Page 2 of Claimed By the Bratva

Luder handed me a file with all the details required before we left. I placed it in my carry-on to make sure it stayed with me. As I grabbed my bag, there was a knock on the door.

Piotr entered, grinning. “You ready to leave?” he asked.

Nodding in agreement, we headed back home. Tasha, my sister, was waiting for me as we landed. “Can you take me to get my truck?” I asked. “I want to get working right away.”

She glanced at me sideways as she spoke. “Are you sure? Don’t you want breakfast first?”

“No, I’m good; I had something before we left,” I replied, grinning at her. “Is there something else?”

“Nope, I was just asking.” She replied as we drove off.

We pulled up to my brother’s mansion, where I had left my truck. After tossing my bag into the back, I took off. I had to get inside the offices of Elite Import and Export, but I wasn’t sure how yet. For now, I would do some surveillance and get the workers' identities.

I stopped across the street from the large four-story building. Looking around, I saw a coffee shop on the corner. That would be the ideal place to set up. I collected my camera bag and laptop from the compartment in the back of my truck before heading to the shop.

There weren’t many tables and chairs, but one was ideal for what I needed. It covered the entire front and one side of the building. Taking a seat, a light-haired waitress came glidingtowards me. “Good morning, sir,” she said in a soft but pitching tone. “How can I serve you today?”

I smiled at the beautiful woman. “Just a cup of coffee will be fine, thanks,” I replied. She left but returned shortly with my order. “May I have the internet password?” I asked as she started turning away.

She stopped standing sideways. Her smile widened as she spoke. “Sure, it’s ‘barista’ all small letters. Is there anything else?”

“No, thank you,” I replied, giving her a broad smile. Her cheeks instantly flared up. Turning away, she moved back inside quickly. I typed the password on my laptop, and everything opened.

I tried searching for employees in the company but couldn’t find many. Picking up my phone, I called Tasha. “Hey, sis,” I said as she answered. I need a list of employees and their history on import, freight, customs and border security,” I added.

“No problem, give me half an hour. I’ll email it to you,” she replied before hanging up.

Sitting back in the chair I sipped my coffee while studying the building. I took a couple of photos of the people moving in and out. I sent these to Tasha with a note. ‘I hope these can help.’

Tasha sent me a nicely detailed file. It held each employee’s personal details such as name, date of birth, social security number, and more. Under each employee was also a list of their family members. Almost all of them were clean, and their families too. Working in that industry didn’t allow for a criminal past or ties.

As I read each one carefully, I tried to assess who would be most likely to assist. I had to find some kind of dirt on at least one. There were a couple of employees with financial issues. I thought these could be persuaded if I had to. I made a note next to each of them.

Then, as I got to the third one from the last, I hit pay dirt. Joyce Lewis was the perfect candidate. She had a cousin called Jax, whom Tasha had found. Jax wasn’t the honest kind of man, it seemed. I felt sure I could use him to get through to the woman. Reading her profile, I noticed she was an intern.

Yet, I was optimistic. I hoped she could get to the details we wanted. Glancing at her photo, I knew she was the one. She was an attractive blond woman with magnificent green eyes. Her smile was warm and made her look young and innocent.

Except for Jax, everything else in her file made her look like a Girl Scout. She was so innocent, I thought, sitting back. She had graduated top in her class and hadn’t even received a parking ticket in her life. I felt sure she was a good person, but I would keep an eye on her for a day or two before making my move.

I spent the next two days staked out at the coffee shop. I studied her photo intensely so I could know what she looked like. I noticed she liked to wear her honey-blond hair loose. This way, it framed her face perfectly. I took pictures of her entering and exiting, getting to know her schedule. She always arrived earlier than most and left after all the others had gone.

Tasha had also hacked the internal security system so I could monitor all her activities. I watched her with deep interest as she went about her days. The more I learned, the more I could see her innocence. With every picture, her striking green eyesand warm smile moved me. By Thursday, I felt bad about having to use her for this. Yet, I knew there was no other option.

I sighed deeply, getting up and heading across the street. There wasn’t any more time to waste. I had to act sooner than later. Crossing the street, I glanced at their board. ‘Elite Import and Export’ it read. But the slogan underneath caught my attention. I knew why the Morozov family chose this business. ‘Private, no border or custom hassles!’

Chapter 2 - Joyce

It had only been six months, but I was confident that I had proven myself and would soon be able to approach the boss. I wanted a promotion. The salary increase would only be an added-on perk. Working my way up would offer me better benefits and more time to live my life. But the increase would also be nice. Working at Elite Import and Export wasn’t easy, but I loved it.

I knew I would have to make a move soon as my family history was sure to surface somewhere in the future. If my family association with Jax had to come out, I might never be liable for a promotion. Working with clients, making sure all custom and border needs were met was satisfying.

Stepping out of the elevator on the second floor, I smiled at the receptionist. “Morning, Gale. How was the weekend?”

Gale, who was a skinny, tall woman, grinned. She flipped her head, causing her orange locks to fly back over her shoulder. Her large brown eyes appeared to have a shine as she leaned slightly forward. “It was, well, outa this world, sugar,” she breathed out between chews of bubble gum.

Every time I interacted with her, I could see why she was still only the receptionist after ten years. Gale knew a lot about the business, but her charm and attitude longed for a finesse I was sure she didn’t have.

“And what ya been up to?” she continued as I moved past her desk.

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