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My mind races. The hacker holding our systems hostage, the threat of an all-out crime family war—it all points in one direction—Konstantin. The man wants to destabilize us and make us fight among ourselves. But he underestimates our strength—he underestimates me.
“I’ll deal with the hacker,” I say, my voice calm and determined. I see my father, and Marco’s eyes widen in surprise. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”
“Who?” My father demands.
“I have eyes and ears everywhere, Father, and as of now, it’s no longer either of your concern.“ I look at James. “Have the council for both families here in thirty minutes.”
James nods and leaves to make the arrangements. I call in Urie and Sergei who are there in a flash.
“Urie, Sergei,” I greet them as they enter the room. Urie, my trusted right-hand man, and Sergei, his father, who has served loyally as my father’s right-hand man for decades, stand before me, their faces etched with concern, and watch me curiously.
“Is everything alright, Andrey?” Sergei asks, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.
I nod, my resolve hardening. “We’re making leadership changes. Effective immediately.”
Sergei’s eyes flicker with surprise, but he doesn’t question me. Urie, however, steps closer, his loyalty evident in his gaze. “What do you need from us, Andrey?”
I take a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. “Sergei, you’ve served my father well, but the time has come for a new era. My father will be stepping down with immediate effect, as will Marco. Will you pledge your loyalty to me as you did to him?”
Sergei’s gaze shifts to my father, who nods solemnly. “You have my loyalty, Andrey. Always.”
“Good,” I say, feeling a sense of relief. “I want you to oversee our security operations. Your experience and knowledge are invaluable, and we need every advantage we can get.”
Sergei nods, accepting the position without hesitation. “I’ll ensure we’re prepared for whatever comes our way.”
“Thank you,” I say, turning to Urie. “And you, Urie, will remain my right hand. Your skills and loyalty are crucial to our success.”
Urie nods, his expression determined. “I’m always at your service, Andrey.”
I glance back at Marco and my father, who watch the exchange in silence. “The council will be here soon.”
My father finally speaks, his voice low but firm. “Do you understand the gravity of what you’re taking on, Andrey?”
“I do,” I reply without hesitation. “This is our only chance to stop the chaos you and Marco have unleashed upon us. You two have been marked, and maybe if you’re no longer in the position of power, the Zhukov will spare you.”
Marco asks, “And do you think my son is going to spare you?” He raises his brow. “His sister was trying to run away from you.”
“His sister was trying to run away from you!” I point out. “The night I met Isabella, she was running from you!“ I rub it in. “The only mistake I made was telling her who I was instead of just running off to Vegas and getting married like she’d planned to do after overhearing you and my father talking about our engagement.”
“He has a point, Marco,” James says, walking back into the office. “Konstantin didn’t mark Andrey, and even if Isabella hasn’t conceived Andrey’s child, Konstantin would never hurt Andrey.”
I look at James in disbelief. Why would he say that or, better yet, how would he know it? Before I can ask, James turns to me.
“The council is en route and will be here shortly,” James informs me. “Genevra is setting up the dining room as the conference room.”
“Thank you, James,” I tell him and turn back to my father and Marco. “When this is over, I’m going to need to know everything.”
“I can help you with what I know,” James tells me and glances at Sergei. “So can Sergei and Hannah.”
“Great,” I nod. “Make sure they’re all here after the meeting. We need to start trying to find my fucking wife before Konstantin takes her out of the country and under the protection of the Bratva King.”
Chapter 17
ANDREY
A few hours later, I’m sitting at Marco’s dining room table, where the meeting with the Mafia and Bratva councils took place earlier. The table is extravagantly long, a testament to Marco’s need to showcase power and wealth. The council members, my father and Marco, have left, leaving me with James, Sergei, and Urie.
The room is quiet, the tension from earlier still lingering in the air. I look at James, then at Sergei.
