“This is preposterous! The Bratva are not allowed in No-man’s-land!” Luciano Russo exclaimed as he brought his fist down on the table. Dimitri gave him a stern look. “That was to keep the peace. I think The Red Witch and her puppets have done more than just break the truce. It is shattered.” Dimitri answered flatly, to which Luciano sat down, pondering what Dimitri had just said. His eyes moved to the older brother, who was nodding. “I agree. Mia broke the decree set up so many years ago the minute she brought Amy onto Marino land. Dimitri has a right to retribution. Blood for blood.” Antonio Russo spoke up. Dimitri looked at the man who was once his love rival. He expected Antonio to try and stop him, not agree with him.
“Thank you. It has been decided then. My men and I attack tonight.” He says and gets up. Cocking his head to Lev and Boris, they exit Antonio’s mansion. It was only him, Lev, and Boris. Alexei and M
AmarantheHer eyelids felt heavy.Amaranthe opens her eyes to a dimly lit room. “Where am I?” She thinks, her mind muddled and vision blurred. As she attempts to focus her eyes and move, she felt her arms pinned down. Her memories start to resurface. To her horror, the scent of blood hit her and she realized that she was still in the basement. With the Enforcer holding her down so he could make her dirty - destroying her last bit of dignity. “NO!” she struggles to scream out, but he stifled it. “LET ME GO!!” She cries however no words come to the surface. Her body screamed out in agony while trying to get away from him. Then she felt the tears roll down her cheeks and her heart plummeted; her rescue had merely been an elaborate escape mechanism.“Amaranthe!”Why did that sound like Dimitri? Was she losing her mind again? “us
AmarantheThe private jet touched down in New York. Amaranthe looks over at her husband and sighed. She could not wallow in self-pity anymore. “You are a strong Baranov woman, self-pity does not suit you, my love. Hold your head up high.” He says as he picks her up and settles her into her wheelchair. She peers up at him and nods, “I know.” He did not understand, and she was thinking he never would. No one in their right mind could get tortured then just acclimate to their daily lives as if it never happened. She knew even Lizabeta struggled and yet The Outfit never tortured her. How was she going to get through this? Would Dimitri eventually tire of her and her needs?When they got off the plane, she spotted the Bentayga and smiled. She missed this car and its comforts. Alexei opens the car door for them and gave her a remorseful look. He was still feeling guilty because they captured her while in his care. Even though
DimitriDimitri stares at his screen, contemplating his next move. The Irish back home were retaliating after he took out their Moscow section 6 months ago. His Brigadier in Russia was handling it as much as he could, but he knew they would go over to Russia soon. Truth be told, he hated New York, Moscow was his home. New York had no pull for him, but his infamy here had been growing even without Viktor Baranov to lead.He leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head. Move to Moscow or continue in New York?“Lyubov’ moya?” Came the voice of Amaranthe as she knocked on his study door. He smiled at her singsong voice and told her to enter. She opens the door with a smile on her face, and Dimitri’s wind gets knocked from him again. Her beauty was unparalleled, even if she only saw herself as ordinary or plain. That she had grasped his mother tongue meant more to him than he would ever show.
AmarantheShe listens to Dimitri’s gentle snores and wriggled herself out of his arms. It was 4 am and Amaranthe had woken up with a deathly desire to play her cello. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she glances back at her husband before slipping her nightgown on and grasping her cane. The last and only time she played her cello, her fingers could barely change notes over the fingerboard. They were extremely stiff, and they throbbed. She shoved the instrument down in frustration and had to buy a new one. The last part she did not tell Dimitri about.She saunters towards the music room Dimitri had set up for her and looked around. Her instrument sat beckoning to her. With a sigh, she strides towards the stool and sits down, grabbing her bow and position the cello between her legs. She exhaled, closed her eyes, and playedThe sound that came from the instrument made her heart twinge. Even with the bio-kineticist, her fingers were usele
Dimitri“Amaranthe, you are beautiful. So much so, that women in your presence are intimidated. You are a queen. Now, please hurry, our guests are expecting us.” Dimitri drawls, exasperation evident in his voice. His wife felt insecure this evening, and he learned why. Her cane made her feel even more insecure than before. “And if anyone tries to say something about your cane, beat them with it.”“Dimitri!” She exclaims and smacks him on his shoulder, but giggles nonetheless. He held her in his arms, “You are exquisite, moye solntse,” He starts, cupping her face in his palms. “Whenever I see you, you take my breath away. What everybody else thought of you should not bother you. You are a Bratva Queen, they are nothing but lowly peasants compared to you. I will keep reminding you of this until you believe it.” He asserts, kissing her forehead. A smile passed over her lips and her shoul
