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“They’re in the kitchen being dolled up. Something about natural light,” Maddox says as he enters with Brix on his heel, donning a pair of sweats to cover his special-order boxer briefs.

Roman grunts a sound and nods, then crosses his ankle over his knee.

Brix takes a seat at his own desk while Madd sits on the edge. I sit in the chair across from Roman and rest my elbows on the armrests.

“What can we do for you?” I ask after a few beats of silence.

“This is a situation where we can help each other,” he says, a ghost of a smile teasing the corners of his lips. “I’ve gotten word about your in-laws and the two guards who remained loyal to Dima.”

That last part makes his lip curl. Oh, he’s pissed. It doesn’t matter who each of the guards is assigned to individually – their loyalty should always be to their Pakhan, or in our case, their Don.

Doing otherwise … yeah, Mikhail and Eriks are both fucked.

“So we take them out for you,” I say rather than ask.

Roman studies me for a beat and I’m prepared to defend my age, my ability, whatever the fuck he attacks. He isn’t the first elder to doubt my place as Don.

“I have no problem taking out my own trash. I figured you would want a little revenge. I hear your wife is good with a hammer.”

My nostrils flare on a deep breath the same time Brix says, “How the fuck would you know that?”

Because…who the fuck from our organization has been chatting with the Russians?

“Believe it or not, your wife and my daughter have very few secrets, and my daughter was very…proud,” he says with a dark grin, “of the way she took control of the situation and ended one of the men who abused her.”

Well, fuck.

The last thing I want is Everest sharing secrets about our Family with the Russians – or anyone else – but how the fuck do I tell her not to confide in her lifelong best friend? And it’s not like she gave out financial information or any form of secret that could endanger what we’ve built here.

I also can’t imagine she bragged about killing Denis but was probably looking for confirmation from someone else that she isn’t evil or sick for not feeling guilty about torturing that cocksucker’s life.

In my opinion, he still got off way too easily, crushed testicles included. I’m still surprised Madd and Brix didn’t torture him a little longer before killing him.

“I’ll leave it up to you – I can send my men to take them out, or I’ll leave it to your…family,” he says with a slight shake of his head. I get it; I’m sure there aren’t a lot of men out there willing to share their wife with two other men.

Especially not in our world.

I glance over at Madd then Brix. They each dip their heads in a short nod. Decision made without uttering a single word.

“We want this one,” I say.

The four of us spend the next hour coming up with a plan while the women are completely unaware of the meeting. We’ll fill Everest in after the ceremony and reception. Otherwise, she’ll be either pissed or anxious – or a combination of the two – the rest of the day.

If my wife deserves anything, it’s the most beautiful day and the wedding of her dreams.

And I’ll sure as fuck do everything in my power to make that happen.

Chapter 41

Everest

Flora and I are standing at the back of the church behind the closed doors leading into the sanctuary, waiting for our cue. Not like we’re alone. Flora’s regular guards – Lev and Pyotr – and my former prison wardens – Dmitri and Karolos – are currently acting as sentries, their eyes intentionally averted from us while they make sure no one comes through the front doors.

Kind of silly when the doors are locked, and both my guys and Flora’s dad have their men guarding every entry point and even have guys standing under the windows outside.

There isn’t a snowball’s chance anyone could get into this cathedral. Not without an invite and a thorough level of vetting from both Kato and the Pakhan.

“You look so beautiful,” Flora says as she adjusts my veil to ensure it’ll trail along with my dress.