Page 83 of The Councilor

He stopped in front of several, the Russian flying between all the parties and I’d never seen him so animated. He’d been such a cool cucumber in court, but this was as if he was holding court.

When the last group paid attention to me, one of the older men took my hand into his, kissing my knuckles.

“Yemu povezlo, chto u nego takaya krasivaya nevesta.” The man’s voice was gravelly, a reflection of the Russian vodka he was sipping and the cigar he was smoking.

“What did he say?” I had to whisper to Aleksander.

He leaned in. “He said I was a lucky man to have such a beautiful bride.”

“You told him.”

“As with all things in the world of the Bratva, it’s better to pave the way.”

“Because I’m Italian.”

“No, my little lamb. Because I’m second in command to take over the Bratva if something happens to Vadim, or he finally retires.”

I don’t know why I hadn’t known that. I should have figured it out given his position, but seeing it up close and personal, the total respect in most men’s eyes, instead of the fear shown for my father, was eye opening.

“How do you say I am the one honored?”

He whispered it into my ear several times as I mouthed the words. I had a terrible feeling I’d butcher it but what the heck? You only lived once.

“Ya udostoyen chesti.”

The immediate silence told me I had.

When the older man brought me in for a hug, his companions clapping Aleksander on the back, I had a feeling I’d passed some test. I was more relieved than I would have thought possible.

A few additional words were said, still in Russian, followed by nods of respect and Aleksander wrapped his arm around my shoulders, leading us further down the sidewalk. “You were a hit, my little lamb.”

“And you’re highly revered.”

“This area is full of my people.”

“You don’t understand. My father put the fear of God into almost everyone. Pay your taxes or your family is caught in the middle. Don’t betray the organization in any way or you’ll face a devouring wrath.”

“I learned a long time ago, as did Vadim, that if you want to rule any group, the best way to gain loyalty and respect is by giving it to them first.”

“You’re a snake in the courtroom yet you’re considered a nice guy?”

He laughed and pointed to something in front of us.

“What the hell?” I broke away, heading toward the statue. “A bear?” The huge lifelike creature stood in front of the glass front of the restaurant as if inviting customers inside. Or maybe threatening them with bodily harm. I couldn’t help but feel giddy from seeing it. “Take a picture of me with Mr. Bear.”

The eight-foot-tall piece wasn’t cuddly, but it would make for a great photograph for my roomies. Ex roomies. I even posed and while Aleksander growled at first, he took several pictures with his iPhone.

When he was finished, he shook his head and tugged at my arm, pulling my back to his chest and guiding me to the entrance of the restaurant. As soon as he opened the door, the wild music caught my attention, the dark surroundings next. The interior was exactly as the photographs on Google had depicted.

The interior was galley style with a sloped wooden ceiling, one long bar on the right-hand side with booths on the other and tables further back in the darkest part of the dining room. Everything had a lively feel to it from the music to the banter in Russian. And the smells were incredible. My mouth watered at the same time my tummy grumbled for food. It had seemed like days since I’d eaten. While the wall lights barely added any real light, they did add to the sensual and perhaps dangerous atmosphere.

The moment we walked through, all conversation stopped, the bartender still wiping a glass with a bar towel while he studied both of us. The man had a scowl on his face as he slammed the tumbler onto the surface of the bar.

As he approached, I was certain the man was angry, but the moment he stopped directly in front of Aleksander, a smile broke out on the bartender’s face.

The two embraced, clapping each other on the backs as they spoke Russian.

Suddenly, the entire restaurant broke out in cheers.

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