“He hasn't always made the best decisions. And his childish attitude can be annoying. But sometimes, I think you forget: he worships the ground you walk on.”
I frown. “I think you’re confusing him with yourself.”
Lev snorts with laughter. “I’m serious. He’s always looked up to you.”
“Maybe so. But the only person he put on a pedestal was our father.”
Lev shakes his head. “You really don’t see it, do you?”
“See what?”
“You’re walking in his shoes now, Anton. You took your father’s place a long time ago. And to be honest, you’re a better don than he was. It’s not hard to understand why Yulian would shift that admiration from him to you.”
“It’s not the same thing.”
“You’re too close to the situation to see it. But sometimes, I think you might benefit more from going a little easier on Yulian when he screws up. Because, chances are, he’s off somewhere beating himself up about this shit twice as hard as you ever would.”
I consider that for a moment, wondering if Lev has a point. I’ve never really seen that in my relationship with Yulian.
We’re brothers. So close in age that the idea that Yulian would replace our father with me seems strange.
“He just wants you to be happy,” Lev continues. “It’s why he got rid of her body in the first place. He didn’t want you to be implicated.”
“Yeah, that didn’t work out so well, did it?”
“Only because Marina was around to spread those rumors. She was obviously very active in death.”
I sneer, “Of course the bitch would find some way to rise from the ashes. Some people just aren’t smart enough to stay dead.”
“We can correct that,” Lev says dangerously.
I smile. “I like the way you think.”
“What is the plan?” Lev asks.
“With Yaromir in charge of the Ivanovs, their Bratva is practically under my control already. I can manipulate that runty bastard without even having to try.”
Lev strokes his chin thoughtfully. “But if Marina is alive, she’s going to set her sights on taking the throne. It’s her birthright, after all.”
I shake my head. “Unless she fucks every last soldier in the organization, I can’t see the Ivanov men choosing her to lead them.”
My lieutenant looks unconvinced. “Stranger things have happened. And men can be bought for a lot less than a good lay.”
I nod. “Correct. Which is why there is only one plan going forward: Locate Marina. Kill Marina. And this time, when we put her in the ground… I’m going to make sure she stays there.”