Page 61 of The Bratva's Secret Twins

“A little too well, I might say,” he replied.

“Which means you’re confident that our meeting with him will go smoothly, da?”

“Da, I’ve got a good feeling about this,” he replied, his eyes fixed on a dirty dancer. “We’ll get the protection contract and have a nice chunk of change to go with it.”

Mr. Petrov was a businessman who proposed partnering with Bratva and his real estate development company, where we’d offer ‘protection’ and ‘security services’ for his high-end projects to ensure a smooth and hassle-free construction process free from any ‘unforeseen’ delays or union disputes.

In return, we would receive a substantial share of the profits, and this deal would allow us to expand our empire, diversify our income streams, and further solidify our grip on the city’s underworld.

“Do you think he'll agree to our terms?” I asked.

Vlad snickered. “He doesn’t have a choice, brother. He knows that he’s dealing with two of the most dangerous people in the world. So, he’ll play by our rules.”

I poured myself a drink.

“True. Besides, he’s the one in need of our security services,” I concurred.

“When this deal clicks, we’ll be a hundred times richer.” He smirked. “I like what you did with the Solenoir deal…. Look how well it turned out for you in the end.” He took a sip of his drink.

Solenoir.

The brand flashed in my head, followed by images of the first time I’d met Vivian.

I was doing fine discussing business with Vlad, but now he’d managed to bring to the surface something that I’d been fighting to keep down.

As though he knew that I was struggling with thoughts of Vivian, Andrei came to my rescue, returning my focus to the deal.

“Your meeting with Mr. Petrov is scheduled for tomorrow,” he said, glancing at his iPad and then at me. “10 AM prompt.”

“Great,” Vlad said, lifting his glass. “To new beginnings and bigger profits.”

We cheered and gulped down our drinks.

“And now for the real fun,” he said, a mischievous grin etched upon his face. “Bring in the ladies,” he instructed.

The man at the door nodded and stepped outside for a couple of seconds.

What did I have to lose? I was here, so the least I could do was unwind a little. I needed a distraction from my thoughts, and this was the best type of distraction.

The man returned, and with him came a couple of sexy ladies, hot strippers.

“Let the fun begin,” Vlad said, relaxing in his chair as the ladies spread out amongst us.

I exhaled slowly, allowing myself to loosen up and enjoy the rest of the night.

Chapter 19 – Vivian

I was exhausted after the day’s work. My body was aching, and every fiber of my being was tired. The training session with the new recruits had been more tedious than I’d anticipated and took more time. But in the end, it had been a huge success.

The guys loved the session with me, and many of them had questions that required critical thinking. Luckily, I was a very good critical thinker. I answered all of their questions and was satisfied by the looks of astonishment they all wore on their faces.

At first, a couple of them didn’t take me seriously because I was a woman who looked so young, probably even younger than some of them were. I hadn’t gotten to this stage without running into people like them every now and then. Hence, I was familiar with the attitude and had mastered the art of shutting them up and putting them in their place.

These new recruits weren’t different at all; in fact, it had been easier dealing with them, and reminding them of the hierarchy was a piece of cake. However, the hours we’d spent going over the session were the reason for my tiredness.

Now, I couldn’t wait to get home, but a part of me knew that I might not really get that rest I needed; they wouldn’t let me sleep if they were awake, and there was a seventy percent chance that they were. I thought about calling Alba to ask but decided at the last minute that it wasn’t necessary; I was almost home already.

My life was really going well. I’d finally become that woman I’d always dreamed of, and I loved it.

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