Glazov's Legacy (Born Bratva Book 2) (19 page)

Kathleen

How Katrina replies to the statement I’m about to make is going to tell me a few things about her character. It will definitely reveal how big of a mouth she has. If she has a backbone when it comes to her husband, I can see us becoming really good friends.

“We can’t tell the guys about this.”

“I completely agree,” Katrina replies.

“We’re going to have to deal with it ourselves, and that means talking to her face to face.”

“Yes, but we also need to cover our own asses, Kathleen. If she runs her mouth to Kodiak, and he goes to Glazov, we’re going to be in a shitload of trouble.”

“If we don’t deal with it correctly, that girl could end up dead.”

“If the little bitch tells on us, I’ll kill her myself.”

I laugh, “Not before I get my hands on her. What in the world made her think she could come in, write an exposé on my husband, and not get killed?”

“Well, I’ll admit the girl has balls. That means she’ll fit right in with us. Of course, that’s if she listens to what we tell her.”

“I hate the word
if
,” I reply sulkily.

“I like words, any words.”

“You’re an author; that’s a given.”

Katrina leans in and strokes my hand to stop the nervous tapping I’m doing on her desk.

“We can do this, Kathleen. With all the drama we’ve been through with these guys, this will be a piece of cake.”

I look at her and shake my head because all I can think is… I sure as hell hope so.

Glazov

I take a moment to clear my head and let my mind wander. Now that my office is cleared out, my mind drifts back to a night a few years back.

The only lighting in the middle of the desolate spot by the river came from the headlights of the luxury vehicle we’d driven to this destination. It was more than enough to betray the terror in the eyes of the man we’d bound, gagged, and brought out here to kill.

He stood at the edge of the grave and dropped to his knees, his eyes pleading for mercy from a man who had none—me.

I shook my head, disgusted as I spoke the last words he would ever hear.

“You’re weak, much too weak to be in the game. You know how I feel about those who turn on the Bratva. You’re dead to me, in more ways than one.”

I raised my Glock and shot him right between the eyes. His body fell back into the grave perfectly, as if that hole in the earth was destined to be the final resting place for his carcass. Hell, it would be the place his soul would reside for eternity.

I turned and made my way back to the car, leaving Ivan to finish burying him.

Unfortunately the fresh grave had been enough to spark the curiosity of a jogger’s dog, and the pup started digging furiously like he had a lead on the ultimate bone. I guess, in a way, he did. The well-meaning citizen called the police, not wanting to take any chances. When homicide called in the forensics team, they used ground-penetrating radar—fucking forensic geophysics geeks. Needless to say, they found the body, and it was all over after that. When the police started closing in on me, Ivan insisted on taking the fall. The only stipulation he had was that his family was provided for and protected.

I treat his wife and daughter like queens, and Ivan lives a pretty privileged life in prison. The son of a bitch has his own cell, a computer with Internet access, cable TV, and anything else that can be supplied through money, bribes, or pay-offs. It is all provided by my hand. I know that if it wasn’t for Ivan, it would be me in that cell. I’ve even gone so far as to make sure he has conjugal visits with his wife. I think the thing that affects me the most is that I have never, not even once, gotten wind of him or his family complaining.

Being locked up for the sake of the cause brings out one of two things in people: resentment, or loyalty. In Ivan, it’s the latter. He is one of the most loyal men I know…

Kathleen

“She’ll be fine, dear.”

I smile at my son, reassuring him that Logan will be fine having lunch with Katrina and me.

“My goodness, son, you have to give the girl some room to breathe.”

I’m purposely portraying a carefree attitude so he doesn’t catch on to what I’m up to. I’m well aware that if he does, the first thing he’ll do is run and tell his dad. Anyone who works for my husband knows that withholding information from him will result in dire consequences. They’ve seen firsthand what happens to people who work angles behind his back. Regardless of the fact that Glazov is their father, my sons still see him as their boss concerning Bratva business.

I breathe a sigh of relief when he bends down to kiss my cheek. I watch him as he turns and cuts his eyes at his girlfriend, even though he’s speaking to me.

“I don’t want her out of your sight. Thirty minutes before you’re finished here, give me a call, and I’ll come pick her up.”

“Yes, dear.”

I smile endearingly while trying to get him to hurry up and get his ass out of here. I wait until he walks away and the waiter has brought us our beverages and a menu before I begin.

“Logan, we’ve brought you here to talk about a very serious matter. It’s imperative that you keep your mouth shut about what we discuss, and that includes not sharing it with the men in my family.”

“You know, don’t you?”

It isn’t a question; it’s a statement. I know, and she knows that I know.

“How did you think that you could get away with something like this?”

She answers my question with a question of her own, which I hate. It’s a personal pet peeve of mine and a method my husband uses all the fucking time to get information. Glazov’s always finding out what he wants to know, yet never revealing anything about what’s going on in his head.

“Does he know? Oh my God, does he?”

I know who she’s talking about, and it isn’t Kodiak. She’s worried about Glazov. She’s smart to fear him for her actions. If he finds out about this exposé, he’s going to take it personally, as well he should. We aren’t the kind of people who want our business splattered across the front page of the newspaper. If she does follow through with this exposé, it’s quite possible a student, or even one of her professors, would sell it to the media or, worse yet, a tabloid.

