That sounded like an obstacle to what I did and what was expected of me as part of the high-ranking members of the Bratva.
I let out a deep sigh.
“In the spirit of keeping a closer eye on an ally who might want to secretly split from us, it would make sense. Assuming this sister would even know anything.”
“Doubtful,” he inserted.
“And assuming she’d talk.”
“You’d make her.”
I rolled my eyes.
“But that’s the vibe I’m getting too. He gave our guns to the fucking Hernandezes?” He shook his head. “He can say that he’s not trying to break any trade agreement with us, but maybe he actually is and he’s covering his ass now.”
“And if he’s being courted by another power, that could very well mean that it’s the work of fucking Gregori using his network to angle in and cut us off with trade.”
He nodded, his stance stiff and angry. “That’sexactlywhat I’m thinking too.”
“Fuck it.” I ran my hand through my hair and dreaded how much my life was changing.
It already had been, with my father dying, my older brother stressed and taking charge, learning that my supposedly dead uncle wasn’t dead but alive and forming a network to attack us…
And now a wife?
I tried not to get hooked onthat. That I’d have someone with me so intimately when I preferred to solve problems for the family. Not tomakemy own family.
It would be an arrangement.
Nothing more.
“I guess…” I exhaled again. “I guess it’ll be a deal, then.”
“Within reason,” Viktor added.
“Of course,” I said, mocking how Arturo had overused that term today. “I’ll take his sister and we’ll bring her back today. Fuck him if he wants to drag this out and make some big production out of it.”
My brother nodded. “Good. That’s less time for him to try to spy before anything legal is signed.”
“And once she’s with us, I’ll figure out what the fuck she’s after.”
He patted my back and laughed once. “I have to admit that I didn’t seethiscoming.”
“Neither did I,” I growled. “Arturo can assume we still have faith in them as a trade partner, but I’m not convinced he’s not trying to mess with us.”
“Me too. Until it’s clear what he’s scheming and if that shipment was just a mistake, you’ll be able to get some insider intel on our turf.”
I liked that summary the most. With the threat of our uncle being out there and at large, we needed to be informed and one step ahead of any enemy so we could continue staying on top and ruling the empire we’d all shed blood, sweat, and tears for.
6
CARINA
Ididn’t hurry back to my room. I didn’t rush to shower and clean up after my workout so I wouldn’t be a sweaty mess before the Volkovs arrived.
Their flight wouldn’t take more than an hour. The distance between our compound and Vegas wasn’t that great. As I stood under the water and let the shower run on and on, I wished they were coming from across the globe. Anything to add more time.
This is wrong.
