Page 7 of Bratva Bride

"I'm curious about the war between the De Lucas and the Gambinos as well, Father. I'll pay close attention tomorrow and if a marriage is what they propose, I'll weigh all the pro's and con's before making a decision."

Father chuckled, a small smile forming on his lips. "Those damn pro and con lists. Your mother was always so good at those," his eyes glazed over, as if he was suddenly caught up in a memory of the past.

I tried not to let the mention of my mother bring me down, especially because I know how much it hurts my father to have her gone.

The Voznesenskys, a rival Russian family, tried to overthrow us and take everything we have. They hit us simultaneously at our home, casinos, strip clubs and restaurants. We don't know how they pulled it off, but they hit every one of our businesses hoping that would be enough to beat us.

It wasn't. We lost a lot of good men, a lot of damage was done to our properties, but in the end The Volkovs prevailed. Unfortunately, it wasn't all of us. My mother was kidnapped, raped and murdered.

After finding her body, my father went into a rage unlike anything I'd ever seen before. He vowed justice. Revenge on the Voznesensky family. He promised blood and retribution. Which is exactly what he got.

It took a few months, but my father hunted down every single member of the Voznesensky family, here in America as well as in Russia. He slaughtered every single one of them. He didn't spare the women (or the children), no. He killed every single person with the last name Voznesensky, effectively wiping them off the face of the Earth.

Word quickly spread throughout the Bratva. And now everyone knows that if you fuck with the Volkovs, it's not just you who suffers. It's your entire fucking family.

"She was," I whispered.

Father's eyes land on me and his face softens. For a moment, it's completely silent in his office, my father, Aleksandr and I all stuck in memories about the woman whose death shattered us all.

Father quickly shook his head, like he was trying to banish his thoughts from his brain and his face returned to the hard, cold face I've known for all my life. He pointed a finger at me and sternly said, "Be ready in the morning, Illayana. No fucking around."

I nodded but said nothing in return.

"Good. Now go and enjoy your birthday," father said, waving his hand towards the door, effectively dismissing me.

I rose from my chair and leaned forward, placing a kiss on his cheek. Turning around, I slapped Aleksandr on the shoulder. "Later big brother," I said with a cheeky smile on my face.

"Later brat."

ChapterThree

Illayana Volkov

After leaving Father's office I was absolutely brimming with excitement. The possibility of going to war with another mafia family had my fingers twitching and my blood running hot. It had been so long since the Volkovs had had a worthy challenge.

After my Father's rampage over my mother's death, no one has had the guts to challenge us, and I can't really blame them. When you hear an entire family has been wiped out, you tend to stay away from the people responsible.

Heading down the long corridor outside my father's office, I start to think about the meet tomorrow. What are the De Lucas like? What exactly do they want from the Bratva? It could be a simple means of trading. La Cosa Nostra are well known for their drug trade, whereas the Bratva specialise in arms trafficking and money laundering.

Could the De Lucas simply be looking for some kick ass weapons for their war against the Gambinos? A simple trade off? Drugs for guns? I hate the fact I have to wait until tomorrow to find out. I wonder if the bi-eyed beauty will be there?

Passing the kitchen, I watched as the maids rushed around trying to get lunch prepared. I barely paid attention as I made my way through the large open space and headed towards the back door.

“Illayana, wait.”

I turned and frowned. “Nik? I thought you were leaving with Lukyan to deal with the high rollers?”

“I am,” he said, coming to a stop in front of me. “Have to talk to you first.” He glanced around the room and leaned in close so I could hear him whisper. “What the fuck was with last night?”

“What do you mean?” I asked, playing dumb.

He glared at me, not believing for a second that I didn’t know what he was talking about. “You know exactly what I mean, Illayana. You threatened to castrate Ivan and Donat if they didn’t let you through the gate with that little fucker you brought home from the club.”

I winced. “I did?”

“Yes, you did. Why would you do something so stupid? You know Father is going to lose his mind when he finds out a norm passed through the gates.”

My father classified anyone who wasn’t in a criminal syndicate as a ‘norm’, someone who lived a completely normal life instead of one filled with violence and bloodshed.

---