Page 15 of Merciless Queen

Three, and still nothing.

I smile. “Good. So this is how it’ll go: to ease your minds, operations will continue as normal. I am not changing those. They have led the Bratva into great prosperity over the years and will continue to do so.Butthere is one modification I am implementing, effective immediately.” I find a balding man directly to my right, having unfortunately witnessed his enjoyment of the captured women and children by video. Sick fucker. “The trafficking ring is ending immediately.”

He immediately throws his hands in the air and curses while Ivan comes closer. “Foolish girl. You realize that makes the Bratva millions each year? You will cost us with that single move.”

After pushing my uncle away, I silence the rest of the outcries with a single glare. “The children in our custody will be returned to their families and I am personally overseeing the hiring of both a female medical doctor and a psychologist to support their transition. Every family we stole from will be given a lump sum of money to support any future mental health needs of those children, provided the Bratva and all mention of anyone here remains out of their mouths. This is non-negotiable.” I stare at the sick fucker to my right when I add, “Anyone who enjoys sexualizing children will not be tolerated in my organization. These changes also go for previously-sold children. A private team is already working on tracking each one of them down.” With assistance of Lev, who, with the bill of sales I’ve dug up, is able to trace the owners.

“Vanessa—”

“Silence.” My hand slashes the air, shutting my uncle up. “The tourists—same thing. After being checked, they are on a one-way private flight back to their home country with a payout for their silence. People visit our beautiful country to explore; therefore, we will never again be kidnapping women and preventing them from living their lives.” I pause, granting space for more complaints, but none come. “As for the locals…instead of trafficking rings, brothels will be opened up in their places to ensure the Bratva does not lose themillionsof dollars they brought in. Even with myfeminist ideals.” My cold glare finds Ivan. “I understand the profitability in sex work, which is why this modification. The locals will have a choice. They can return to their lives, freed, or they can work aspaid employeesin the new brothels. More will be hired, both men and women, to serve any and all experiences customers may want. With the doctor I’ll have on retainer, the employees will receive ongoing medical attention, contraceptives, and fair treatment. Anyone who denies the offer goes home, no questions asked. Anastasiawill be in charge of this transition.” I glance down the strip of the table, catching her father’s widening eyes.

Countless Russian slurs get thrown my way and for a moment, I allow them. Let the old assholes work out their anger before Ireallyget them going.

“But what I do or don’t do no longer matters to any of you,” I continue, voice gentler and more patronizing than earlier. “Because you’re all fired. Non-negotiable. This instance. You were my father’s inner circle, therefore you are not mine. You walk away in the next three minutes or you don’t walk away at all. Your decision.”

And then I drop into the chair, kicking my heels over the tabletop and wait for the bitching to end. I make a show of removing a blade from my left holster and nicking beneath my freshly done gel nails. I’ll need this knife nice and sharp to protect me against the numerous enemies I’ve just gained. Given that these Brigadiers have been around for decades, they have connections that go far and deep, who’ll no doubt soon be coming for me in revenge.

My uncle slams his hand onto the table, looking from me to his son. “You, fuckingpredatel'. You could have had the motherfucking world beneath you and yet you helpher?”

Dimitri walks toward the table’s edge and drops his body weight onto it, palms on the surface, as he leans opposite his father. His chin lowers, eyes getting darker in a way that has nothing to do with the dim lighting within the room. I’ve seen this look before, when he’s readying to kill.

“I had the world,” he replies, dredging up my curiosity for the meaning behind his statement. “You molded me into what I am now, soda, I’m helping her. Vanessa is more than capable of being Pakhan. She’s my leader and there’s nothing more to say. If you continue to defy her orders, I’ll escort you out myself,Otets, but I can’t guarantee you’ll like it when I do.”

Ivan’s face flushes red and he slams a fist down onto the table in response. And then again for a different reason, when one of the men heads toward the door. “Where the hell are you going?”

The Brigadier holds up a single hand, replying to Ivan but looking at me. “I’m retiring. My Pakhan died, and I’m no longer needed.” He nods at me before rushing out of the room.

Another follows close behind without a word.

Then the child rapist to my right moves away with a sneer. Finally, there’s an understanding that there is no other option for any of them. But this one specifically isn’t allowed to leave quite yet, so before he gets too far away, I lunge to my feet and stab the blade into the table through his hand.

He howls, ripping at his hand, which only does more harm by tearing the skin.

I settle back into my chair again and reposition my feet on the table as I gesture to the seat beside me. “Sit.”

Ivan comes into view, his face red and puffy, like a balloon about to explode. “He is one of your father’s trusted men. Is that any way to pay him respect?”

For this, I stand again, gun in hand, cocked, and pressed into his chest. A movement similar to what they all witnessed three months ago, only this time, there is no falter in my arm. My weakness doesn’t keep me down. My finger flexes over the trigger, eyebrow cocking in awant me to?question.

Ivan’s lips press together, eyes flickering to the gun. “You won’t kill family.”

He’s correct because his death is owed to his son. Even if I’m unaware of the complete history between them, I know that much. “Who knows.” I shrug, taunting the concept of his death. “You will stop speaking to me with so much disrespect. You’ve certainly become braver without my father around. If I haven’t already made it clear, you are done, Ivan. As for him...” I tip my head to the right, indicating the asshole panting in pain as hisblood seeps over my table. “He’s a child rapist and those have no place in my world. He’s the reason so many of those kids are plagued with nightmares. And those are only the invisible scars. A knife in the hand isn’t even an ounce of the physical pain he’s caused.”

The fucker’s face is a pale white now, his breaths becoming laboured as a dazed, confused stare locks onto the knife. Death by blood loss is way kinder than he deserves, but it’s all I’ll have time for today.

“Leave, Ivan. Now.”

I almost expect another argument, but he finally obeys, shoving away from the table with a loud huff and then glaring at Dimitri as he stalks by. “You will get what’s coming to you, Volkov. Just wait.”

“Sounds like a threat,dyadya. If it is, you should know, I get rid of threats.”

The door shuts for the final time, and it’s only my Elite and the rapist left. I pace to the half-dead man’s backside. After ripping the knife from his hand with a loud squelch that has him moaning in pain, I lean over his back, wondering if he’s conscious enough to hear me.

“You know what you’ve done so I’m not wasting my time by keeping you alive longer than needed. For those kids, you deserve to enteradone body part at a time, but I need to move this along so—” With the blood-soaked knife, I drag it along the front of his neck.

A slice.

A gasp.

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