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ANASTASIA

“ M y dearest friends and honored guests. It’s my aboslu— Frick. My dearest friends and honored guests. It’s my absolute pleasure to welcome you all here tonight to the annual Remizova Gala. For years, this celebration hath— fuck !”

Lifting my gaze from the small cards in my hand, I stare at myself in the mirror as the heat of frustration warms my bare shoulders and sends a prickling of anxious sweat down my back.

This is terrifying.

A few feet away, beyond the wooden double doors hiding me from the world, is everyone who is anyone in the city of New York.

From celebrities and government officials to the heads of every important Mafia family across the board, this hotel is heaving with the who's who of life in New York. And in twenty minutes, I have to give a speech that will speak to both sides of the coin. Those who come from the luxurious walk of life will interpret my words as acts of charity and decency within my family. Those from the same organized life of crime as myself will know the truth and recognize what I say in the right way.

So I have to make sure I say everything correctly.

How is the speech the scariest part of tonight? I’ve had to deal with caterers, designers, artists, and more, all hounding me for the slightest thing. Rocky’s people are out there, hidden among the crowd as my security, and my own men line the walls and patrol the hotel under my instruction. But I don’t know for sure that they are my own men.

Viktor has been uncharacteristically silent this last week leading up to the gala, which puts me on edge. In a sea full of people, I feel terribly alone.

The Cartel haven’t responded to any of my calls for negotiations.

And I miss Erik.

Cutting him off felt like the right thing to do at the moment, but as I stand here alone in this suite, I ache to hear his voice. A word of comfort. A note of encouragement. Anything.

Instead, I told him to stay away, and it pains me that he listened. Part of it was because I wanted to keep him safe, and I held no illusions about Viktor. There’s no way he would hesitate on Erik if it came down to it, but part of me wanted him to fight me on it.

Instead, he stood next to the bar and told me he would do what I asked, which I respect.

I just wish he’d refused.

Breathing deeply, I place one hand against the bejeweled blue corset that hugs my body, shoves my breasts up to my chin around a heart-shaped neckline, and hides any hint of a bump around my abdomen. The skirt kisses my legs with each subtle movement I make while the beading around the waist elongates the bodice and makes me appear taller.

I will look amazing on the stage. I just have to get through this damn speech.

“Knock, knock!” comes Faina’s soft voice as she squeezes in through the door, closing the door on the burst of music and lively chatter that seeps in through the gap. “How are you doing?”

“I feel terrible,” I admit, turning to face her. “I can’t get my words out. My tongue feels too fat in my mouth, and I’m terrified it’s not worded correctly so I’ll end up confessing to something terrible.”

“Oh, honey.” Faina hurries forward and snatches the cards from my hand, then pulls me into a brief cuddle. “You’ve got this. I know you’ve got this. We’ve been through this a hundred times. Everything is perfect.”

“You say that, but I’m terrified.” My trembling hands clutch at her arm. “I think I’m more scared of this than Viktor.”

Faina laughs softly, adjusting the diamond necklace glittering against my collarbone. “Your speech is perfect. Trust me. Those who know will know. Now, recite the main points to me.”

I reach for the cards and she holds them out of reach. “Faina!”

“Come on, you know it by heart. Don’t rely on these cards.”

Pouting slightly, I hold my breath for a few seconds and then release it slowly. “Okay. I’ll be announcing the small partnership with the Irish in regard to the drug deal we have to help the remaining victims of my father’s regime.”

“Ahh, yes, the charitable donations to tackle drug poverty, correct.” Faina repeats the veiled version back to me.

“I’ll announce a friendship with the Italians, and I’ll give Tatiana the spotlight for our new deal.”

“Your expansion into Italian cuisine and welcoming some extended family into the business with open arms.” Faina smiles. “See? You know it. You’re just getting worked up. So take a few deep breaths, read over these cards one last time, and then get out there, okay? You look utterly divine and you should not be hiding here!” Faina kisses my cheek, then glances at her phone with a soft groan and hurries away.

She’s right.

I know she’s right. “My dearest friends and honored guests…”

After repeating the speech once more, I tuck the cards into my purse and take several deep breaths. Then I head out into the party.

Classical music dances through the air, weaving between the silk banners displaying my family name and the year. Crystal chandeliers glitter above as hundreds of people mill around the dance floor, waiting for the speeches to start. Wait staff wander among high society, offering drinks and cigars to anyone who likes to dabble. Snacks and refreshments flow too, with dinner to be served in an hour. I walk the crowds, greeting anyone who flashes me a smile, but my eyes constantly move. I scan faces and suits, seeking out the subtle red handkerchief in people’s pockets that Rocky told me to look out for.

That’s how I’ll be able to tell friend from foe.

As I wander past a drinks table, a hand brushes over my arm as someone passes by me. Glancing up, my eyes meet briefly with Rocky Barati. He flashes me a cheeky smile and then melts into the crowd as if he were nothing more than a ghost.

He told me he would be here, but I didn’t trust it. In truth, since our meeting, I’ve been waiting for the cops to turn up at my door or even Viktor to learn the truth another way because I had no idea whether Rocky would keep his word.

I explained to him that I needed that letter opener destroyed because of what it was linked to, and Rocky agreed at first until I told him what I had done. He didn’t appear to judge me and instead presented a different idea. The Italians are well known for their connections in the police department, and Rocky offered a plan that sounded easy in theory.

All it would take is one phone call and the letter opener would end up in the evidence box of the police cold case file on my father’s murder. Furthermore, Viktor’s fingerprints would mysteriously appear on the letter opener, shifting all blame away from me. While the police opening a file on my father’s death all those months ago was merely for show, considering how the family hindered the investigation, this new evidence would spur them into action to make an arrest.

If Rocky is here, does that mean his plan worked?

Trusting an outsider with this is huge. Especially when Rocky asked for nothing in return. All he wanted was for me to owe him a favor, which I agreed to easily.

Maybe too easily.

I search for him in the crowd but am unable to find him, and before I know it, Faina is leading me up onto the stage for my speech.

Silence falls, the lights dim, and a spotlight centers on me as everyone in the room focuses on me.

This is my moment.

This is my time to present everything I have worked for these past months, to show the other Russian families that they should keep their faith in me, and to show everyone else that I mean business. We are still a force to be reckoned with.

I take a breath and begin.

Surprisingly, as soon as I start, the words flow easily and I grow in confidence with each sentence that makes it past my lips. I present the new path for the family, masking it as charitable contributions. I announce the new partnerships with other families that will carry us into an era of working together where we can and bury generational hatchets of hate. And I announce the new bond with Tatiana.

Just as I’m about to bring her on stage, the front doors to the hall crash open and police pour in. The lights come up swiftly, and after the initial surge of police stride into the room, a woman with blonde hair and square glasses walks right into the middle of the crowd and holds up her badge.

“Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention, please! My name is Sarah Cogs. I’m a Detective with the New York Police Department and I’m here looking for one man, and one man only! I’m looking for Viktor Petrov in connection with the violent murder of Sergey Remizova! Viktor, please step forward and turn yourself over to one of the many officers pouring into this room right now!”

My heart begins to race.

I haven’t seen Viktor all night. Is he even here?

The crowd breaks out with murmurs of shock and accusation. I blink slowly, and like a ghost, Rocky melts out of the crowd to stand in front of the stage.

Our eyes meet, and he gives me the briefest of smiles.

Suddenly, several terrifying explosions rip through the building, consuming the wall and the stage in a gigantic ball of fire. The floor beneath me vanishes, and the last thing I glimpse is the sight of several of my own men opening fire on the crowd.