Kapitel 10: I'm the Boss

(SERGIO)

I stand at the bottom of the stairs, waiting as my son descends. "My study. Now." I order.

Karlen regards me with a carefully guarded expression and silently crosses the marble floor and heads to my side of the castle. I clamp my jaw, trying to get a hold of my anger before I snap and shout at him.

Once in my study, he goes straight for the liquor bottles. Maksim is still there, sitting in one of the chairs from the meeting we had earlier. I'm sure he stayed to make sure that I don't kill Karlen for interfering tonight. I slam the door shut, rage burning through every last nerve of my skin. "Sit the fuck down, Karlen."

He does sit, but not until he holds an almost full glass of whisky in his right hand. "You wanted to see me, Papa?"

I help myself to a drink then go behind my desk, fuming and breathing hard to at least keep my head clear. Despite having a bad temper, I always try to be level headed and keep the situation calm . After all, I'm the boss. But it doesn't always work around Karlen. And apparently, Ivanna. "Tell me, who is in charge of this house and family?"

"You." He says.

"And who's your capo?"

"You."

"Then enlighten me. Why did you go against my order and release Ivanna from the cell?"

He takes a sip of his drink before he answers me. "She is my fiancée. It isn't right for her to get locked up the minute she set foot in this castle."

"I get to decide what is right in this family, Karlen. Not you. Me." I hold my injured hand up. "She fucking stabbed my hand with a pen. A few more minutes in the dungeon wouldn't have hurt her."

He shakes his head. "You didn't see her, papa. She was scared out of her wits and afraid of the dark. She was nearly withdrawn when I found her."

I feel a pang in my chest that might be guilt, but I choose to ignore it. I have to because I can't afford to show any weakness. So, was this his attempt to play hero? To make me appear like I'm the bad person?

You are the villain. She'd rather prefer him to you.

I don't understand why it bothers me so much. If anything, I want them to like each other. I want them to bond and find happiness in their union. Maybe they will have a better union than I did with my wife. I need grandsons, and I am losing my fucking mind over it.

I finish my whisky in one gulp and let the burn outdo the anger. "I'm glad that you thought of helping her. I'm sure that she was grateful to you. Which pleases me."

He frowns, eyes so like mine growing suspicious. "I didn't rescue her to earn a thank you from her. But now I'm wondering if that is the real reason why locked her down there. So that she won't fight me."

I haven't been so crafty, but it's good that he thought I was capable of it. "She won't fight you. I will give you a few weeks to get to know each other better before the wedding."

"It's a surprise actually that you are waiting."

I clear my throat, knowing the news must be shared but unsure of what his response will be. "She had a boyfriend in Krasnoyarsk."

Karlen sips his drink, not showing any outward reaction on the news. "Okay, and?"

"And she isn't a virgin. It would be nice to make sure that she isn't carrying another man's child before the wedding, no?"

"Are you willing to let me marry a woman who isn't pure?"

"It isn't ideal. But Ivanna is strong willed and beautiful. She is the daughter of a once excellent woman in the whole of Russia. She will make you a great wife. Plus, this marriage settles Misha Sidorova's debt."

"And ensures stronger alliances between Tyva and Krasnoyarsk, should the Mexicans want to break free."

A wry smile tugs at the corners of my lips, pleased. "Right. The Bratva first, my son. Always. One day, you will be the one sitting in this chair giving orders as all of the Sakharov men before us. We serve our brothers above everyone else."

"I know." He nods.

I tap my fingers on the desk, studying him intently. "I will tell Sergey to assign you with lighter responsibility in the next three weeks. That should allow you to ease Ivanna into her role."

He sits up straight. "I don't think that's necessary. We are working on opening up a new club. So I will be out all night and be at home all day. I'll have enough time to spend with Ivie."

"Ivie?"

"That's what everybody calls her. I assumed you knew?"

She hadn't told me that. Between the flight, the drugs and the stabbing, we didn't have enough time for conversation. But somehow, they made conversation with my son and he found time to tell him.

I clear my throat. "Great. You are excused." I point towards the door.

He leaves, then I lawn back on my chair. "He took that well."

"He is loyal." Maksim says. "a dutiful son."

Yes he is. I stroke my jaw. "I hope that she likes him."

"You sound like you are convincing yourself. Are you guilty?"

Of course I am, but I will never admit it. "You're my oldest and closest friend. But even that has limits."

"No. I don't think so. I'm the only one that will put up with your moods. And by the way, Misha apologized for her trying to escape. He said that he dealt with security on that side of the wall."

I grunt and flex my injured hand. Misha had underestimated his daughter, something that I now know that I will never do. I now know what she is capable of. "Good, now he knows to keep better watch over his other daughters."

"He also said that he must attend the wedding, whenever it is scheduled to happen."

The audacity! Misha isn't one to make demands here. "I will consider it."

"He is her father, Sergio. No man should be kept away from his daughter's wedding."

I glare at Maksim. "You have some work to do, no?" We have tons of operations to oversee. We have operations that stretch globally and Maksim is instrumental in those operations.

"No, not tonight. I'm staying to watch a movie with Zia."

His marriage had been happier than mine because he actually fell in love with his wife. Their three sons are already powerful members of Dvina Vory. Much as I try to convince myself that I'm not jealous, I know deep down that it is a lie. "I keep telling you to get a mistress. Less work than a wife."

"No, thanks. I will leave the mistresses to you."

"You know it isn't healthy for a man to stay loyal to his wife for so many years. Your balls will shrivel and fall off."

He laughs as he heads out. "Zia will cut them off herself if she ever learns of me keeping a mistress. Goodnight Sergio."

I shake my head and look at the empty glass beside me as I mull over what the rest of my evening will be like. Anger and guilt roll through me. I'm tired and my body is pulled taut. That only means that I won't get sleep anytime soon.

Which leaves me with just one option. I grab my phone and scroll through my contacts and when I come to the name I was searching, I start typing. "GET YOURSELF READY. FIFTEEN MINUTES. ON MY WAY."

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