Page 100 of Forbidden Vows

“Not at all. Max, Peter, and Dmitri were the least useful members of the organization, and our greatest liabilities, whether any of you are willing to admit it or not,” I say. “All I did was clean house. It was sorely needed. Hey, Paul?”

“What?” He’s wide-eyed and pale, sitting in his chair in disbelief.

“There’s another team of agents waiting for you downstairs. Don’t think for a second that you’re off the hook. You’re going to be dealing with the NSA, though. You, and the entire Kuznetsov organization, to be specific. You’re out of the Bratva altogether, and the Kuznetsovs are no longer welcome at this table. Any attempt at creating a competing force will be met with the full weight of the Bratva.”

“You’re screwed six ways from Sunday.” Andrei laughs.

“Let’s not make fun of their troubles,” I joke. “But yeah, you’re fucked, because you’re the one who brought the police and turned this whole thing into a federal case. This is on you, Paul, and you will pay the appropriate penalty. To everyone else left at this table, is there still a request for me to resign? Or are we moving on?”

Quietly, Paul removes himself from the meeting, rushing out the door like the terrified little mouse that he is. He won’t get far, though. I estimate he’ll be getting his own set of bracelets in less than a minute.

Ivan Fedorov gives me a hard look. “You consorted with the Feds.”

“I had no other choice. It was either that or jail time for something that is fully acceptable under our treaty. Fuck their laws. It’sourlaws that I’m focused on defending. And what Sergei and his followers did… well, I couldn’t let that stand. Not when he tried to kill my wife!” I begin shouting. “So, yes! I will bury each and every single member of the fucking Bratva if any of you even think about gunning for anyone in my family ever again! Is that clear?”

My voice booms across the room and a heavy silence follows.

Ilinka breaks it. “Understandable and acceptable. You have our support.”

“You saved my niece,” Ivan says to me. “You have our support.”

“And ours,” Oleg Aronov adds. “I may not be your biggest fan, but you are fair.”

Sasha Abramovic raises a trembling hand. “You have our support as well,” he says.

“The Popovs stand with you,” Perry chimes in.

Iulia Sokolov takes a deep breath. “It’s better than the federal galleys, I suppose.”

“Ah. There we go. Minds changed. Votes changed. And we’re all better for it, right?” I quip with a bright smile as I reclaim my seat at the head of the table. “Now, let’s move forward with the issues at hand and how we’re going to deal with each of them. I need to get home to my wife.”

Chapter 35

Eileen

“Idon’t get it. Why won’t anyone tell me anything?” I lament as I walk into the living room with an iced tea in one hand and a dainty lace fan in the other. The summer heat waves are starting to do a number on my already swinging moods. “I hate being kept in the dark like this!”

Ciara watches me as I settle into the armchair. With her leg still tightly bandaged, she gets to claim the sofa wherever we lounge in the Karpov mansion.

“Remember about six months ago when you hooked up with this devastatingly hot guy after he practically kidnapped you?” she casually asks, nursing a lemonade of her own. She takes a sip and crinkles her nose. “This would taste so much better with a splash of rum in it.”

“You’re on painkillers.” I roll my eyes, trying not to laugh. “And yes, I remember. Said a devastatingly hot guy actually saved my life that night.”

“And do you remember how he also got you pregnant?”

I’m laughing now. “Okay, where are you going with this?”

“Well, you’re still pregnant and stressing yourself the hell out. Calm your tits. Andrei said he was okay, and that he was going to be home soon. In the meantime, we get to hang out and recover from the Kuznetsov trauma together. By the way, this is turning out to be the longest we’ve been around each other without bickering. Tell me you’ve noticed.”

“Oh, I’ve noticed, and I’m glad.” I soften as I gulp down half of my iced tea.

“Me, too. It’s been a rough ride.”

“Dad didn’t help us much either.”

“He did the best he could. We certainly gave him hell for it.”

“I guess we weren’t too easy to handle.”

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