Page 32 of Violent Pawn

A part of me wants her to like me. I may not quite understand the appeal of Anastasia Petrov, but she’s the icing on the cake, the first shot of bourbon. I want to dance with her again and have her look at me with softness in her gaze. When the hard planes of her face ease up with about one hundred percent less stress.

I wonder how much softer I can make Anastasia become.

So maybe I shouldn’t use her. Previous connections to private investigators that Zeno keeps on retainer could be useful. I’m usually the one who reaches out to them, so it’d be easy enough to hide from Zeno. The investigator would assume the orders come from above me, so as long as they all remain in the dark, this could work.

The alarm on my phone shatters me from the reverie, reminding me of my job. With a sigh, I stand and head two levels down to the basement where Elio and I called a meeting with a bunch of the men. Zeno believes uprisings could strike after his own meeting yesterday, when he announced the Bratva is not only an ally now but that the Pakhan will also be his wife. In other words: they’re untouchable. The vows they swore to him are hers too by association.

Not that she couldn’t hold her own if anything were to happen.

Elio meets me at the door and blocks my way. Although I have major respect for the organization’s Captain and close confidant to Zeno, it’s been eleven years since I’ve been able to look the man in his eyes. Eleven years since learning I’m partially to blame for his best friend’s death and the reason he stepped down from leadership to give me the position beside Zeno.

Zeno lost a father, but Elio lost his best friend. Giovanni was to him what Zeno is to me, and anyone who took him away from me would find themselves with a new enemy.

“You look worried.” I may not be able to look him in the eye, but the distinct furrow in his brow tells me enough. “They won’t disrespect Z.”

“Not all of them, but word is spreading—not all of it good.”

“For years, they were told the Bratva is the enemy. They’ll need to get used to this or deal with Z himself. You know he’s an asshole when it comes to Vanessa. He won’t handle any discourse against her. He’s led with an iron fist, but if any of them raise a hand to her, he’ll turn to steel. Steel is stronger than iron, and I don’t want to see the outcome of that fight.”

Elio grimaces. Having trained us both, he gets the meaning. “He deserves to be happy. Gabriella, too, is thrilled about this.” His soft grin is eerie on a man hardened by decades. At some point, he’ll stop denying the fact that he’s in love with Gabriella.

The day following the engagement lunch, Zeno and Vanessa flew out to Ostia to deliver the news in person to his mother. Based on Zeno’s report, it went well. Considering the uncomfortable events between Gabriella and the Bratva, she sees Z’s happiness as being more important.

“We should get this started.” Elio turns and leads the way to the bottom of the stairs, where a few dozen soldiers linger. It’s nowhere near all of them, but it’s enough to start spreading the word around about what will and will not be accepted.

They watch warily as I cross to the head of the room, positioning myself on a box that’s left there for this purpose. After a scan to ensure everyone’s attention is on me, I begin.

“Capo already gave the orders, but let me reiterate that the Bratva is now an ally, and an attack on them is an attack on our own. If we get word of anyone mentioning, fantasizing, or even fucking joking about harming Vanessa Volkov or her soldiers, death will be a mercy after the Capo is through with you. Ask your questions now because once you leave this room, there is to be no more questioning this. It’ll be treason if you do.”

A man to my right steps forward. Frederic. He moved from France some years back after working as a private hitman and is a valuable resource as one of our best sharpshooters. “Not to insult Signorina Volkov, but the history between the Bratva and us is long. What if this is a well-thought-out plan to infiltrate us?”

It’s a valid concern, and one even I had at the beginning—after seeing them together. Even Elio throws me a thoughtful look.

“Because it’s not. This isn’t the kind of game the Pakhan would play. But”—I pause, scanning the lines—“I promise you, if it is, then Volkov will be in for a massive war. The other families wouldn’t stand for such deception.”

Even saying this aloud feels like a betrayal, but if it came down to it—and Zeno’s head wasn’t so far up her ass—he’d be telling them the same thing. Not that I believe it’s true, but there wouldn’t be a future if Vanessa is playing him. Once I drag a heartbroken Z back into the Capo’s seat, he’d be the first to strike in what’d be the ultimate feud.

Grins travel through the men at the promise of such bloodshed until another asks, “Are we considered her soldiers as well?”

“No, they’re keeping the organizations separate. She’ll command your respect, nonetheless, because regardless, she is the Capo’s wife and will be treated as such. But the Capo’s wife and Bratva Pakhan are two different positions she’ll hold.” From what I understand anyway. “She won’t have extra authority over you, nor do I imagine she’ll want to.”

“So we won’t be working out of Russia, and vice versa?” another clarifies.

“There may be a time when both Capo and Signorina Volkov require large numbers of support for a joint operation, but until such a time, no. You will all continue in your stations, while her men continue in their own country. Their marriage is personal and political, nothing further.”

A few nod, and some murmur to one another. Some of the tenseness I walked into dissipates.

“Anyone else?”

A few headshakes, but I wait to give them all a few final moments before adding, “From here on out, there will be no more questioning our Capo’s choices. Vanessa Volkov falls under your protection as his wife. The vows you took to the Mancini name dictate this—extend to her. If there is even a whisper of bringing harm to her, I’ll gut you myself. This goes for her Elite, as well. Dimitri Volkov, Lev Petrov, and Anastasia Petrov are never to be harmed.”

“Understood,” a chorus echoes through the room.

“Good. Dismissed.”

The men file out and up the stairs, murmuring to themselves, until only Elio lingers. After the final person shuts the door, he kicks off the wall. “That better be the end of it. We don’t need an uprising.”

“If Zeno could see beyond Vanessa’s parentage, they can as well. She’s not her padre.”