Sinful Bride (Belaya Bratva 3)

I loosened a breath inwardly as the rest murmured in agreement. One hurdle down, one more to go. I could easily demand that we were going to do the plan and say they had no say so in the decision making, but the moment I did that, then I was at risk of having them not be a part of it when the time came. I had seen and heard many a Mafia whose followers didn’t agree with their Don or Pakhan, and the moment I lost their loyalty, then there would be a target on my own back. While I was still in charge, I needed the loyalty of my men. I was only as good as the people I had backing me up.

“There’s another matter I would like to discuss,” I continued, figuring I might as well lay it all out on the table with them now. “I wish to cease operations with the human trafficking contracts that we have, starting today.”

Surprise flickered on their faces and confusion in their eyes, which I expected. The trafficking was a lucrative business, one that we had enjoyed success in, but I couldn’t disappoint Naomi. If I wanted this future to work, I had to make a choice.

After all, I knew where she stood on this. She was going to push me to give it up, and eventually, if I kept refusing, I was in danger of losing her.

That couldn’t happen. I couldn’t lose her. “My wife is pregnant,” I added, meeting each one of their gazes. “And as part of my continued future with her, I have promised her that I will stop.”

Not a man spoke, likely surprised to hear how I was willing to just give up something that had been part of my Bratva long before I had met Naomi, even before I had brought on some of my brigadiers. It wasn’t going to be the easiest split, but it could happen.

Pavel cleared his throat. “I have to ask, Pakhan, how we expect to keep up with our funds if we no longer have those contracts.”

I had anticipated the question, as I had asked myself that after promising Naomi what I had promised her. It was a bit unusual for me to just cease contracts without a damn good reason, especially those that had raked in money in the past.

“As you know, my wife has caught the attention of an FBI agent. I plan to destroy him, of course, but in doing so, there’s going to be an even tighter noose around our Bratva for a while. I don’t wish to give them anything else to go after.” Unclasping my hands, I spread them wide. “Besides. There are plenty of other ventures awaiting our support.”

Pavel shook his head. “I mean no disrespect, Pakhan, but the men are going to need assurances that their pockets will still be lined.”

“Would they rather them be partially lined or not at all?” I countered, keeping the heat out of my voice. It was a valid question, one that, given what I had just heard, would be in my thoughts as well. Pavel gave me a single nod, and I smiled hard.

“The churn is upon us,” I echoed the words of a famous Baltimore crime boss. “The jungle is being torn down and paved over. Both the rules and the game are being remade, even if we’re not yet aware of it. Either we adapt and survive, or we can wait to be paved over.

“Giving up these contracts is not a means of weakening our forces or our pockets. It’s a means of surviving the next few years by being smarter than our enemies, smarter than those that expect us to do something else.

“It’s a measure of surprise when they don’t expect it, the funds when others are struggling. It’s about this Bratva slowly coming out of the ashes, rising to the top and having everyone else bow before us.”

By the time I had finished my speech, I knew I had them hooked. It was the light that came into their eyes as they listened to me, the way that their doubt changed to hope.

I could deliver on these promises, that is if we could win the war.

“What about our operations elsewhere?” Yuri asked.

“They will remain as strong as ever,” I told them. “Our Russian ties will not waver, and the weapons business will no doubt take over any sort of loss we might see in the interim. The dwarf in the Kremlin has made a mess of things in Ukraine, and Kyiv is turning a blind eye to weapons flowing through the countryside.”

With Guzman gone, there were crime syndicates all over LA, looking for someone to supply weapons, and I could make that happen easily. And with Stanislav and his Ukrainian connections severed, I was in position to step in and scoop up plenty of hardware. Captured Ukrainian weapons, abandoned Russian weapons, and all sorts of black-market NATO weapons were all up for grabs.

Ukraine was a gold mine right now, and it would be a gold mine that the Fed would turn a blind eye to. If ever there was a moment to pivot away from human trafficking into full arms dealing, now was the moment.

“Well then,” Pavel finally said, clasping his hands together. “If the Pakhan thinks he can provide, then who am I to stop him? I will inform the men to start closing down the trafficking safe houses immediately.”

A few others threw out their plans, and I couldn’t help but grin. I had won again. “Rally your men,” I said after a moment. “We have a plan to execute and a future to secure.”

My brigadiers filed out a few minutes later and I headed back to the basement, this time bypassing the piano room for my weapons room instead. Truly it had always been Anatoly’s room, where he had spent many a day polishing the weapons and ensuring that they worked well in the event that we needed them. I could hold off a full-on assault at the mansion if needed.

Blowing out a breath, I chose a gun for Naomi, one that she could learn quickly on and without too much kick. As much as I hated the fact that I was about to let her step directly into the line of danger, I didn’t have a choice.

I knew that. She was needed in this plan, but that didn’t make me feel any better about it.

Walking over to the cabinet on the wall, I threw open the doors and picked out a Kevlar vest for her, along with a set of knives that she could stab a fucker with. If I was going to send the woman I loved into danger, she was damn well going to be ready for it.

Gathering up the supplies, I headed back up the stairs, torn on whether or not to lock her in her room while I took care of this shit or let her go on with her plans. I wasn’t the type to let others fight my battles for me, but Naomi was willing to do so.

Yet another reason I was in love with her. She was a true partner. Katya had never mixed our relationship with my business. Sure, I had told her everything, and that had been my downfall in the end, but she wouldn’t have fought my battles for me.

Or even volunteered to do so. Her motives had been purely driven by her own selfish greed, but I felt like Naomi’s motive was because she truly loved me. She wanted a future with me, even with all the baggage I brought to the table.

She wanted to have my kid, our kid, and give me the life that everyone thought I should have.

I’d never wanted it more until I had met and fallen in love with her. Now things were different. My priorities had changed, and the Bratva took a back seat in my life. Once this war was over, maybe it would be me that would allow my brigadiers to pick up the heavy lifting of the Bratva business so I could concentrate on my family.

And that didn’t just consist of Naomi or our child. It was my mother, my sisters, Inessa and her girls that were my family.

I would protect them all.

Even to my dying breath.