Moscow, Russia. 7:30pm
~Anastasia Vishnev~
"Ana, please open the door and talk to me," my mama's voice persists, but for the hundredth time, I choose to ignore her. She has been waiting for the past 30 minutes, yet I chose not to engage with her. I already anticipate a barrage of words, a narrative I am not willing to entertain at the moment. I'm not looking for solace in stories; they won't solve the current situation.
How could my papa do such a thing? Coercing me into marriage with someone old enough to be my father – it's so unfair and unreasonable. Why must I bear the consequences of his transgressions? I am not the one who plunged our family into debt, so why am I the one paying for it?
I don't wish harm upon my family and I understand the gravity of the situation but it's still hard to accept. The creditor, Nikolai Volkov's threat looms, he threatened to bring war to us and also demanded my brother as payment since my father can't settle the debt. Using me as collateral was the desperate solution, but I cannot reconcile with it. It's a burden no one should bear.
As my contemplation deepens, my phone interrupts the silence with my best friend, Mila's call.
"Hey, Mila."
"Ana, how are you?"
Tears trace down my cheeks. "I'm not okay, Mila. I'm on the brink of marrying some aged man in two days. How could I possibly be fine?"
"It's alright, honey. This is just a phase; everything will work out."
Mila, my steadfast friend for years, understands the intricacies of our world. Her father, a capo in my family, exposes her to the mafia's rules and regulations, a reality I still haven't come to embrace. Despite being the daughter of a Mafia boss, I resent the constant excessive security always surrounding us, due to the constant perpetual threat from adversaries.
"Do you want to go out? Release some pent-up emotions?"
I sniffle and wipe my tears. "Where would we go? To a club? We've attempted that already, Mila."
"But you can't confine yourself until the wedding. It's better to let off some steam. We can go somewhere different."
"Where?"
"Somewhere thrilling. I got an invite to a unique club—an establishment where dominants acquire submissives through auctions. There are really young hot men there. Perhaps you could let loose, have some fun, and release the tension, you know."
"Mila! Are you suggesting we should auction ourselves? That sounds like a really dangerous club to go." I may have heard of clubs like that but I've never visited or even thought of visiting there. I've never had a reason to.
She chuckles, "That's precisely why we should go, Ana. Aren't you curious about certain things? We're not going there to be auctioned; we're just there to observe and have some fun. My acquaintance, who provided the invite, knows the club owner well, so there's no need to worry. The auction is not exactly the only thing that takes place there you know."
I sigh, "I don't really know. Are the submissives there willingly, or are they forced?"
"Come on, Ana, that's not our concern. Should I pick you up?"
I nod, even though she can't see me.
"Should I?" She asks again and that's when I realize I haven't replied her.
"Oh, yes. Yes, please do. I need to leave this house."
I rise from the bed, grab my jacket from the chair, and head to the door. As I open it, I'm taken aback by the sight of my brother. It seems my mother has given up and left.
"How much longer will you confine yourself?" He growls at me.
I frown and attempt to pass him, but he pulls me back.
"Don't walk out on me, Ana!" He yells.
I roll my eyes and sigh. "What else do you wish to say? Haven't you already told me to accept my predetermined fate?"
He sighs and runs his other hand through his hair. "Ana, for the sake of our family, you should embrace this reality now. You've secluded yourself in your room for the past two days."
"Well, if I had been informed about this in a timely manner, perhaps acceptance would be easier now. Papa disclosed this entire situation just four days ago, Damien!"
"But the engagement party has been rescheduled to take place in two days time, Ana."
I scoff. It's unbelievable what my own brother is saying Everyone seems to have lost their sense. No one seems to care about how this impacts me.
"What difference does it make, Damien? I am still being married off to a man old enough to be my father, and none of you seem to care."
Damien sighs and moves closer to gently pat my head. "You know if I had the power to halt this, I would. If it were a war, I'd always be ready to fight, but that would cost lives. I'd rather see you marry an older man than risk losing you, Ana."
I shake my head, tears streaming down my cheeks. "This is not fair, Damien."
He embraces me. "I understand, malyshka. Don't worry, I'll ensure he treats you well. You can divorce him when the time is right, okay?"
"And when will that be?" I whisper, my mouth pressed against his shirt.
"When Papa clears the debt, malyshka."
"And when will that be?"
"Soon, malyshka, soon."
Tears continue to roll down my cheeks. My fate seems truly sealed.
Breaking away from his hug, I wipe my eyes. "I'm leaving."
