made a deal that he could have the girl and would train her to become an assassin with a vendetta against Boris.

Back then, I wasn’t as skilled as I had wished—to brainwash the child and make her mine, so I trusted him to do it. After all, backstabbing people was his specialty. It shouldn’t be hard.

But the fucker went and failed at that task miserably. It was after he had the girl for about four years that I started to go behind his back. I wanted Boris broken and so I slowly stripped away everything I could take from him.

I planned to kill his wife, which only ended in mine and Ivan’s wives being murdered as well. Something I had not originally planned for but would take, as it helped remove me as a suspect in their ‘accident’. I loved my wife to an extent, but she didn’t approve of my whores, and a man needs his sexual freedom.Bitch.

So they all perished in a car crash from a man no one could link to me. He had just been in the wrong place at the wrongtime when I approached him. I was lucky he had a family I could easily threaten and the guy didn’t ask for much proof. Just did exactly as I asked.

Of course, I had to kill his family anyway in case he had leaked any information to them, which it turns out he had. But hey, I was merciful and made their deaths quick. Mostly.

I slowly got into Alexi’s head, making him believe things were hunting him and scaring him at every possible corner. If he hadn’t found that damn doctor, I could have easily gotten him to kill himself at eighteen.

I tried to take out the woman more times than I can count now, but she knew the right people and was heavily protected. The moment she stopped being protected by them, Alexi stepped in and hid her away. It was infuriating. He was always a step ahead of me even when he didn’t know it was me.

Could I have killed the brat when he stayed the night with my son a hundred times over, sure. But then there would have been questions. Too many questions. I have always been the loyal one. I needed to keep it that way.

While Adrik had his own mind games to play with Eydis on the island, I played my own, using Bryce as my personal spy. Unfortunately, the kid couldn’t follow basic instructions and got himself killed in the end, right when he was about to hand the girl over to me too.

I splash some water on my face and look into the mirror as I reflect on all of the steps that led me here. The underground bunker built into the side of a mountain is cold as fuck, but at least I have my own quarters. I will convince Adrik to let me get inside her head and take over. It’s only a matter of days now.

Ever since I suspected Adrik would fail at his task, I began learning the art of torture and manipulation through pain conditioning. Soon, poor little Eydis won’t even know who she is.

I walk down to the room she’s being kept in and pull up the video screen to see her giving the camera a death glare. It’s so cute that even in this cell, made of reinforced steel, she thinks she has any sort of power.

Her wrists and ankles are chained to the floor, so I open the door and lean casually in the door frame. Eydis’ gaze flicks to mine and she holds my eye better than most men. It rakes on my nerves.

“If only he had given you to me when you were a child. This game would have been so much easier.”

She grunts out a laugh as if what I said was humorous to her. “Oh yeah? What would you have done with another child? You already fucked it up with your first one.”

I clench my jaw, not enjoying being reminded of the failure that is my son.

“Yeah, well. He got what he deserved in the end.”

Hurt and rage cross her features and I applaud myself for getting such a powerful reaction from her. I thought it was childish to make such a show of their deaths on Adrik's part, but maybe he was onto something.

“Did it hurt when you watched the light fade from his eyes?” I ask her as I walk into the room.

She jerks in her chains and I chuckle. “Did you know that it actually takes four minutes for the soul to leave the body once the heart has stopped?”

She glares at me, sweat beading on her forehead as she works herself up. I know Adrik’s been drugging her. I make a mental note, wondering if that could help speed up the process of conditioning when I finally get my turn with her.

“You’re sick,” she spits at me.

“No child, I am powerful. You’re a mere thorn in my side that I will pluck and then use to stab my enemies.”

---