Page 10 of The Brutal Arrangement (The Ivanov Syndicate #2)

DAMON

T he next morning, I went to find Maxim in our father’s office.

He glanced up from his computer and raised his brows.

“I want it over with as quickly as possible.”

He nodded once, not needing any further information.

Last night, we discussed the arrangement Thomas Kozlov and Father made many years ago.

I explained that he could count on me to do my duty in keeping the family informed and safe.

If he felt that bringing Katerina Kozlov here would give us leverage or an advantage over Anton—someone who very well could’ve been behind Father’s poisonings and Nik’s capture, among many other grievances—then I would go along with his leadership.

Even though he had stepped up as the eldest brother so far, I had to admit the role suited him.

He was a boss. He was my leader. And should Father not recover any more than he had thus far, then Maxim truly was a Pakhan worthy of following, no matter what.

“Anton’s representative has replied with the stipulation that no member of the Kozlov family will attend any kind of nuptial meeting or ceremony.”

“No wedding?” Grandmother entered the office, sounding alarmed at what she had to have just overheard. Only she could get away with breezing in and out of any old room in this building. And only she would give a shit about the conditions of my marriage.

“No wedding,” I confirmed dryly. “I just want this over with as soon as possible.”

She furrowed her brow, coming to stand next to me as she clasped her hands in front of her stomach. Dressed in a sharp pantsuit, she looked professional and regal as ever. “I understand that, but we have to plan for some kind of a wedding or?—”

“No wedding.” That time, it was Maxim’s turn to state it, also dryly. “What would be the point?”

“What do you mean?” she replied, clearly exasperated.

“We’re not exactly in a celebratory mood, Grandmother,” Maxim told her.

“Father was poisoned and that investigation is still ongoing,” I reminded her.

“Nik was captured and could be held hostage or deep undercover,” he added.

“And this isn’t anything to fucking celebrate, anyway,” I said.

“Of course, it is. Weddings are a show of power. A symbol of alignment and?—”

“No, no, no.” Maxim shook his head. “There’s no goddamn alignment happening between the Ivanovs and the Kozlovs.”

She huffed, folding her arms. “Uniting them in marriage is an awfully clear show of getting together.”

“In name only,” Maxim said. “This is a fulfillment of a contract, and nowhere in any of the documents does it require any sharing of goods, services, or wealth between the two parties.”

“But it’s still a marriage. A wedding has to happen to commemorate it.”

I laughed, ready to get the hell out of this office. It was hard enough to think about the fact that I was giving in to be married in the first place. I was walking into a trap. That was all it was, and I’d need to stay on top of the situation and not be duped or manipulated.

We knew Anton had to have ulterior motives in sending his niece to us. And we would outsmart whatever the hell he was planning.

“It’s a fulfillment of a contract,” I said, borrowing Maxim’s words. “In name only.”

Grandmother gave me a long, measured look. “It can’t be only in name.”

I narrowed my eyes, not caring for the direction this was going. I knew exactly what she was referencing, and I wasn’t interested in that discussion.

“You must consummate?—”

“I know ,” I bit out, focusing on my brother, not her. “I fucking know what I need to do.”

“Or not,” Maxim interjected with a shrug. “Once we uncover what Anton’s trying to do by sending her to us, we can annul the marriage and move on.” Lifting his chin at me, he frowned and addressed me directly. “In fact, I would advise against it. Make it easier to end it.”

I rolled my eyes. Fucking Katerina wasn’t something I really wanted to bother with. She had never attracted me. And even though we were all aware of how Nik always insisted there was nothing going on between them, I had come to naturally associate him with her.

“It’s not even on my radar. What time do we send someone to pick her up?” I asked him since he’d set the paperwork for the arrangement in motion late last night.

Grandmother gasped. “Wait. Do you mean today ?”

“I want to get this over with as soon as possible,” I said again, this time to her. “Because I’ve got more important things to do. Like finding Nik.”

“Hold on.” She shook her head and held her hand up, scowling with disapproval. “Just hold on. You can’t intend to just rush through all of this and not have a wedding, not have any stipulations negotiated.”

“We don’t need to negotiate with the enemy,” Maxim reminded her.

“But what about heirs?” she asked.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” I looked to the side of the room, irked about that topic.

“Grandmother, we have an heir on the way. My child with Sloane.”