The only time Glazov permits a newspaper article to be printed is when he personally approves it for PR purposes. Even then, he is in complete control of what the press releases. It’s one of the reasons we brought in Katrina. This exposé has the potential to turn into a scandal for the whole family, fodder for the public’s curious eyes. This could trigger an avalanche of trouble for my husband. The other bosses would perceive him as weak for not being able to control the media. There is no doubt in my mind that if this happens, Glazov will kill Logan and anyone else he sees as a threat. He has his freedom to protect as well as his reputation. He cannot be seen as a man who can’t take care of Bratva business; it just isn’t an option. He would view it as shaming his family bloodline, and in Glazov’s world, that is never going to happen.

Part of the job of a Bratva wife is to see trouble coming when it concerns her family, and then prevent it. It’s one of the reasons we don’t interact with women outside of our Bratva cells. We walk a fine line of not being directly involved in the business, yet protecting our family from any threats. It’s a challenge, to say the least, but it’s a challenge I deal with by making it my business to know my husband’s business.

I shake my hand back and forth and sternly address Logan.

“Do. Not. Panic.”

I know I’m being a bitch, but my heart is in the right place. I’m trying to keep this naïve little college girl from getting killed, and I’m also trying to prevent any rifts between Glazov and Kodiak.

I think my partner in crime sees this as an opportunity to come to my aid. I find myself being grateful that Katrina decided to accompany me. I know this won’t be the first time she and I are involved in something we don’t want the guys to know about. I listen as she speaks.

“I understand, firsthand, that the career you’re pursuing is competitive, but you can’t do this. You can’t speak out about anything that goes on in the gambling house where you work, and you damn sure can’t talk about our family to anyone you go to school with. I know how it is when you’re first starting out. I know how expensive tuition is, and I know you saw winning that exposé money as a way to help you pay for it. I’m telling you, though, this isn’t the answer.”

Logan turns her attention to me and speaks.

“Kodiak wants me to move into the pool house. He says it will help me with my bills.”

Like hell. All Kodiak wants is to keep an eye on you. Maybe that’s a good idea though. I can keep an eye on your ass too.

“That might be a good idea, sweetie.”

I smile, hiding the anxiety I’m feeling right now as I wonder just how much the guys know. I don’t even want to think about what I’m going to have to do to infiltrate my husband’s office over all this drama.

I shake myself out of the manipulation I’m presently conjuring up in my mind and listen to what she’s saying.

“I don’t know, Mrs. Glazov. I really don’t want to be an inconvenience to you or your family.”

“I’m certain you and Kodiak will figure it out. The important thing is that you stop doing that exposé on Bratva.”

“What am I going to do then? I have no family, no help with tuition, and now, no exposé to save me. My father was a sporadic presence in my home. Dad used the time he did share with me to teach me how to count cards and gamble. He’s a hustler, and I haven’t seen him in years. My mother tries to drink away the pain of all he’s done to her—gambling her money away, sleeping with other women, and coming home all hours of the night. Sometimes he would be gone for days at a time, leaving us with no money or food in the house. I made up my mind that I was never going to be like either one of them. It’s the reason I worked so hard to go to college. This exposé was my ticket out of that lifestyle.”

Great… use my family as your way out. What the fuck are you thinking, girl? It’s okay to destroy us so you can get an education?

I chide myself for my thoughts as I watch her eyes well up with tears. Once again, my new best friend, Katrina, rescues me.

“Honey, you can do an exposé on my drama with Novak, only the parts already public though. I will be monitoring what you write. I can assure you that by the time I get done letting you interview me, you’ll blow them all out of the water.”

I watch Katrina reach over and take the young girl’s hand as she continues speaking.

“You’re involved with this family whether you like it or not. When you started seeing Kodiak, you sealed your fate. The men in this family do not let go once they get their talons in; they only sink them in deeper. The only friends or allies you have right now are Kathleen and me. Keep your mouth shut, follow our lead, and you’ll do fine. The Bratva women can be more ruthless than the men. You don’t want to make enemies of them. You aren’t just dealing with us.”

She waves her hand to indicate the two of us and continues.

“You’re dealing with Roksana, Natasha, and a whole host of others who will stop at nothing to protect this family. This is serious business you’ve gotten yourself into, and it’s your choice what kind of relationship you will have with the family. You can have a good one with people who will have your back, or you can have a bad one with ruthless individuals who will stop at nothing to protect the cause.”

Even though the poor girl looks pitiful, her reply is something that puts my mind somewhat at ease.

“I’ve never had a family to speak of. My dad left when I was young, and my mom tried to drink his memory away. It would be nice to have a family like yours.”

She looks up at me through dark lashes. She really is a natural beauty. I can easily see how my son fell so hard for her.

“Thank you so much Mrs…”

Katrina stops her before she can finish.

“Stop with the Mrs. titles. If you’re going to be with Kodiak, then you’re one of the girls now. It’s Katrina and Kathleen.”

I’ve managed to deal with my son and his girlfriend, but dealing with Alexander Glazov is a whole different monster. There is no way I’m going to reveal to this girl that her life could very well be in danger. I’ve got to find out what’s going on. Infiltrating his office is something I can do by myself, but it isn’t going to be easy. The house is under constant surveillance, but he has it set up to where the surveillance team doesn’t have access to certain areas where he wants privacy. His office is, thankfully, one of those places. Our bedroom and the basement dungeon have it, but he turns it off during our play time. He reserves those areas for his own private viewing; it’s his way of keeping a constant eye on me. My husband is a predator, and he enjoys staying one step ahead of his prey. I need to know what he knows. I have to know if he’s planning on killing Logan.