Page 48 of Escaping the Bratva

Now it was Alek’s turn to sigh. “Alright. Get your ass down here tonight. I’ll talk to the men. Once you're initiated and have been assigned a role, we can come up with a plan to get your girl back.”

“Thanks, Alek.”

“I’ll see you tonight.”

*****

As the plane lands in Boston, the guilt swirling in my head hasn’t stopped. The idea of leaving Seattle while Sasha is still there with that monster doesn’t sit right with me, but it's what I have to do. I can’t just keep sitting at the conference table trying to come up with a plan when I need people. I need an army. And the only way to get that is to join the brotherhood. As a kid in Russia, the Bratva men were the good guys. They took care of me and my mom when there wasn’t food on the table. They took care of me in college when I almost didn’t finish because I didn’t have enough money to pay my tuition. It wasn’t so much joining the Bratva that bothered me. It was more about what I was losing as a tradeoff: Sasha.

I disembarked and walked through the airport. It was pretty much empty since the only flight I was able to get was late at night. When I got outside, a man wearing a three-piece Armani suit was standing next to a black car with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Vladimir?” he asks as I approach.

I nod. He opens the back door, and I slide into the cool leather seat. Alek is already inside. He’s dressed more casually than the man who opened the door for me. He wears dark jeans and a button-down shirt that he has rolled up to his elbows. His tattoos across both arms are exposed. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Alek. I’m glad he’s gotten rid of that weird mohawk hairstyle he used to wear. Now his hair is nearly buzzed, and just like me, it looks like he’s been hitting the gym. His dirty blonde hair and glowing green eyes have stayed consistent over time.

“Long time no see, Vladimir,” he says reaching his hand out. I slap his hand and pull him into a half-hug.

“Yeah, it’s been…crazy.”

The car starts to roll forward as the driver pulls us into traffic.

“So you get out of prison and get right back into trouble,” he jokes.

“I tried to leave all this shit behind me, but obviously, I didn’t do a very good job.”

He shrugs. “It happens.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. I don’t want to talk about my situation anymore. “What’s been going on with you, besides saving my ass?”

He chuckles and grabs a glass of amber liquid from the cup holder. He takes a sip before answering. “Just moving my way up the rank. I’m one step away from Pakhan.”

“Don’t you have to get married to become Pakhan?”

He places the drink back down in the cupholder. “Already taken care of.”

“Oh?”

“The senator's daughter. She’s waiting to be married off.”

I’m reminded of the Bratva code. Arranged marriages were commonplace for high-ranking men. If you were a woman born into this life, then it was expected that you’d marry within the brotherhood.

“Congratulations, man.”

“Don’t congratulate me yet. She’s a handful.”

A smile tugs at my lips as I think about Sasha. “I get it.”

“Yeah? Tell me about your girl.”

“I got her kidnapped, and after I’m sworn, in she’ll want nothing to do with me. But I’m okay with that as long as she’s safe.”

This time, Alek grabs the entire bottle of whiskey and an empty glass from the middle compartment and pours another drink before handing it to me. I down the entire thing in one gulp.

“You sure you want to do this?” he asks me.

“I don’t have any other choice.”

He seems to think about my answer for a minute. “That’s rough, but for selfish reasons, I’m glad to have you back, man.”

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