“I’m listening,” he answers dutifully.
“I need to get the word out to everyone who matters,” I say, then think deeper. “Even to those who don’t matter. Every rival of mine needs to be made aware that Alina is my wife from this moment on.”
He pauses for a moment, taking it in.
“That’s… wow,” he breathes. “Congratulations?”
“This isn’t a social decision,” I explain carefully. “It’s the only way I know to keep her safe. Obviously, leave that part out of the announcement.”
“Naturally,” he agrees. “Anything else?”
“Any threat to her,” I say evenly, “is a threat to me. And I will answer it accordingly. Not just against the man responsible. Against everyone he’s ever loved.”
“I’ll make sure no one doubts it,” he responds, and I’m glad I called him first. He means what he says. By noon, every rival Bratva in New York will be made aware that an attack on her is worse than an attack on me.
I lower the phone and stand there for a moment in the quiet apartment, aware that I’ve just made an irreversible decision. I’m not sure Alina even understands what this means for her. It’s safety, of course, but it’s more than that. She now bears the overwhelming responsibility of carrying my name. She will be flanked by security wherever she goes for the rest of her life. I hope she’s up for it.
I go back to my office and comb through reports that Nicolai has been gathering for me while I’ve been in hiding. The work hasn’t piled up nearly as much as I would have expected, and I know that’s completely due to his diligence. I’m lucky to have someone so deep in my corner. Loyalty is everything in this organization. I decide then and there that he’ll be my best man on the day of the wedding. Which should probably happen sooner rather than later now that word is spreading.
My phone vibrates urgently on the desk and I look down at it. Petya. This early in the morning, there can only be trouble.
“Tell me,” I demand, already bracing myself for a shit storm.
“Our last delivery was light,” he says gravely, which only means one thing.
Someone has stolen from me.
“I’m coming down there,” I tell him. “Safety protocols be damned, I need to see this for myself.”
“I don’t know if that’s the best idea,” he hesitates. “We can handle this with just your input.”
“No,” I argue. “The whole point of moving back to the penthouse was to show that I’m not backing down from this threat.”
“Understood,” he says, though I can hear the frustration in his voice. His job would be much easier if I stayed in hiding. “I’ll make the arrangements. A car will be outside your penthouse in five minutes.”
I hang up and go back to my room to quickly dress for the day. My security team escorts me down to the lobby and flanks me as I get in the car. I assume we’re still using a decoy protocol on the cars until we’re completely sure that my attacker won’t strike again that way. They’d be stupid to try, but they have already tried to kill me twice.
When I reach the docks, my men stand at attention, as if I haven’t been gone for weeks. I’m glad to see that, apart from the light shipment, things are still running at the highest level of efficiency.
Petya is there to meet me as soon as I step out of the car.
“It’s over here,” he says, walking me over to a storage container that’s already been emptied. “As you can see, there’s no sign of forced entry.”
I nod, looking at the intact lock.
“I want surveillance increased on every shipment. Let’s make sure this isn’t just one of the workers skimming off the top.”
He nods and we walk through the warehouse, making inspections on other parts of the operation. It seems a few things have, unfortunately, slipped through the cracks afterall. Invoices aren’t being paid on time. Vendors are getting frustrated.
This can’t go on any longer. I tell Nicolai to meet me at my midtown office as soon as he’s able. We need to right this ship. He meets me there half an hour later with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“There’s the groom-to-be,” he says, clapping me on the back. “When’s the big day?”
“Soon,” I reply noncommittally. “Until then, let’s focus on this problem, shall we?”
We spend hours going over logistics. In addition to increased surveillance, we also change some of the routes and increase the amount of security. I don’t want to take any more chances. If someone is stealing from me, I want to know exactly who so I can find out exactly why they would be so bold.
I’m feeling more confident about the plans when Petya bursts through the door, looking upset.
