Page 37 of Sold to the Russian Bratva Boss
Eight Months Later
“Gentlemen,” I greeted my lieutenants as I stepped into the back room of Macia’s Bistro.
Their conversation ended and every one turned and offered deep, respectful nods. Maybe I was in a nostalgic mood, but I couldn’t stop myself from remembering our first meeting and how contentious it had been, or of the only member at that meeting who wasn’t present today.
Things had changed with them as soon as I’d exposed Pirrello’s deception, how he orchestrated the ‘Russian’ attacks. I’d even had his daughter pinched for his murder though I couldn’t let her talk in a trial. A few bribes and she’d been declared too insane for a trial. She’d spend the rest of her life locked up in an asylum, drugged enough to keep her crazy ramblings to herself.
“Is your better half not joining us today?” asked Donnie Fingers, my consigliere now that the duplicitous Enrico Pirrello was no longer among the living.
“No, Olivia decided to sleep in today,” I replied.
“Finally,” added Giovani, the man who’d tried to steal my seat so long ago at our first meeting. He grinned and shook his head. “You should consider yourself lucky, sir. My wife had me waiting on her hand and foot for months while she stayed in bed.
Donnie flicked his wrist at the other man, mouthing a whip crack. Giovani glared at him but the other men chuckled. I stepped into the room and around the table toward the front.
“I don’t want to stay away for too long, so why don’t we keep this quick,” I said, dropping into the open chair at the head of the table. “You know I trust you, so let’s stick to quick updates, anything that demands my attention.”
“Are you going to take notes so you can run them by the wife?” joked one of the other men.
I answered with a glare that had him paling. The old don couldn’t have left his empire to his daughter. The men wouldn’t have respected her. Hell, Pirrello, the don’s right hand had almost killed her to seize power himself. That didn’t mean she lacked the ability or insight; far from it. I wasn’t the type of man to leave a resource untapped.
After we’d dealt with Pirrello, Olivia had became a regular part of the running of our empire. I’d allow a joke or two about my better half, but the men still needed to know who the ultimate power was. When my talking out of turn lieutenant was sufficiently cowed, I turned to Donnie and gave him a nod to proceed.
“All right, sir,” said my consigliere from his perch at my right hand, “with spring break coming up, we’ve outfitted another van for our pick pockets.”
“Good to hear,” I replied, my eyes surveying the rest of the men.
Before any of them spoke up, the phone in my pocket buzzed. I snatched it out and stared at the message on the screen:It’s Time!
“I’m sorry, gentlemen,” I said, jumping to my feet. “I have another engagement, one I cannot put off.”
…
Hours later, I paced the waiting room. I’d never been so nervous in my life. My eyes would have bored holes in the double doors I’d been staring at if they could. Finally, they opened. I stormed close before anyone even exited.
“You can go in, Mr. Petrovich,” the woman in pink scrubs said.
I burst past her and came to a skidding stop. Olivia laid in a hospital bed, hair tousled and in one of their shapeless gowns, but she had never looked more beautiful. She held a small bundle in her arms.
“Your daughter Anna has a very big head,” Olivia’s hoarse voice giggled.
“Anna?” I whispered my mother’s name.
When I stepped closer, Olivia turned our daughter toward me. Tiny and pink, her eyes closed, she was as beautiful as her mother.
“Hey there, little one,” I whispered, leaning close to my girls, “you know, I made a promise to your grandfather that I’d protect your mother with everything I had. I’ll promise you now, I’ll do the same with you.”
Olivia’s arm snaked around my shoulders. Her half lidded eyes moved between mine and the small bundle in my arms several times before focusing on me and narrowing.
“What happened at the meeting?” she asked.
“It got interrupted by your message almost before it started,” I whispered. “Donnie is taking care of it. Don’t worry.”
Even in her tired state, she offered the same withering glare I remembered from when her father had first sprung his marriage plan on her. Back then, it had been a dangerous expression, hiding a knife ready to strike. Now, it held a warmth, a sense of love, exasperated by my answer but love all the same.
“Fine,” I groaned theatrically, “I’ll call Donnie and make sure he gives me a rundown on everything. I’ll even take notes so we can discuss it later.”
“Good.” She rolled her eyes as playfully as I sighed. “You know if I left it up to you boys, nothing would ever get done.”
“Speaking of boys, if I recall correctly, according to the agreement your father wrote up, we need to have a son,” I teased. “Looks like Anna here is going to need a little brother.”
“You think I’m ever going to let you touch me again?” she shot back, some of the weariness leaving her voice. “A boy would probably have an even bigger head.”
Chuckling, I snuggled closer and kissed the top of her head. Her hold around my shoulder tightened and I moved our daughter closer between us. When the don first came to me with his crazy idea, I never thought he’d convince me. Even when he had, I expected a businesslike relationship, never expecting Olivia to even like me. As she fell asleep against my arm, I sent a silent thank you to the man, eyes on his granddaughter. First of many.
THE END