“I know. I know.” She grimaced as if he were dull and she lacked the patience to educate him. “I know. But we need more. We need as many as we can get. From all your brothers, including you, Damon.”

Knocking up Katerina left a bad taste in my mouth.

Again, I understood my duty and wouldn’t shy away from it, but how was I supposed to interpret all of this?

Maxim was hinting at going through with this for the purpose of keeping our enemies closer to spy and get intel.

Yet she was assuming this marriage would be permanent and that we’d start a family to add on to the Ivanov name.

“Grandmother, let’s just wait and see how this goes.

” Maxim stood, seeming too restless and aggravated to just sit any longer.

“Consider this less of a marriage than it is a business arrangement. No matter how you view it, there is no doubt in my mind that Anton Kozlov is either trying to use us or take advantage of us.”

“Or end us,” I said.

He nodded. “Yes. As such, an heir between our families would be a disaster at this point.” Facing me, he shook his head slightly.

“I understand,” I told him, knowing he had to be just as peeved about Grandmother trying to romanticize what was nothing more than a business arrangement. We had yet to learn what the Kozlovs’ business was with us, and the nature of it, but I would remain on guard and prepared.

And I did. I understood what was expected of me. There was no way in hell this would be anything more than a contract marriage, the barest vows said before a witness and signatures on paper.

Nothing more.

“So, what time?” I asked him again, impatient to get on with it.

“Hugo is going to bring in that fucker who tried to burn down the warehouse. I’ll be needed in the basement to take care of that.

” Dealing with rats and traitors was more my forte.

It suited me well since death and gore never bothered me, and it gave me an outlet to burn off this negative energy and power that seemed to always stay recharged within me.

“They said that they’ll bring her here,” Maxim said. “Late last night, after I spoke with their representative, they said that they’d have a driver drop her off here instead of our having to send someone to fetch her.”

I shrugged. That would work out well. Having my bride brought to me would give me more time to do what I was good at—torturing and killing in the basement.

Since this man was a new Ivanov recruit who had turned traitor, the main thing I had to pull out of him was the truth of whether he was working for someone.

“What time, though?” I asked again.

“This evening.” Maxim shoved his hands into his pockets. “Take as long as you want with your matter of the rat. From the last update I was provided, I was under the impression it was three men he’d found responsible for starting that fire, not just one.”

Sounds fine by me. “The more, the merrier,” I quipped wryly.

“I trust that you will show all of them what happens when they cross this family.”

I almost laughed. He didn’t need to say it. That was a law and expectation I would never forget. Anyone who messed with the Ivanov Syndicate would pay dearly and never recover from the lessons they were due.

“I will never disappoint the family,” I confirmed as a farewell. It went without saying that I could be counted on, but it never hurt to reaffirm that fact.

I saw myself out of the office and headed toward the elevator.

A workout would do me well. Afterward, Hugo would probably be here and I could get to work.

Exercising would clear out some of this pent-up need for violence so I could pace myself torturing these three assholes who tried to damage our property.

“If you don’t want to disappoint the family…” Grandmother said as she hurried after me down the hall.

With my back to her, I rolled my eyes and stifled a groan. Slowing slightly, I gave her the chance to catch up to me before I got on the elevator. At the sealed doors, I waited to press the button to call the elevator up here. Facing her now, I sighed.

“If you don’t want to disappoint the family, then consider that this marriage might not end up being contract-only. That you might very well keep her as your wife and therefore, you will need to remember the expectation to have more heirs. Our future depends on it.”

I stabbed the button for the elevator. I’d heard enough. She wasn’t telling me anything new, and I was through with her nagging for now.

“I am aware,” I said through clenched teeth. “But I highly doubt it would come to that.”

It was strange to consider marrying someone in name only with an expiration date to look forward to. Maybe once this crap with this agreement was over and we had our answers for why Anton was offering up his niece now, I could find someone else.

Yeah, right. Nothing would change in that department. Women would still fear me. My darkness would still be too much to handle. I’d never have that simple and natural happiness and love Maxim and Sloane shared.

All I could have was this forced agreement, a contract marriage.

Stepping into the elevator car, I met my grandmother’s gaze evenly. “Don’t get your hopes up,” I warned her.

As far as this arrangement went, I’d do my duty and that was it.

No romance would be happening.

No heirs would be coming.

The sooner we get this started, the sooner it can all be over.