Page 27 of Ruthless Vow
VIKTOR
Sergei brings the updated intelligence briefing just after noon. I lead him to the control room so Anya won’t overhear us. We sit down in front of the monitors, both distracted by the movement happening on the street.
The crease in his forehead reminds me just how much I’m stressing him out with all of this, but he’ll never say as much. He lays out the facts of Mikhail’s most recent escalation in the same monotonous rhythm he’d give me a shipping report.
The gist is, the Grinkov soldiers are moving farther and farther inland. Brighton Beach has long been ruled out as a possibility, but they’re still terrorizing the territory like they think she’s there. Their only goal now is to scare the families into turning on each other. Mikhail wants chaos, so he can rise victorious out of this whole situation and keep Brooklyn held in an iron fist.
Really, Anya’s disappearance is the best thing that could have happened for him. He’s gotten to escalate his violence in a way he’s probably wanted to for years, all with a valid justification. When this is all over, he’s betting there won’t be a single Bratvawho wants to take him on. He thinks he’ll have full control of Brooklyn if no one challenges him.
“The worst thing is, he’s putting pressure on Ivan Malenkov too,” Sergei tells me gravely. “He thinks he’s just backed out of the deal and is hiding her somewhere.”
“That’s not bad for us,” I say.
“It’s bad for Brooklyn,” he answers decisively. “Ivan is the only other person besides you who could challenge Mikhail. Now he’s going to do anything in his power to find his daughter and bring her to that bastard. Your list of enemies is growing by the day, my friend.”
“It’s not like Ivan was ever an ally.” I shrug.
“Maybe not, but he’s a powerful enemy with heavy resources. Once he’s on the board, there’s no way you’ll be able to stay here.”
I know he’s right. Sergei has lived through enough Bratva wars to tell stories for hours. He’s lived long enough to collect scars. Mikhail is a once-in-a-generation threat.Pakhanslike him have existed before, and they’ll probably exist again, but that doesn’t make him any less dangerous. It means he’s going to use every opportunity to leave his mark on Brooklyn. This is his chance to wield absolute power, and he’s going to take it.
“What’s your recommendation?” I ask, giving him the highest authority I can possibly bestow. “What would you do?”
“The die have already been cast,” he says seriously. “At this point, returning her isn’t going to change what’s already been set in motion.”
“I wouldn’t anyway,” I remind him.
“You wouldn’t anyway,” he agrees. “So, that leaves you only two options: You plan for war or you plan for retreat.”
He looks at the monitors for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.
“How long has that car been circling the block?” he asks, pointing to one of the screens.
I stare up at it, watching for a moment. It’s a black SUV, not particularly exceptional, though that’s probably what makes it stand out so much.
“This is its second time around,” I answer mildly, not too worried about it. My team wouldn’t let any of Mikhail’s crew within a three-block radius. It’s probably just an Uber driver.
“It’s only a matter of time before he sends someone here,” Sergei grunts.
“Tell me something I don’t know.” I sigh. “But, seriously, give me information I don’t have.”
He sighs back heavily and pulls out a folder. I watch as he scans over reports that I don’t need at present.
“We lost one of our dock crew last night,” he says methodically.
“Dead?” I ask.
“Not dead,” he clarifies. “At least, we haven’t gotten his body. He’s missing, though. He didn’t report to his last shift and he’s not answering his phone.”
“Can we track him?” I ask. “Make sure he’s not just taking a sick day.”
“Already tried, and his phone is off. We’ll probably have a solid answer in a few days.”
“That’s too long,” I say, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Our guys can’t just be disappearing.”
“Unless he’s compromised,” Sergei says carefully.
“In which case, he’s our problem to take care of,” I groan. “But a dock worker is no threat to our present situation. What’s next?”