He furrows his brows in confusion. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going out with Mila to clear my head."
"Are you sure?" He asks, not fully believing me.
"If I were planning to run away, I would have done so already." I roll my eyes at him before walking away. Descending the staircase, I reach the foyer where my mama and papa sit on the sofa, engrossed in a conversation. I ignore them and walk past, but my mama calls me back.
"Where are you going, sweetheart?" she asks.
"I'm not running away, Mama."
"Running away won't solve the matter," I hear my papa say without looking at me. I clench my fist in anger and frown deeply.
"How can you say that when you left me no choice in this matter, Papa?"
He sighs, "This is the only way to save our family, Anastasia. How much more do you want me to explain to you? Marrying Nikolai Volkov is not the end of the world."
I shake my head at him and storm out of the house. What was I expecting anyway? He's always been that way, making decisions without even thinking about my feelings. I understand he was left with no choice but knowing my papa, he would have still forced me to marry someone that would be of benefit to him at some time. Mila waits for me in her car, parked close to our fountain. I slide into the car and fold my hands across my chest.
"Everything okay?"
"Nothing is okay, Mila. Let's leave here now."
She pats my shoulder and starts the car, driving out of the compound.
Moscow, Russia. 8:30pm
~Luca Moretti~
"And who the fuck do you think you are?!" I can see his veins already prominent in his neck as he screams; the guy is going to succumb to high blood pressure before I even put a bullet in his head.
"I'm the one who's going to burst your brains out if you don't give me what I'm here for." I state firmly, my hands spread wide on the arms of the chair while I stare at him tied to his own chair, in his own house. This fucker has really made a fortune off my own goods. My eyes travel around the interior of the house again and I scoff.
He scoffs and shoots me a hard glare. He really isn't scared that I could kill him. I'm sure the bastard thinks I cannot kill him since we're in Russia and not Italy. Fucker doesn't know that I do not fear shit and I'm always ready for whatever comes after any reckless action I take. He thinks running to Russia can save him? Too bad I always find my preys.
"I'm not working with Vincenzo, okay? If only you and the others hadn't let the kid grow so bold, he wouldn't be such a huge threat to your territories now."
As much as I hate to admit it, the fucker has a point, but I'm not entirely to blame. I did try to fight against Vincenzo, but the others didn't even attempt, especially Dante Saviano. The dude is always unpredictable and never acts when you want him to.
"Shut your mouth," My right hand man, Antonio growls at him. The fucker doesn't listen anyway.
"If the three of you just unite and confront him, you can bring him down along with his supporters."
"And who are you to dictate terms to a mafia boss?" I ask him.
He scoffs, "All of you are alike. You, The Saviano and the Russo. Back when the territories were under a single mafia rule, everything was stable. Since the territories split, chaos ensued."
"You speak as if you were there." I shake my head. "Now, give me a reason for stealing from me and why you decided to give out my information to Vincenzo."
"I... I didn't steal from you, and I'm not working with Vincenzo," he lies again, locking eyes with me. He's really got some fucking nerves.
I sigh, realizing there's no point in further questioning. I draw my gun, pointing it at him, my finger on the trigger. He panics, struggling to escape his chair.
"You... You can't kill me here. I've got friends, and they'll come for you." He trembles.
I roll my eyes, "I'll be sending them to you shortly." Without hesitation, I pull the trigger, sending bullet through his chest and another through his head. He slumps off the chair, blood pooling beneath him.
"Should we head to the club for the auction now?" Antonio asks. I'm not a fan of BDSM auctions. Mafia, politicians and others are always present there to buy girls who are either submissives or still figuring their limits. I only have one purpose there today. My main reason for coming to Russia.
"We received intel that Dmitri Severov has arrived at the club," Antonio adds.
I smirk; Dmitri Severov, a notorious human trafficker. He once collaborated with my father, but after his death, I severed ties with him.
Since I wasn't involved in the business, I saw no reason to keep him as a partner. The problem arose when the bastard decided to interfere with one of my members. He kidnapped a girl from my warehouses for his trafficking activities, thinking I wouldn't notice or that it wouldn't matter. While she may not be highly significant to me, I detest when people meddle with what belongs to me. I might have let it slide if I hadn't discovered she wasn't the first. He's been taking my girls for a while now. The audacity.
"Let's crash the party, Antonio," I smirk, and he grins in return. We exit the building with Antonio making calls to take care of this fucker's body while we make our way to the club.
XOXO