Page 5 of Shattered Empire (Shattered World)

It was one of the reasons the community didn’t push back against theBratva. Unlike Dante, who struggled to keep his capos under control. He’d been trying to build a new regime after his father’s death, but the sinister heart of the old Cosa Nostra ran strong, and it would take at least another generation before the festering wounds of his organization were healed.

“I’m sorry.” I blinked at Tomas. He’d said something, but I was too lost in thought to catch what it was. “I missed that.”

Vas chuckled lowly, biting into his piroshki with gusto. Couldn’t blame him, the food here was amazing.

“I asked what your plans were going forward.”

“My plans?” I quirked my head to the side, brushing the crumbs from my hands on the napkin in my lap before clasping them together in front of me on the table. “What would I have plans for, Mr. Ivankov? I was under the impression I was no longer needed, seeing as my husband is dead. I assumed you were here to bang the gavel of dismissal.”

Vas cringed as his father’s face darkened slightly. He turned to his son; his eyes narrowed dangerously. “You didn’t tell her?” he asked incredulously. Vas cleared his throat uncomfortably.

“I meant to, but between planning the funeral and her hiding away at the Kavanaughs’, there has not been a moment to sit down with her.”

My gaze darted between the pair. They really did look a lot alike, but there was a softness about Vas that his father didn’t possess.

“Tell me what?” I questioned frustratingly. “Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?” Their hazel eyes snapped to me.

“How much did Matthias tell you aboutBratvasuccession?” Tomas asked. Moving his empty plate aside, he wiped the crumbs from the table and leaned back in his chair, a cup of coffee in his hand.

I shrugged. “He didn’t,” I admitted. “Not really. Most of what I learned was from the internet. If thePakhanis compromised in any way, his second in command takes the role of leadership in his stead. Or something like that.”

Tomas nodded, seemingly impressed with my small amount of knowledge.

“You know,” he began wistfully, pausing to take a sip of his drink. “I was sixteen when I started the IvankovBratvaon the streets of Moscow.” He chuckled as he recalled the memory. “I only had ten people under my command. One of which was a woman who later became mySovietnik. You see, Ava, I wanted to set a different tone for my organization. For far too long, women were nothing more than second-class citizens in theBratva, with little to no say in how things were run.

“It took a while, but I managed to build up an empire from scratch that saw women in theBratvaacquiring higher roles,” he continued, and I wondered where this was going.

Was he going to ask me to stay on as a member of theBratva?

“That’s great and everything,” I told him dryly. “It’s a real leap for feminism, but I don’t understand what this has to do with me.”

Tomas smirked. “I changed the rules of succession, Ava,” he educated. “If thePakhanin question doesn’t have a blood heir or hasn’t named an un-blooded heir and is married, his role goes to his wife.”

Old man say what now?

“Now, there would normally be a bit of muddied waters seeming as how you were married under duress, but Matthias’s people have proven today that they are willing to stand by your side,” Tomas continued, as if he did not just drop the Hiroshima of all bombs. “And he listed you as the heir in his will, so there’s that.”

He relayed the information so casually. Like Matthias making me his heir was no big deal. It was as if he’d been expecting it. I knew better. Divorce. That was what Matthias intended for me. Not for me to take control of his empire if he died.

So, I did the only logical thing I could think of. I laughed. Tears fell from the corners of my eyes as I struggled to rein in the maniacal sound that fell from my lips. My shoulders shook, my belly aching from the action. The painful weight that sat on my chest felt suddenly heavier, cracking through to my heart.

The two men at the table remained silent as my laughter continued until the tears and surprise were spent. When I looked back at them, their faces wore mirrored looks of shock and concern. As if they’d never seen a woman have a mini mental breakdown before. What I didn’t see was any sign that they were jesting.

Tomas was serious when he’d proclaimed that Matthias had named me as his successor.

I swung my gaze to Vasily. “Did you know about this?” I asked incredulously, the shock clearly painted across my face like a shattered mosaic. “Have you known this entire time?”

Vas nodded, his throat bobbing with unease as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “He named you the successor after you were married.”

“And he never changed it?”

Vas shook his head.

Letting out a forced breath, I rubbed at my temples, a headache forming behind my eyes as my irritation and disbelief grew. “I don’t understand,” I admitted. “Matthias was planning to divorce me. Why would he keep me named as his successor?”

Tomas coughed and turned to his son expectantly.

“Why indeed, Vasily?” His father cocked an eyebrow at him as he brought his drink to his lips. The man scowled at his father, eyes burning like fiery coal.

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