6 - You're Ready

December, 2017

~Aleksey’s Point of View~

It had been roughly two years since I had my first shift, and Father gave me more responsibility with each passing month … and less to his own flesh and blood. For now, Maxim didn’t seem to care. Pussy and booze, parties and blow … that was his life. He was pissing it away and it didn’t go unnoticed by the family. However my sister, Alexandra was taking to the life well but she was still a pup.

They called me “the fly” because even though no one saw me, I was never far. I would hover over them and know all their secrets. I was in every room, listening and seeing. I had spies everywhere on the family payroll, or ones I blackmailed into working for me. I loved all the technology and listening devices, it was all at my fingertips. To be boss of the family, you have to know everything always, at all times. You have to know who you can trust.

I provided that to my parents, and a few months out of the year was loaned out to the Russian side of things. They didn’t want me there, they did everything to get rid of me. Which made me want to dig in more, to learn what they wanted to keep hidden.

I learned not long after coming to work for the family that it was actually my mother’s side who were by far and away the most ruthless and the most secretive. Sofia was the only child of Vladimir Solonik, the most wealthy and feared man in all of the East. Men wanted to be him and women wanted to fuck him … as was the way with most men of power. But this family operated on a completely different level than Alexander. Of course, law enforcement in Russia was a joke, and they were all on the family payroll.

My loyalty was fully to my parents, plain and simple. I didn’t give a fuck what anyone else thought or did. I wasn’t here for anyone else. In return … Father spoiled me rotten; girls, clothes, jewelry, lavish trips … anything I wanted was mine. But his respect and adoration were what I craved. Having him tell me that he was proud of me, that’s what I needed. I’d never heard him say that to Maxim, nothing even close to it. Having the confidence and ear of Alexander Reznikov was far more power than money could ever buy.

I could have cared less about the things, the trinkets. I wanted the money, I hoarded it. I rarely spent any of it. For meals I ate at home, if I was out on business I made someone else pay. If I was flying it was on the family plane. I was 18 and I had over three million in off-shore accounts no one could touch. That was just my hidden stash, I had about half as much in American accounts my parents had set up for me, play money.

“Aleksey, in here please,” my uncle Viktor said, motioning me into the library.

I had been on my way out to see a sexy little she-wolf I had been fucking for the last few weeks, a waitress at one our underground clubs. It was Friday night and I was beat from a long week. Uncle Viktor however, was father’s brother and number two in command, and you didn’t refuse him.

I entered the library to see Father at his desk, puffing a cigar as usual. I had long begged him to scale back on the tobacco, but you couldn’t tell him a thing. It was a nasty habit and I hated it.

I removed my suit jacket and laid it on a chair. I sat in my usual spot on his couch and Viktor poured us all a drink as Father came to sit next to me. 

“We caught Harold this morning,” Father said, matter of fact, without any preamble.

I leaned back into the couch and spread my arms over the back of the cushions. A wicked grin crept across my face. I wanted to ask why I was just now being informed of this, but it didn’t matter and I wasn’t going to quabble. 

Harold was a once trusted accountant who had been stealing from us as it turned out for many years. He took such small amounts it didn’t set off any alarms for a while. That was the main problem with thieves. They would take a little bit and get away with it. Then they would begin to feel empowered, emboldened but then the greed would set in. 

They would feel like a little more wouldn’t go unnoticed, and so on … until they were in way over their heads and it was far too late.

“I want him, he's mine. My wolf is ready,” I said, plainly. 

Viktor nodded in agreement and Father turned to me, matching my grin.

“We’ve uh … never taken this step with you son. This isn’t like fighting, but it can be just as addictive. Just as … rewarding. It’s not like shooting someone. The taste of human blood to a wolf is...” he said, trailing off and taking a large puff of his cigar. 

I immediately snatched the nasty cancer stick from his hand and put it out on a side table. 

“You need to live another fifty years and you’re not going to do it with that shit,” I said, matter of fact.

I took back my seat and they both laughed at me. 

“It warms my black little heart that you care for my health and wellbeing. But we both know I’ll just get another. If you want me to live, give me something to look forward to, settle down and pick a mate,” Father said, leaning back in his seat.

I rolled my eyes. I was still a damn teenager, I wasn’t ready for settling down. But ever since I got my wolf, it was all mother spoke of ... getting mated and having an heir. She knew Maxim wouldn’t do it anytime soon, if ever. It didn’t matter if I was adopted, I had the name and had more than proven myself, I was their son in every way.

“Enough bullshit. Is he in the basement,” I asked.

Viktor beamed, happy with my enthusiasm. Harold was mine. Mine to deal with. I had visited him time after time, once I had grown suspicious. I was the one who researched his dirty deeds, I was the one who put it all together. Over $638,000 by my calculations. 

