Page 79 of Beloved
Kirill glanced into my eyes, lifting his eyebrows.
“What do you believe?”
“I will offer you the same piece of advice, Kazimir, as I did when you were still a boy. Watch your back. However, the meaning is entirely different. There are a number of people eager to take what you’ve already achieved. You already know which Bratva have the manpower, but they aren’t true leaders. You are. There are others who would enjoy seeing you suffer because of your name and the horrors your father inflicted over the years. There are some who will pledge allegiance while lying with a smile on their face. And there are those who could destroy you. Not by use of weapons, but by catching you off guard. Yes, there is a war brewing with various factions across the world. There are too many players in the world of crime, but what you’re facing is much worse.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning your thoughts on loyalty and respect will be challenged. Stay the course. You’re a natural born leader. Allow that fear others have to come to the surface and it will. Marry. Have heirs. But keep your inner sanctum small.”
“Advice I will not take lightly, Pakhan.”
He laughed before instantly coughing and wheezing, the years of physical abuse and indulgent behaviors taking their toll. But I would much rather my grandfather spend his golden years gasping for air than grappling with mental deficiencies. Dying of dementia wasn’t fair for men so powerful. “It’s been a long time since anyone used the reference of honor. It’s your time now,Kazimir. Your time to take hold of not only your destiny but the future of our great country as well.”
“That’s a heavy burden to bear.”
“And one you’re ready for. One last piece of advice. Take a wife, yet one who won’t cut your dick off in the middle of the night. Alliances are necessary in our world and always have been. I daresay more now than ever before. Europe is… much more powerful than before and in the United States, the Bratva are young and aggressive. And very hungry. They will challenge you more than all the others. You know that better than anyone. Your cousin is very… determined.”
“Does that mean he would betray me?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. That’s for you to discover. You know better than I to trust your instincts.”
Perhaps he’d heard about my single taste of a creature so precious. Or perhaps he was merely providing advice from his own experiences. Whatever the case, the words were also damn good advice.
And which I likely wouldn’t take.
But his words regarding alliances I understood.
Even if the enraged man inside me didn’t care to listen.
CHAPTER 19
Rafaela
“Fleur. How did the guests get their invitations?” The celebration was continuing, everyone dancing and drinking. Meanwhile, I continuously glanced at the doors leading from the ballroom, half expecting or perhaps hoping that I’d see the mystery man again.
While I couldn’t be certain the person I’d seen had been Kazimir, my stomach remained in knots. In truth, I was certain I’d been seeing things. Call it wishful thinking or maybe my guilty conscience working overtimes.
A little tickler inside my mind reminded me that my father had about a dozen reasons to lie to me, except in sending me away, he’d provided the perfect opportunity for Kazimir to find me.
If he’d been alive.
Not a word. Not a sighting. Nothing.
I’d tried to find more about him, but every effort had been nothing but time wasted.
Plus, my father enjoyed killing people. That I’d heard through the grapevine at an early age. Even if I tossed out half of the garbage spewed in rumors and hate-filled messages, that meant my father had murdered over a hundred people.
I shuddered to think how many of his victims had been innocent bystanders or people who’d been caught up in crime syndicate business. But he’d lie for one reason, a single purpose.
To keep me from searching for Kazimir.
If the man who’d stolen my heart had escaped, my father’s reputation would have been dinged, especially after so many people on the estate had known he’d been harboring a prisoner.
Even after the harsh punishment I’d received, I’d cheered Kazimir on, envisioning him returning home to his family.
I’d also chastised myself for not pressing him on information. In the world of the mafia, family data was not easily obtained even with the internet and social media. As an enforcer for such a powerful Cosa Nostra Don, my father and our world had been placed under the Pollizi arm of protection. That meant in addition to a lifetime of men serving as bodyguards, the internet was regularly swept for information about our family. All under the guise of keeping us safe.
In turn that meant I wasn’t allowed to have a page on Facebook or Instagram. I was the girl least likely to be found by anyone.
