AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes, and that was two days before Marco and Karina were married,” James comments. “When Grigory and Matteo were killed, it spilled a lot of bad blood between some very powerful crime families, including the Cullens, Zhukovs, and Andreevs.”
“I’m aware.” Opening the water, I ask, “Why the sudden interest in our family’s history?”
“Because when I was going through Genevra’s safe, I found a journal belonging to Karina Zhukov,” James tells me, holding up the leatherbound book. “While you were sleeping, I was reading a very interesting book.”
“You were snooping through a woman’s journal?” My brows raise. “My mother always told me that was extremely rude.”
“I don’t think Karina’s going to mind. She’s been dead for eighteen years.” James looks at the book in his hand. “Did you know she was a pharmaceutical scientist as well as a surgeon?”
“I bet she’s the one that made NeuroVeil.” I finish off the burger.
“Make sense.” James shrugs. “She references the testing of a drug that she’s developing to bring about change to the way her family operates. Karina was not happy with how innocent people were being killed because they accidentally saw something they shouldn’t.”
“So NeuroVeil was supposed to what?” A frown creases my brow. Fuck, I’ve still got a headache. “Wipe out a person’s memory?” I rub my temples. “Speaking of which, do you have aspirin?”
“Yeah.” James pulls a bottle from his jacket pocket. “Sorry. I forgot to give them to you.” He throws them at me. “I’m not sure, as this doesn’t have Karina’s research, only her thoughts.”
“And why is she thinking about my family?”
“She was helping your grandfather, Gennady, with his cancer pain.” James scans some of the journal pages. “According to Karina, she was the only one Gennady trusted.”
“Awesome!” My eyes narrow. “What’s this got to do with the containers from back then?”
“Karina refers to that as the catalyst that turned her and her best friend, Grace Harrington, lives upside down. Their carefully laid out plans were suddenly ripped apart.” James flips a page. “A week before the first container arrived at one of the crime families on the East Coast, Karina, Roman, Grace, and Grace’s father were in Boston.” He looks at me. “They were here with the other heads of some prominent Bratva families, like the Andreevs, to discuss Karina’s wedding.”
“Then all this shit went down with the containers.” Again, a frown mars my brow. It’s just not as painful now the aspirin and juice have started to work their magic. “Why were the Andreevs here?”
“You don’t know?” James looks at me in disbelief.
“That depends on what you’re talking about.”
“Isabella and Konstantin’s grandmother—Karina and Roman Zhukov’s mother—is Karla Andreev,” James announces.
“Fuck it!” I started to choke on the mouthful of water I had just swallowed.
Karla Andreev was in her late seventies or early eighties and was said to advise the Andreev Bratva still. Karla took over after her son was killed until her grandson, Lucien, was old enough to take over.
“So you see why your babies are important?” James points out. “They have a very mixed bloodline.” He looks at me. “Belov, Moretti, Zhukov, Andreev, and Cullen. That’s probably why she’s the key—your kids could be what we need to form quite a powerful alliance with those families.”
“So my father and Marco were hoping that Isabella and I would bridge the feud by offering up our kids?” My mind reels at the implications. “What the hell? I knew my father was obsessed with bloodlines for stronger alliances, but using my kids for this?”
James nods solemnly, confirming my worst fears. The idea that a bloodline like ours could bring an end to these family feuds seems both surreal and terrifyingly real at the same time.
“Think about it,” James says. “Lucien Andreev has never married, and there are rumors that he never will as he… uh…”
“He’s gay!” I add. “You can say it, James. This is the twenty-first century.”
“Yeah, I know.” James purses his lips. “I know he met with Marco when Isabella turned nineteen to discuss any son she may have one day taking over the Andreev Bratva.”
“That’s if we have sons!” I point out. “Why can’t a daughter take over the Bratva? Karla did.”
“I wasn’t there for the entire conversation.” James rolls his eyes. “I just know that Lucien needs an heir to take over the Andreev Bratva, and that will be one of Isabella’s children.”
“Great!” I roll my eyes. “My kids haven’t even been born yet, and Bratva families are already fighting over them.” I swallow more water. “We’re a crime family breeding farm.”
“Do you think Roman’s gay too?” He scowls at me. “I mean, the man never married.”
“Oh, no, he’s not gay.” I shake my head. “My father told me that Roman was in love with my mother, but she chose my father, and it broke Roman’s heart.”