Once I found out about the first hundred thousand, he was warned. The next chunk, we took his sports cars. Then we found him still doing it, even with all the patience we’d extended. There are very rarely second chances in our family so you certainly don’t get a third.

Thieves must be made an example of … their betrayal cannot go unpunished. Harold was mortgaged out his ass, there was no way he could pay back very much of that money. He liked the high life but had the actual income one-fourth of his lifestyle. 

Second problem with thieves is that they flaunt their idiocy. How could he really think we wouldn’t notice? If you’re going to be dumb enough to steal, don’t live like a king.

“Take Ollie with you,” Viktor said, sipping his gin.

I glared at Father who shook his head. 

“I’m not a fucking pup. No one needs to hold my paw,” I said, getting to my feet. 

Both men snickered. 

“I do however like this suit, so I will change before I go down,” I said, picking up my jacket. 

“His widow will get a monthly stipend for six months, after that … she’s on her own,” Viktor said, throwing back the last of his drink.

I nodded, that was more than fair. More than he deserved. Although it was for the kids, not for him. We also had a lot of intel proving his wife not only knew he was stealing, she was helping him and encouraging it.

I made my way back to my apartment within the mansion and had a brief chat with Felix, my wolf … and we discussed what was about to happen. Of course, he was completely on board.

Ten minutes later I was dressed simply in some basketball shorts, heading to our family’s basement dungeon. Many men drew their last breaths behind these concrete walls. But the one thing all those men had in common, was that they made their choices. Our family didn’t kill women and we didn’t kill children … that was the law right next to not stealing and lying.

I had bared witness to many deaths over the last few years, I’d beaten men, cut them up. But I had yet to take someone’s last breath myself. As a young teen who had been forced to fight, I’d seen death. I’d seen other fighters beat their opponents into nothing. But not me, I always left them alive.

This was different. I was now different. This was avenging my family’s honor. This was sending a clear message to all of our other employees, street soldiers, etc. that you don’t fuck with a Reznikov. You absolutely do NOT bite the hand that feeds you.

I nodded to the guard as he handed me a set of keys. Once I heard the door shut and his feet on the stairs, I began to unlock the cell door. Harold laid on the metal bed, just a thin mattress between him and the springs. He reeked of sweat, fear and years of unhealthy living.

*Nasty, fat ass,* Felix groaned, in my mind, offended by the stench. 

Harold lifted his head and met my eye. He immediately got to his feet and put his hands out in front of himself.

“Aleksey, thank god it’s you. Please … please help me. I can get your father some of the money, I have a boat I can sell. My son has a college fund … I can make it work,” he said, hopeful. 

I laughed and his hopeful face quickly fell. He really was an idiot. I already knew his boat had a lien on it and his kid’s college fund was down to only ten grand since he looted it.

“Harold, Harold, Harold. You know we’re immensely pissed about the dollars, but you also have to know we’re way past just worrying about a repayment plan,” I said, moving closer to him.

He stepped backwards until he hit the wall. Sweat dripped off his forehead and his heart was racing. He closed his eyes, afraid to even look at me.

“Did we not give you everything you wanted? Did we not bring you a fuck ton of business,” I asked.

I snapped my fingers and his eyes flew open, I stared at him, forcing him to keep eye contact. 

“You … you did. You did. I … I fucked up. I admit it,” he said, as tears began to fall down his round cheeks. 

*Don’t toy with him. Let’s just end this fucker and go find that she-wolf,* Felix whined, practically bored.

“Even when you knew I figured it out, even when you knew you were caught … you did it again, and again. I took your cars, you stole to buy new cars,” I asked … now I was toying with him.

“I panicked,” he said, tears falling down his face.

“You haven’t even begun to panic,” I grinned. 

I kicked off my sneakers, and he watched my movement with interest, confused. 

“It would seem a lot escapes your attention. What do you think makes my family the greatest, and most feared around the world,” I said, reaching for his chubby face and holding it. 

He shook his head, more confusion spreading across his face. With my free hand I forced Felix forward, my skin sprouting fur and my fingers disappearing into a paw with razor sharp claws. I immediately stepped back and took a swipe at the fat man, cutting his cheek, blood gushed from the wound. 

He cried out in searing pain and fell to his knees, holding his face. I dropped my shorts and pushed Felix forward until he was in front of the thief. The scent of fresh blood filled our nostrils and Felix roared, saliva spilling from his mouth. Harold looked up for the briefest of moments with a paralyzing fear that gripped his entire body.

*Honor our family,* I said to Felix as he growled and lunged forward.