Second Best (Volkov Bratva 1)

“I can’t believe it was so difficult to get to you,” Cara said. “I mean, why you?” She tutted.

Glancing at Cara, I saw she’d led us into a large open space. Several tables looked modern, and I saw paperwork sprawled out. Boards were hung, and I caught pictures of myself, Slavik, and Ivan. Along with notes of locations, times, and then I saw the images of the man who had attacked me the night of the banquet.

Cara smiled. “Yes, look your fill. You really should. After all, your husband is going to find this and everyone is going to know how I stopped you. Of course it will mean an end to the treaty with the Italians, which is fine. They’re easy to stop, and we’ll soon be taking over their turf.” She clicked her fingers.

“What is all of this?” I asked.

“This … this is twenty-plus years of being kept on the bottom. Twenty years of being overlooked. Twenty years of allowing dicks to rule. Not anymore it’s not.”

“You did this?” I asked.

“No, darling, you did. You and your traitorous family. All along, it was a ploy and a game to infiltrate Ivan’s Bratva. To weaken them from within. You, my sweet, arranged for all of the killings. All of the attacks, and you paid for them until you got the one you wanted, Ivan Volkov. Son of a bitch never saw it coming.” Cara tutted. “He should have known not to deal with me, but what can I say? They’re fucking brain dead when it comes to a woman in charge.”

I stood up and looked at all the planning. There was so much detail. After all this time, Cara hadn’t been loyal to them. She’d bided her time until the right moment where she could take them out.

“You were always going to kill Ivan?” I asked.

“Seeing as you’re going to be dead soon, I suppose I can tell you that I never planned to kill Ivan. Not in the beginning. He was a sweet guy, deadly, vicious, and all that, but I liked him. I don’t do love. We had a business arrangement, and I have to say, for the most part, he kept to his side of the bargain.”

“What changed? You got the life you wanted.”

“What changed?” Cara rushed toward me. Her hand suddenly wrapped around my neck. She was so strong, and I held on to her wrist, trying to stop her from choking me to death. “You changed fucking everything. My rightful place was by Ivan’s side. If not his, then Slavik’s. That’s my place, but you, you came along and ruined everything. Then Ivan, he thinks he can marry his men off one by one and nothing would come of it. I saved them on those fucking streets, and now, they’re going to be mine. I’m going to show Slavik what a nasty cunt you are. He’ll want me, and then I’ll be by his side ruling this place as it was meant to be. The new order is not for now. I don’t believe in peace. I want war.”

The Cara I thought I knew was an act. She changed right before my eyes. The violence simmered within her.

“Slavik will never believe you.”

“No?” she asked. “You think he’d believe you after how long he’s known me? You don’t stand a chance, Aurora. I am sorry for all of this. You are a means to an end.”

I stared at Cara, shocked as she raised the gun at me.

She tensed, and I closed my eyes. No bullet came.

“Fuck!”

I had no time to move as the sound of the door being broken in filled the air. Within a matter of seconds, Slavik and his men were there.

****

Slavik

I listened to Cara’s accusations. My wife on her knees, tears filling her eyes as she looked at me.

All the while, a perfect story painted for all to hear. I saw my men and Ivan’s, and their anger grew with each word spoken.

My wife.

The woman I’d fallen in love with was a traitor?

“You see, Slavik, we can’t let her leave here. Look at the damage she has caused. I told Ivan he never should have done the treaty. You, yourself, fought against it.”

I stared at Aurora. She made no sound. No defense.

“Do you trust me?” I asked.

“Of course, I trust you,” Cara said. Her hands touched my shoulder. “How could I not? I brought her to you. I knew you’d follow me to protect me. You love me.”

The buzz in my pocket alerted me to the next step, and I turned to Cara. I dropped the gun and stroked her cheek. She was a good friend, the best. Through thick and thin, she’d been there for me and for Ivan.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” I said, grabbing her head and shoving her down to the ground as she screamed.