Gilded Tears: A Russian Mafia Romance (Kovalyov Bratva Book 2) by Nicole Fox (novels to read for beginners txt) 📗

“Is it strange for you now that he’s gone?” Tamara asks.

“Sometimes,” I say. “But it’s a good kind of strange.”

She smiles. “I figured as much.”

“I was alone for a very long time. I got too good at it. But then…”

“Artem came along,” Tamara finishes.

“Artem came along,” I echo. “And it was the saving grace of my life, although I didn’t know it at the time.”

Phoenix lets out a long, annoyed cry and I know it’s time to feed him. So I take him out of the baby carrier and hold him to my chest before I get my cover-up.

I drape it over my shoulders and make sure it’s secure before I feed him underneath it.

“Does it hurt?” Tamara asks once I’m settled into place.

“Breastfeeding? It was a little uncomfortable at first,” I admit. “But I got used to it.”

“You think you’ll have more?” she asks.

“I really haven’t thought about it,” I answer honestly. “I mean, I’m still getting used to having this one. But… maybe one day, in the future.”

Tamara shakes her head, looking at me with something close to awe. “I’m glad I got to see you like this, Esme,” she says in a hushed tone. “It makes me feel like it’s possible for me to find my happy ending, too.”

“You’ll definitely find your happy ending, Tamara,” I tell her. “And I want that for you.”

“Do you mean that?” Tamara asks. “After everything I put you through?”

I nod. It’s the truth. A hard truth, a thorny truth—but a truth nonetheless.

“You were put in an impossible situation. I know what it’s like to have to make hard decisions.”

“See?” Tamara says. “There you go: taking care of people.”

All I can do is smile.

After that, we fall into easy conversation, nothing too heavy.

And it helps. It helps remind me of a simpler time, when we were young and hopeful and life hadn’t beaten the naivete out of us yet.

Once I burp Phoenix, I put my cover-up away and I catch Tamara looking at him with a tender expression on her face.

“I still can’t quite believe you have a baby,” she mumbles.

I laugh. “Sometimes, I can’t believe it either.”

She looks hesitant as she asks, “Esme… would you mind if… if I held him?”

I grin. “Of course! Here.”

Phoenix’s little legs churn in the air as I hold him over the table. Tamara’s hands are reaching out to grab him from me.

Her fingers touch his torso.

And then the unmistakable bang of a gunshot tears my world to pieces.

38

Artem

Artem’s Temporary Headdquarters

“What did you say?” I demand.

“The council meeting,” Maxim repeats quickly. “It’s been moved up. Svetlana just called and gave me the intel.”

“Moved up?” I say furiously. “To when?”

“Now.” He stops short, but I can see that he’s just as tense as I am. “Budimir just left the compound for the hotel. The meeting will start in less than an hour.”

“Fuck,” I curse under my breath. “Fuck! We’re not prepared for this today.”

“We have to yank the plan,” Maxim says. “Just stake out the hotel and—”

“No,” I deny firmly, practically spitting out the word with venom. “We’re not yanking anything. We don’t change a fucking thing. We’re still in play.”

“But…”

I turn around so fast that Maxim almost plows right into me. “I’m not letting that slippery motherfucker get away from me again. Not this time.”

“Then what’s the plan?” he asks immediately.

Immediate and unquestioning loyalty. Ready for battle. He’s a good man.

“We know where the meeting is and we know where it’s being held,” I say. “We’re going.”

Maxim doesn’t flinch. He nods and turns towards the door.

“I’ll let the men know.”

I move into my office space and go through my collection of guns. I choose my favorites and then head outside where the vehicles are already being brought around.

“Maxim, Adrik, Vasyl, Zion,” I call.

The four of them move forward, and I can see they’re all kitted up and armed. “I want each of you commanding your own unit. You’ll have ten men apiece.”

“That only leaves you with three,” Adrik points out.

“I only need three,” I reply.

“Boss—”

“Drop it,” I say firmly. “This is how we’re doing it. We don’t have the numbers and if we wait until we do, we’ll miss our opportunity.”

Adrik sighs and steps back.

“Budimir has been consolidating power this whole time,” I continue. “He’s being tolerated by the other dons, but he’s also brought in other allies, ones that are more likely to be loyal to him than the normal power players.”

I holster another gun and lock eyes with my men.

“We can’t afford to play it safe anymore,” I finish.

The moment the words are out of my mouth, I think about my wife, my son. Am I betraying them right now by walking into a dons’ council meeting led by Budimir?

It’s reckless. It’s foolhardy. It’s fucking suicide.

But the best plans usually are.

“Do we have eyes on the Regency?” I ask Zion.

“Yes,” he informs me. “But there’ll be ten different dons present, including their entourages. We’re talking about more than a hundred armed and trained men in one building. If they all turn their sights on us…”

He trails off, leaving the rest unsaid.

But he doesn’t need to continue.

We all know what will happen if I fail.

“Not everyone is happy about Budimir’s take over,” I say. “Not everyone is happy about the bastards he’s invited into the inner circle.”

“We’re betting a lot on that being true,” Maxim acknowledges grimly.

He’s right. But we don’t have a choice.

Strength is the only language that the underworld understands, and I need to walk in there, guns blazing.

“What about Svetlana?” I ask, turning to Vasyl.

“She’s on the thirty-first floor,” he answers right away. “The King’s Suite.”

“Who do we have on her?”

“Luka.”

I nod. “Tell him he’s not to abandon his position,” I order. “No matter what. And if shit goes south, he’s to get Svetlana the fuck out of the building.”

“We might need him,” Maxim interjects. “We’ll need every man.”

“Svetlana is part of the team,” I say. “But she doesn’t have to die today. I’m not going to