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If Yefim acts violently, his brothers will all join in without questions. They will support him, and if they start shooting, Giorgio and his men will retaliate violently, and people will die. Everyone in this room will die. There is no way for one side to overpower the other when the odds are even.
These two families are equally matched in power, and it’s a fight that won’t end here. It’ll get bloodier and darker and too many people will die.
I can’t lose Yefim, and I can’t watch him lose any of his brothers,andI can’t watch Clara get hurt after being dragged into her uncle's shitty plan. She doesn’t deserve any of this. She’s only ever been nice to me.
Yefim steps towards Giorgio. He’s fuming, on the edge of breaking apart, ready to tear the world down.
I catch his eye and shake my head, desperately trying to get him to stop. There are a million thoughts running through my mind.
No. Don’t do this. We have to do something else.
He knots his brows at me, confused. Why would I stop him?
No. I shake my head again. Please. Don’t.
I take a deep breath. I have to take control, somehow. I have to do something.
“If you let me go, they’ll let Clara go as well,” I say loudly, and everyone in the room turns to look at me. I feel the intensityof their stares. The expectation. The pause. The heaviness as this moment settles down onto my shoulders.
I have their attention—now what am I going to do with it?
I take a deep breath.
Giorgio Vitali sneers at my remark.
“And then what?” he snaps, his hand still tight on the grip of his gun, his finger hovering over the trigger.
“Your niece, yourfamily, will be unharmed. What more do you want?” I ask, surprised that it isn’t enough.
“I want my territory,” he remarks. I see Clara’s face drop a little. His reaction has hurt her. She expected more from him.
“You have your territory. We won’t come into it, and you can stay out of ours. This city is massive; there is plenty of space, plenty of business, and plenty of clientele to go around for both families. There is no reason for us to be at war. We can coexist.”
In my own mind, what I’m suggesting makes the most sense. Why start a senseless war?
“You’re just a girl. What do you know?” Giorgio spits.
“I know enough to understand that if our two families do go to war, it will be to the death of both sides. We are both strong, we both have an infinite amount of resources and weaponry. There would be no end to the bloodshed. We have to stop this before we get to that point.”
Giorgio finally looks like he’s at least considering my words.
Then he nods his chin towards me.
“You can’t speak for the Dubrov family.”
Yefim steps forward. “She can. And I agree with her. You have my word as well, and my brothers'. We will offer a tentative truce. A test, to see if we can coexist rather than start a war. There is plenty of money to be made and if—if—things work out, then in the future we might even find that by working together in some areas, we can make even more money.”
Giorgio is lost in thought for a long moment, then turns towards Leon, Oleg and Alexei. “You all agree with this?” he asks, waving his hand through the air.
Leon pulls his mouth tight. He has known Giorgio for the longest of all of them. He’s been in Boston, established, working and dealing with the rival families.
“Leon?” Giorgio says. “We have been rivals for many years.”
“We have. But Yefim leads that branch of the business now. So, whatever he decides, I will follow. If he wants a truce with you, then I will honor it as well. I have to agree that I would prefer to avoid war. But if you choose it—know we will come at you with everything.”
“Interesting,” Giorgio comments, tucking his gun into the back of his belt, indicating that he might be willing to accept this truce. I’m holding my breath, tense, fearful, wanting this moment to end peacefully.
“We need your word, Giorgio Vitali,” Oleg says.
