“I need you here,” he says. “This whole thing is spiraling out of control.”
“Pecora’s men think I tried to kill him. You know I can’t come back there. At least not until I figure something out.”
“Where are you, anyway? One of your properties?”
“The cabin. I figure it’s the safest place since not even Father knows about it.”
He sighs. “You can’t know that for sure, though. You know he has ears everywhere. You should just come back. Let me and Father handle things. You can trust us, at least. We will protect you. You know that. They can’t get to you through us.”
I frown. Pavel seems very confident that I will be protected in a den of deceit. “You truly think I will be safe?” I ask him. “We’re being attacked from within as well as from the outside. I’m in as much danger with you and Father as I am at home.”
“Well, yes, but… but you can’t expect Father to listen to you if you’ve already run.”
I guess that’s a valid point. “What else can I do?”
“I don’t know.” He goes silent, and I feel his pain, at least a little. His naivete about this situation is almost admirable. I wish I knew less about my situation and had more hope in our father’s ability to protect me against the men he trained.
Dmitri’s words float into my mind.You’re sure Pavel is on your side?
I’ve been sure about that. I haven’t had any reason to doubt it.
And yet, Pavel seems to think I would be safer back home where I don’t even know whom among our number I can trust… especially now that the shit has hit the fan. It’s slightly suspicious at best. Does Pavel truly have my best interests at heart?
I dismiss the thought almost as quickly as it appears. Dmitri’s nonsense has gotten into my head. Pavel’s suggestion just speaks to his lack of experience in these matters.
“Give me the night to think things over,” I say to him. “I’ll have a better plan of action once I’ve had a good night’s sleep. Hopefully, things won’t have gotten worse by then.”
“I’ll do my best to try and stall Pop. I can’t make any promises, though, so you stay safe.”
“Keep me updated.”
I hang up and stand in silence for a few minutes. If I’m gone too long, Father might start to look for me himself. I’m not sure what that would look like. He’ll probably view my running for safety as cowardice. That is, if Pavel can’t convince him that we have a problem within our ranks.
If he does come here, though, he will insist that I return. He won’t hear of any conspiracy theories. I think that if I were alone, I might be inclined to go with him. In fact, I wonder if I would have left at all. I’m certainly not afraid of any of Pecora’s men.
The fact of all of this is that it comes down to what would happen to Isabella. He should honor our marriage and accept that I havea duty to protect her just as I would anyone within the Bratva. However…
Ugh. Dmitri’s words again. Bringing up old history as if it were relevant now. Whatever happened between our parents has been told a million different ways depending on whom you would ask. Dmitri and Anya’s mother probably told them some horror story about how my father robbed them of their inheritance… as if they ever wanted it to begin with. Dmitri was never interested in being his father’s heir, anyway.
For the first time, I’m debating whether their version of the events is the right one. Did my father double-cross his own brother for a place at the head of the table? Not that it doesn’t happen, but it’s viewed with such dishonor. My father is nothing if not honorable under our code.
My head’s all turned around about this situation and I’m starting to get a bit of a headache. I leave the den and head outside to get some air. As I stand on the porch, all I can think about is what happens now? How do I fix this?
As the sky starts to change, I spot a car coming up the road. Anya. She pulls in front of the porch and I go to meet her to grab the groceries she’s gotten.
“You didn’t have too many issues?” I ask her as we both walk into the house. She shakes her head as we make our way to the kitchen just as Dmitri comes up from the basement.
“Water heater’s on,” he says. His eyes go to the bags as we set them down on the counter. “Cool. Food. How’d it go out there?”
“The market in town is small,” she says. “Little more than a general store. I was able to get the basics like milk, eggs, andbutter, but anything fancy will have to wait another day, I’m afraid.”
“Shit.” Dmitri’s shoulders slump. “So, no alcohol?”
She smiles, reaching into a bag and pulling out a full bottle of vodka. “That much, they could at least oblige.”
“That’s awesome. Let’s crack this open.”
“Hey,” I say. “Let’s not forget why we’re here. This isn’t a vacation.”
