A thousand-man Bratva.
And a giant fucking target on my back.
"Ready, boss?" my best friend Konstantin asks as he takes my mother's place at my side.
"Don't call me that."
"Don Orlov, then?" I shoot him a glare that makes his smirk wither. "Sorry, man. You know I'm not good at funerals."
My cousin's coping mechanism is humor. He's still never quite learned when he ought to keep it tucked away.
"We're one dysfunctional family, aren't we?" I mutter under my breath. Then I shake my head in dismay. "Come on. The men will have gathered by now. Time to get this over with."
3
MISHA
"The Crimson Orchid," Konstantin mutters, looking around the room with incredulity. "Really?"
I understand his skepticism. The back room of the restaurant is small, sparse, understated. The Orlov Bratva owns a hundred properties more impressive than this one. But we're here for a reason.
"It's where my father hosted his first meeting as don," I inform him. "My brother, too."
I don't tell him this, but we're also here because it just feels right. I wasn't around when my father held his first council, but I watched my brother navigate this same chaos after our father's death. It's funny, in a grim sort of way-Maksim is six feet beneath the earth right now, and I'm still following in his footsteps.
"Don Orlov," Klim Kulikov greets as he walks into the room.
He's followed by the five other men I've appointed as my Vors. All of them served my brother. All of them will serve me, too.
Konstantin takes his seat beside me. He is the only change I made to the status quo. This will be his first sit-in at a don's council. The older men pretend not to eye him, but I don't miss the questioning glances, the furtive looks.
"Be seated."
Shuffling feet and scraping chairs fill the room as the seven of us take our seats. The table is round, which was an intentional choice. Maksim told me a long time ago that it is easier to gain respect if you make your men feel like your equals.
Then again, he also told me that a don's word was law.
I'm still not sure if there's room for both their opinions and mine. I suppose we'll find out in a moment.
"You all made your pledges of fealty to my brother," I begin. "You swore to follow him until the end of your lives or the end of his. As of three days ago, those vows have been upheld. But now, I'm asking you to make another one. To me."
Vasily Novikov is the first to turn his dark gaze on me. "You are the don's brother and the rightful heir to the throne of the Bratva. There is no question of our loyalty to you, sir."
The others follow along with similar sentiments. I greet each one with a solemn nod. I figured they would support me, but it's reassuring to hear it out loud. I'll need their help in the coming days. Petyr Ivanov will not die easily.
Danil Vinogradov is the last to offer his oath. "Don Orlov?" he ventures hesitantly once he's made his pledge.
I can't decide if the words grate against my nerves because of his raspy voice or the title he chose.
Three days ago, I was simply "Misha."
Now, I'm Don Orlov.
The idea of Misha is dead.
"Speak freely," I tell him.
"I don't mean to be disrespectful in moving onto business so quickly in your time of grief, but there are some things that need discussing. Our position now is fragile. We need to re-establish our strength and fortify our defenses."
"What we need is to hit back," Klim hisses before I can answer. "Petyr Ivanov killed our don. That is an open declaration of war. It must be met in kind."
"So what you're proposing is a suicide mission," Konstantin interjects.
Klim's eyes narrow. As the eldest man in the room, no doubt he's not thrilled about being questioned by the newest member of the circle. "What I'm proposing is necessary."
"What you're proposing is stupid," Konstantin mocks.
"Enough." I don't even have to raise my voice. The moment I speak, the room falls silent and every pair of eyes turns to me. "You are both right. We cannot let this go unanswered. But the Ivanovs are too strong at the moment. It's the reason Petyr made such a bold move against us. He knew he had the upper hand."
"So what do you suggest?" Klim asks.
"I suggest a shadow war. We fight quietly. We peel open their defenses with scalpels, not swords. We buy up their resources. We bring them to their knees without them even knowing it. And when they're sufficiently weakened, that's when we cut off their heads."
The men exchange glances.
Isaak Egorov leans forward. "What you're describing sounds like a hostile takeover."
I nod. "That is precisely what I'm describing. We will dismantle them from the inside. The most difficult thing will be having patience."
"It will also give us time to shore up our defenses," Yuri muses. "Sir, if I may be so bold, perhaps one of the best ways to do that would be... with a strategic partnership. The kind that demonstrates the extent of our reach. An unassailable show of resources."
For a moment, I wonder why everyone is looking at me. Then it clicks in my head what Yuri is suggesting.
A marriage.
My expression falls flat. "No."
"Don Orlov-"
"I just buried my brother. I'm a little full-up on ceremony at the moment."
"Not now, of course," Klim demurs. "But... in the near future, perhaps? A marriage alliance will not only bring us added strength; it will also ensure an heir."
Jesus, we are already talking about heirs? It makes me sick to my stomach. My brother should be here, right fucking here-but he's not. He's dead, and the weight of the world is crushing me.
A mere three days ago, all of this would have seemed like a hilarious fever dream.
Now, it's all sickeningly real.
"My brother's son-"
"Is a threat to you," Yuri cuts in firmly. "Unless you would consider Cyrille Orlov as a bride...? Marrying her would counteract the possibility of a splinter faction rallying around the boy."
I look around the table, jaw clenched tight. Konstantin is the only one who remains pointedly silent. If they'd brought this up with him beforehand, he'd have been able to warn them not to mention it.
"You want me to marry my newly widowed sister-in-law as a political ploy?" My voice is low, gravelly, dangerous.
"There will be men within the Bratva who wish to throw their support behind the son of the deceased don, not the brother," Klim warns carefully.
His implication is obvious. Schism. Mutiny. Civil fucking war.
I grimace. "The son in question is currently nine years old. If they wish to do that, they're welcome to. They'll find him less interested in hostile takeovers and more interested in video games."
"Sir-"
I slam my fist down on the table and the room falls silent a second time. "Let me make this very fucking clear: my nephew is not a threat. My sister-in-law is not a pawn. I will not use either one of them in this game-and I will not take a wife. This is the last I wish to hear about it."
I look around the table, searching for signs of dissent or disapproval. I'm met with nothing but acceptance.
I nod, satisfied. "Our goal now is simple: take down the Ivanov Bratva. Once we do, Petyr Ivanov will have nowhere to hide. Then he will finally be made to answer for my brother's murder."
Konstantin clears his throat. "So once the mourning period is over-"
"No," I say, cutting him off. "There will be no mourning period. We start immediately. We start now."
