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I nod. “And it’s no longer necessary. I’m sick of tying my business interests with a lesser Bratva. It made sense when I was married to Marina. But it ends now.”

“If you push this, he will never name you as heir,” Yulian says through gritted teeth.

“I’ve told you before, I don’t give a fuck about his empire. I’ve built my own.”

“Jesus, are you hearing this?” Yulian turns to Lev for support.

He glances between the two of us and nods. “I… I think Anton has the right idea.”

“What?!”

“At least one other person here has some sense," I drawl.

Lev looks at Yulian. “We don’t need to tie ourselves to the Ivanovs anymore. If Anton wishes to take it at all, he can do it by force when the time is right.”

“Take the Ivanov Bratva?” Yulian asks, looking shocked by the very idea.

I shrug. “It’s been done before.”

Yulian stares at me for a moment and then a small smile flickers across his face. “You’ve got some balls on you, sobrat.”

“Always have.”

He relaxes slightly and falls back against the sofa. “This is going to be an interesting few months.”

“Lev, organize that meeting for me,” I tell him. “And while you’re at it, tell them to send in lunch. I’m fucking starving.”

Lev leaves and Yulian and I sit opposite one another, both lost in thought. Except that my brother rarely loses himself to anything, much less his own thoughts.

“Something bothering you, little brother?” I ask.

“I just remembered something.”

I know where he’s going with this. His long silences usually revolve around the same sore subject.

I sigh. “Do tell.”

“Papa used to tell me that you were going to be the greatest don there ever was.”

Nailed it, I think to myself. Out loud, I scoff. “You’re making that up.”

“Hand to my heart, it’s true.”

“You’ve never told me that before.”

“I didn’t want you getting a big head. But since that ship has already sailed, I’m telling you now.” I smirk and Yulian continues. “Every time you were in training, Papa would sit by me and tell me that. At one point, I really hated you. The golden child, the favorite son. I knew I would never make Papa as proud as you made him.”

“He was never proud of me,” I say gruffly.

“He never told you he was proud of you,” Yulian corrects. “But trust me, he was. He was proud before you ever did anything to be proud of. He knew you’d control the entire West Coast. And he was right.”

“I don’t control it completely.”

“But you’re on your way,” Yulian points out. “I just didn’t think you’d take it by force.”

“You disapprove?”

He frowns for a moment, considering. “Fuck no. I think you should do whatever you have to do to get whatever you want to get.”


Tags: Nicole Fox Stepanov Bratva Erotic