AmarantheShe caught the look Dimitri gave her and took off. The Irishman was bad news, and if her husband thought so, she would be a fool not to listen. Linking her arms with Anya again, she cocks her head to where she stood before. “Do you recognize that man I was talking to just now?” She asked Anya, and the latter shook her head. “Nah. I was chatting to that designer from Washington. Why what’s up?” She asked, taking a sip of her champagne.Amaranthe could not describe how slimy the man made her feel, like he had been deliberately trying to make her uncomfortable. She shudders. “I think Dimitri knows him, but he sort of warned me to stay away from the guy with the shake of his head.” Anya stared at her and a furrowed her brow, “Wait, can you describe him to me?” she abruptly asks and Amaranthe shrugs. “Tall, blonde hair that was longer on top, but had a darker undercut. Oh, g
DimitriDimitri watched Kieran as his entourage filled the study. It was only him and his three men. Dimitri had Sergei, Lev, and Boris so they were equal.“Now, Teague.” Dimitri starts and sits down at his desk. “You spoke of a truce. Why should the Bratva trust the Irish when they were the ones who murdered our Pakhan?” Dimitri starts the negotiations without skipping a beat. He had to start before the Irishman got even more on his nerves. Kieran already tried to set him off by flirting with Amaranthe, so he was already on edge.He sat down opposite Dimitri and leaned backward. “You have to admit this will be mutually benefitting to the both of us. There are places in Manhattan that Bratva fingers cannot reach. The same with me. The upper east side and Brooklyn are off-limits to us. I am sure if we came to an accord, we could make each other a lot of money.”“Money is the last thing on my mind,
“What the fuck do you mean you won’t be here tomorrow?” She hears through the study door, her arm poised to knock. When Dimitri got like this, it was in her best interest to stay away from him.She stares at the test in her hand and wonders how he would react. A solitary tear slipped down her cheek as she thought back to her first pregnancy. The trauma that followed afterward ate at her every day. No amount of pills could keep PTSD at bay. The nightmares were the worst. She swears she could still feel the Enforcer pulling the nails from her fingers every time she awoke from a night terror.The door opens abruptly, giving her a fright and the test falls out of her hand. “Amaranthe?” Dimitri frowns at her, “I heard you walking but you did not come in. Why are you just standing here, love?” He asks and bends down to pick up the fallen pregnancy test.Amaranthe’s heart sat in her throat as he looked up at her and flipp
I watch as Anastasiya walks away from me, and I feel my heart break even more. Deciding to reveal my secret to her had proved futile because she told me exactly what I feared she would. She took Ayden’s side, which is exactly what I would have done if Damon’s fiancee had to do this to him. I was Anastasiya’s best friend, but Ayden was her brother. There was no way I could make her choose between us. Sighing, I turn around and decide to head towards the exit. I do not think I could get through this day. Ana had told me to come clean to Ayden, but he would surely kill me and Matteo. Why did he have to kiss me?! How could I have been so stupid! I walk down the corridors and spot a familiar figure heading my way and froze. Ayden was walking with another girl with long blonde curls. She was an older girl from New Orleans and belonged to the Benedetti family, a Mafia Princess if there ever was one. Poised and proper. I slipped into the classroom next to my
Killian was sitting opposite me, trying to convince me to change my mind.“Please reconsider, Anastasiya. I am sure we can make this work.” He said as we’re sitting in St Leonard’s cafeteria. I had decided to take my father up on his offer of choosing someone of my own free will. Killian and I would never work, not after finding out about his man whore ways.“I’m sorry, Killian, but I have seen and heard things about you. We would never work out, not with your wandering eye and cheating ways.” I tell him and stand up from the cafeteria table, “You’re free now to fuck around with whoever you want to, just not with me.” Then I turn to leave.The last thing I needed was to be disrespected by a boy in a lower tier than my Bratva line.I started adopting more of my brother’s attitude and confidence over the last few days. Seeing how people respected him when he walked into a room made me realize
We have just left the hospital after seeing my mother. Her MRI showed nothing serious was wrong, but the blow to her head heavily concussed her. I have to admit that seeing her pale and bleeding had scared me half to death. My mother had always been a fighter, she was the toughest woman I knew and worthy of the title of Bratva Queen. She was quiet when she needed to be and fiercely protective of those she loved.Which was why I understood her decision to not tell me about Dakota and Matteo.After I met her on the stairs, I realized that I had forgotten my phone on the counter downstairs. I got the end tail of her conversation with a man I trusted above anyone.“It wasn’t supposed to happen, Ama. I think of Ayden as my brother as well. I would never do anything reckless to hurt him-”“But you have, Matteo. You betrayed him today by kissing Dakota.”My heart stopped at that moment. What had I just walke
