The price of Sergei Volkov

Sergei The burn of vodka slid down my throat as I drained the glass in three hard swallows before tossing it carelessly onto the carpet. Mia shifted impatiently on my lap, searching for a more comfortable position. Deciding to end her suffering, I gripped her hips and drove into her in one smooth motion. Mia was my personal chef, and our arrangement was simple: no strings, no expectations, no complications. I'd never understood the appeal of juggling multiple women because It always created unnecessary problems which I don't have time for. Mia was attractive, discreet, and knew exactly what she was doing and that made things easy but still, trust was dangerous in my world. My men kept tabs on her and Precautions were taken. Like they always were. Because fatherhood and leading the Bratva were two things that could never coexist peacefully. I'd learned that lesson from my own father. My jaw tightened as the memory darkened my mood instantly. A few moments later, the distraction was over. Silently Mia gathered her clothes from the floor and slipped out of the room without a word. The second the door clicked shut behind her, I reached for my phone on the bedside table and frowned as several missed calls stared back at me. Dima. Aleksandr. I frowned. Something was off. Wondering what fresh disaster awaited me this time, I pushed myself off the bed and pulled on my briefs before heading towards the bathroom to take a quick shower. I barely made it halfway across the room before my bedroom door was violently yanked open, the hinges protesting under the force Aleksandr, my younger brother used. “I’ve been calling you,” he said, a knowing look etched across his face as his gaze swept over the tangled sheets and my undressed state. Aleksandr didn't approve of Mia for some reason and I had better things to do than ask him why. Besides Alek had always been grumpy and distrusting especially when it came to the people around me but I guess that's what makes him my strongest Ally. “Yeah?” I replied with a dismissive wave. “Well, I’m f*****g busy, so get to the point.” “Well, I hope you’re not too busy brother, because Alvaro Salvador is waiting for you at the gazebo.” At the mention of Alvaro’s name, an inward groan settled in my chest. “Says he has something important to discuss,” Aleksandr added. “Tell him I’ll be down in a minute,” I muttered with a sigh before continuing toward the bathroom. With one hand resting on the doorknob, I paused and glanced back at Alek, who still hadn’t moved an inch from where he stood. “Are you waiting to be dismissed or something?” I ask He shoots me a glare before storming out of the room. Once the door clicked shut behind him, I stepped into the bathroom and took a much needed shower. A few minutes later I changed into charcoal slacks and a navy cashmere sweater before making my way straight to the gazebo. ….. Alvaro leaned back in his chair, studying me carefully over the rim of his whiskey glass. “Sergei,” he began slowly, “you know you’re like a son to me, yes?” I frowned slightly, already suspicious of where this conversation was headed. Alvaro Salvador never spoke softly unless he wanted something. I gave a single nod. “Get to the point.” Five years ago, the man sitting across from me had saved my life and helped secure the alliance between the Camorra and the Bratva. Since then, he’s become the closest thing Aleksandr and I had to family. Which was exactly why I knew this conversation wouldn’t end well for me. A heavy sigh left him before he set his glass down on the table. “A few days ago, I discovered I have a niece and she's living here in Chicago.” My brow lifted slightly as he continued. “All this time, I believed my sister and her husband were dead,” he continued, his voice quieter now. “Turns out the bastard faked their deaths and disappeared with her.” I leaned back in my seat, unimpressed. “So what exactly do you need from me?” I asked. “You want the husband dead?” A dark smile tugged at my lips. Alvaro shot me a look of annoyance. “Patience, ragazzo.” I raised my hands lazily in surrender. “Fine. Continue.” “The girl’s father was a rat,” he said coldly. “Because of him, we lost men during the war with the Irish mob. He betrayed the Camorra and caused a lot of problems trying to cover it up. He then ran away with my sister and faked their deaths after filling her head with lies and according to my source she died because the bastard neglected her.” His jaw tightened briefly before he continued. “I didn’t even know about Layla until recently.” For the first time since the conversation started, something close to regret crossed his face. “I want her father dealt with,” he said evenly. “But the girl… she’s innocent in all of this.” I stayed silent, watching him carefully. “Once her existence comes into light her father's enemies including men within the Camorra would gladly punish her for her father’s sins,” he admitted. “ I can’t protect her myself without creating problems.” Now we were getting somewhere. “That’s where you come in,” he said. A bad feeling settled in my chest. “I’m not exactly babysitter material, Alvaro.” “She’s twenty one, not twelve,” he replied dryly. I scoffed softly, but the expression on his face never changed. Then he delivered the final blow. “I need you to marry her, Sergei.” Silence fell between us. “No.” Alvaro sighed. “Sergei…” “No.” I pushed back from the table and ran a hand over my jaw. “Ask me to kill someone. Ask me to start a war. Ask me to move half my men across the country. Fine.” I pointed at him. “But marriage?” My laugh was colder this time. “Absolutely f*****g not.” “She needs protection.” “Then assign guards.” “There are people within the Camorra who won't accept that. Her dad practically put a target on her head ” “Not my problem.” The words came out instantly. And sadness flashed across Alvaro's face. The sight irritated me more than it should have. Five years ago, when my father died and every vulture in the underworld circled the Bratva looking for a weakness, Alvaro had stood beside me. When allies questioned my leadership, he backed me. When enemies tested me, he helped bury them and he never asked for anything in return. Not once, until now. “You know,” Alvaro said quietly, “I wouldn't ask if there was another way.” I looked away. The old man had many flaws but manipulation wasn't one of them. Which made the sincerity in his voice impossible to ignore. “I loved my sister, Sergei.” His gaze dropped to the whiskey glass in his hand. “I failed her once.” The admission surprised me because Alvaro Salvador wasn’t a man who admitted failure. “I won't fail her daughter too.” Silence stretched between us. I exhaled slowly. This was exactly why I hated owing people. Because eventually the debt came due. And unlike money, some debts couldn't be repaid with cash or blood. My eyes drifted toward the trees surrounding the estate. Marriage, to stranger. A complication I truly didn't need but across from me sat one of the very few men whose requests I couldn't dismiss. “Fuck.” Alvaro's mouth twitched. That alone told him he'd won. I pointed a warning finger at him. “If she turns out to be insane, I’m blaming you.” The old bastard actually smiled. ……. After my meeting with Alvaro, I grabbed the keys to my Aston Martin and headed for the garage. Heading down to the garage I ran into Alek with a blunt trapped between his lips. “Heading somewhere?” He questioned eyeing the car keys in my hand. “Yeah.” “Where?” he asked with a frown exhaling, a cloud of smoke. “To meet my unlucky bride.” “Wait your what?.” But I was already walking away. Reaching the garage, I unlocked my Aston Martin and slid into the driver's seat. I was about to pull out of the estate when a sharp knock sounded against the driver's window. Viktor. Suppressing a sigh, I lowered the glass. “What?” He swallowed visibly. “Pakhan, we found the man who stole from the docks.” My fingers tightened around the steering wheel. “And?” I asked impatiently. “You said you wanted him found.” “I did.” I stared at him. “So why are you standing here instead of getting my money back?” Viktor shifted uneasily. “He spent most of it.” For a moment, neither of us spoke. “And the rest?” “We recovered what was left.” I leaned back in my seat. “Then sell everything he owns.” Viktor hesitated. “And if that isn't enough?” I turned my head slowly and looked at him. The color drained from his face immediately. A cold smile touched my lips. “Then he shouldn't have stolen from me.” Viktor's jaw tightened. He understood. The debt would be paid one way or another. Without another word, I raised the window and drove out of the estate.