“At first, yes,” he says as he traces my chin with his finger, “but there was something . . . primal that rose within me when I heard people cheering and yelling my name. I got addicted to it, in a way. It was very fulfilling. Well, for a period of time, at least. I was twenty-three when I joined the Bratva. I can’t believe it’s been over ten years.”
“So you went from a fighting ring to an upscale club. It’s a big change.”
“I started as a soldier. Sometimes running errands, but most of the time, I was sent to collect debts. I’d never even held a gun back then, so Yuri had to teach me how to shoot before I could be given more serious assignments.”
“Do you like it? Running a nightclub?
“Two clubs, actually. I’m at Ural most of the time. It’s a bigger one. The second club, Baykal, is