It was as if everything was moving in slow motion as I entered the kitchen.Amaranthe turned too quickly and bumped her abdomen on the side of the breakfast nook, then she faltered backwards and started to fall. I ran to catch her, but I was too late… She hit her head on the opposite counter before I could reach her.And she hit it hard.“Alexei!” I scream for her bodyguard, who was nowhere in sight. I told him to be with her at all times, she was too weak to do things on her own now. Amaranthe was always giving him the slip, adamant she could do things on her own.Always trying to hide her weakness away from me, but she didn’t know that I could see right through her.I cradle her in my arms, cradling the back of her head… then I smell it - blood.“ALEXEI! LEV!” I cry out loudly again, feeling completely unhinged now. She knocked her head so hard that she was bleeding, who knows the damage she has
AmarantheSimple things have become more difficult for me to do.Showering takes longer now and I am out of breath by the time I am done washing my hair. Even brushing my hair takes everything out of me.I dare not tell Dimitri how bad the recent cancer treatment has got me, he would surely strangle the newest doctor. Or keep me home.I remember the time I left Dr. Martin’s after she told me it was not cancer they discovered in my mammogram. I felt elated that after a few treatments the growths would have been all but gone and I could move on with my life. But fate did not mean it to be. After Dr Martin removed the growths, the cancer cells spread sporadically; it was as if the growth prevented the cancer cells from growing.I have not heard from Dr. Martin since the cancer was first discovered; I think Dimitri had her killed, but I dare not ask him.I look at myself as I stand naked in my walk-in and sigh. After my do
I watched as Francesco pulled up in his Maybach with two of his bodyguards, and the first thing I noticed was that he had no entourage along with him.Was this his way of showing that he meant me no harm?Even so, this bothered me. Why would he need to show me this?I input my thumbprint on the pad in my phone and the gate opened. Thereafter my men collected their guns and walked them through to my office.I do not know how to handle this. What do I do if I discover my family might be in more danger than I originally anticipated? Amaranthe is too weak to go into hiding by herself.Francesco saunters into my office and glances towards my desk with a disturbed look on his face. His bodyguards follow suit and stand behind him.“Dimitri,” he greets me with a nod and I return the gesture.“Glad you could be here, Francesco,”There was no point in being an asshole right now. If there was something he needed to
Ayden is sitting opposite me, waiting for my next move. He does not yet know that most of the work of a Pakhan is done without the use of his fists. This is the reason we have enforcers. The negotiations my father has done throughout the years and what I have achieved after he died, were all done through our enforcers or via meetings with leaders.This is why I’m currently staring at Francesco’s number.I press dial, willing my anger to come to the forefront, and Francesco answers on the fourth ring.“Bratva Bishop! To what do I owe this surprising call?” He answers in a mock surprised tone, causing me to grate my teeth.“What happened to the Bratva and Cartel keeping out of the other’s way, Francesco? I thought we had a, how did you call it, unwritten rule?” I reply, echoing his sentiment from years ago. Before Sergei’s brother’s deed, we had kept out of the other’s way.I hear him chuckl
There seemed to be another war brewing, and this time it was between Bratva and Cartel members.I looked down at my most trusted man. The man I had trusted with my children, with my wife and with my own life - only to find out he had done the most despicable thing I could ever have imagined,And all under my own roof.Kiara did not need to say more I understood clearly; now I am in the basement where my fists were meeting his jaw repeatedly; the last blow dislocating it completely.“‘Mitri!” Came the voice of Sergei, my brother for all intents and purposes, “Keep him alive, I need to get a few blows in as well.”I know Sergei was itching to get his hands into Boris, but this was my blood debt to take. He violated Kiara while I trusted him inside my home.Looking over at Sergei, I shake my head, “I failed you, brother. I trusted the wrong man to protect your daughter with and now he has taken something from
Dakota Dereon - 16 Years OldThey say the life of a Dereon will always be privileged.Elizabeth and August Dereon are my parents, known as the CEO Power Couple, they instantly tripled everything they touched in profits. My older brother, Damon, was set to follow in their footsteps, while I was to become a Bratva wife.The prospect of being married to anyone in the Bratva would make any woman shiver right down to their bones. Especially if that person was the son of The Bratva Bishop, Dimitri Baranov.But not me.Ayden and I have been close since we were young, we were inseparable, and now our parents have fated us to be married. It was perfect.Until Matteo had to ruin it.It was the evening of my Sweet 16, Ayden had snuck some of his father’s Vodka into the punch bowl, and our parents being exceptionally trusting had kept us unsupervised. An hour later, and everyone was drunk. Ayden had passed out on my bed whe