Page 11 of Emerald Vices

She stops short. “Huh?”

“You were leaving me behind, too. Did you ever stop to think about that?” It’s hard to keep the note of bitterness from my voice.

She presses her lips together. “I won’t apologize for trying to give our babies a better life. A safer life.”

“I’m not asking you to. I can see why you thought you had to leave. It’s not like I made you feel very safe in the end, did I?”

Her mouth opens and closes, uncertain of whether I’m being sincere or leading her into a trap. Even that uncertainty proves how badly I’ve failed her.

I rise to my feet. “I have to step out for a bit. If you need anything, let Leonty know. He’ll be stationed outside your door at all times.”

Her eyes go wide. “That’s not necessary?—”

“It’s not negotiable, either.”

“Andrey—”

The argument freezes on her tongue when I bend down and kiss her forehead. “If you need me, call me. I will answer.”

“So, the old pakhan is really back?” Luca asks, sliding a hand over the lapels of his double-breasted suit.

“With a vengeance,” I confirm.

The club we’re in, Maria, is teeming with trendy young people, their skin dappled with sweat, smoke rising up in curls from the tips of their thin French cigarettes. Electronic music pulses dully through the walls, like the place itself has a heartbeat. The frantic energy infects all of us, myself included.

Luca is nodding along with the bass while Cevdet watches me with an excited glint in his eyes. Bujar alone looks apprehensive.

I have a feeling I know why. He’s the most vulnerable link in our chain. He doesn’t have the manpower to protect his business interests the way the rest of us do.

“Don’t worry,” I assure them. “I plan on taking out the threat soon enough.”

“I hope so,” Luca warns. “The longer this takes, the more money we’ll lose.”

Cevdet rolls his eyes. “Really, Luca, talking about money at a time like this? It’s so crass. This is an offense against our young pakhan and it cannot stand.”

“Two things can be equally true and equally important at the same time,” Luca quips with a wave of his hand.

It’s one of the things I appreciate most about Luca: the man is straightforward.

“We need to close ranks,” Cevdet booms, reaching for another cigar. “Strangle those pesky birds before they take flight.”

“Who exactly is this new enemy we’re facing?” Luca asks.

“No one you’ve heard of. Just a small-time cartel that started to gain some traction around the time I took over as pakhan,” I answer. “They call themselves The Halcones.”

Luca wrinkles his nose. “And they’re dangerous?”

“They cost me dearly once.”

All three men are watching me carefully, waiting for me to volunteer more. But I’m not here to dredge up past losses.

“My father is more capable than I imagined,” I say. “He can be very persuasive when he wants to be.”

“Are you unsure of your Bratva’s loyalty?” Bujar asks.

My jaw clenches. “Of my inner circle—not at all. But there are a lot of men under my command, and many of them swore their allegiance to my father first.”

The mood of our meeting wavers beneath the pulse of the strobe lights. Cevdet leans forward. “If we’re to win, we need to act fast.”

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