Page 102 of The Payback

Ana sings along, bouncing around on her barstool, and Steve’s eyes are locked on the stage as Maria does the same. Except with the cut of her top, Maria’s tits bounce around with her, but with a half-second delay, making it somewhat hilarious if you don’t want to fuck her.

I cheer and whoop and holler along with the rest of the crowd as they put on a show worth remembering. They’ve got a shimmy shake where they lean into each other and lean away in synchronisation. Then they do some weird foot thing where they kick, withdraw, and kick again. I don’t know what it’s called; I think I saw it on TikTok last year. But this is something that they’ve done before, and they are damn good at it.

One song leads into two, which leads into three. The crowd cheers for Maria and Valentina to continue their act. I don’t think they checked with the other karaoke singers in line. They just stay on stage and do song after song.

It’s during the third song that Ana turns to me. “So, how are things going at home?” Ana asks.

“Pretty good. I took your mum’s advice and stopped making myself as available to Dimitri, and it’s made him try harder,” I admit.

Ana picks up her glass and clinks it against mine. “Damn straight. That was the best advice she’s ever given me. Whenever Aleksandr is out on the road or doing things for work, I pick random hours when I won’t text or answer his calls. It makes him appreciate the times that I do answer.

“Which sounds pretty shitty when you think about it, that they don’t care about something unless it’s taken away from them. But you have to remember how the men were raised in this life. They learn early on that they have to work hard for their keep and that work is never within the home.”

She takes a sip of her drink before continuing, her eyes on me. “The traditional way was to shower the sons with praise and affection to craft them into the perfect little soldiers and us the perfect little wives, but times have changed,” Ana says, her face going serious and her tone dropping. “All it takes now is a bit of... manipulation, let’s say. Not outright, of course, but little nudges here and there, encouraging them to do what’s best for their immediate family and not just the Bratva.”

“You mean like how I’ve withheld sex unless Dimitri is home by dinnertime? I just happen not to be in the mood on those particular nights, and I reward him as soon as he gets home on time,” I say, chuckling when Ana’s jaw drops.

“Look at you go! You’re well on your way to being one of us. I remember doing that when we first got married, and that man has rarely come home late since. It’s good to reinforce that behaviour positively. It’s not as if we can divorce,” Ana says.

“Is that something you’ve thought about?” I ask.

Ana exhales roughly just as Maria hits a high note, and Steve claps from the other side of the bar, showing his unwavering support for his target for the night.

I check and find Nik conversing with Maxim, giving Ana and me privacy to discuss marriages. I appreciate it and see that Ana notices too.

“I can’t lie. The start was rough for Aleksandr and me. I had known him growing up, of course, like we all know each other in this community. But, honestly, his brother and I always got along better.”

“You mean his twin?” I ask.

“Yeah, but he was already promised to somebody else. So even though we were best friends growing up, that’s all it will ever be. Aleksandr and I worked out our differences, and we were a little wary when we were matched, but it’s been good for us and our family,” Ana explains.

I nod. “Your family is great. Your mum is so supportive, and she’s been eager to help me get used to this life in a way that makes me miss my own mother. It’s difficult stepping into this.”

“I heard you met with my dad,” Ana says with a small smile. “How did that go?”

I fight the cringe that wants to spread across my face and instead drop my gaze to the bar and shake my head. “It was enlightening.”

“Oh, I’ll bet. How so?” she asks.

“He had very different advice from your mum.”

Ana just laughs. “Oh, yeah, of course, he does. He was the original experiment when my mom assembled the wives’ network. Because of her, the rest of us have at least some semblance of control in our marriages. He’s very old school. We all know he’s not the most ambitious man in the world. His concern is basically just making sure Dimitri’s job is well-handled. And I think he oversteps sometimes because he had more of an active role with Dimitri’s father than he has now. Uncle Danil was a hard man, but he was less prone to keeping himself apart than Dimitri is.”

“Like what?” I ask, curious about Sergei and Danil’s dynamic.

“Dad basically handled everything that Danil didn’t want to. As the brigadier, he took on more than his fair share because Danil bullied him into it. But, honestly, Dad never wanted to be responsible for so much, so I think he’s been pretty on board with Dimitri’s way. In fact, I’m pretty sure my mom was the one pushing him to do more and more—new avenues for revenue, new ideas, and better opportunities... Mom is the queen of putting things into place while my dad carries out her orders. Hell, I’d say she makes a better brigadier than he does. They’re always talking about business over the dinner table, or at least they were when I was younger. Now that I’m married and moved out, who knows? It could be different.”

An idea starts to take shape in my brain, but before I fully grasp it, it flits back out again. I’ve got my camera on and will review this conversation later to see if it can spark something again.

“And do you think Oksana would step into your dad’s role if given the chance?”

Ana rests her chin on her fingers and her elbow on the bar. “I’m not sure. I think she enjoys seeing her ideas come to fruition without having to do the work. Then again, who doesn’t? She delegates, and my dad does, so long as it aligns with the best interests of the Bratva. And now that Natasha is leading us and has successfully done so for the last two years, maybe there’s an opportunity for women to advance as well. Makes little sense for her to have grabbed the reins and not bring the rest of us up with her.”

“And what about you?” I ask. “In this hypothetical world where women are finally seen as on par with men, could you see yourself having a role?”

Ana waves her hand off as if dismissing the question, but I press. “No, seriously. You’re smart, and you’re well-connected. How you and your husband have worked together to find something that suits both of you speaks to many outstanding qualities. And I’m not talking about compromise. I’m talking about finding the good in people and fostering that.”

Ana shrugs. “What’s the point in dwelling on hypotheticals? Until there’s an actual change, that’s all it will ever be.”

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