Merciless Union by Faith Summers

38

Lucca

Igaze up at the building we hold our Bratva meetings in. The last time I was here, I had to flee for my life.

The window is fixed now, and Alexei and the majority of my men are here. They are at the door.

Earlier I spoke with Alexei, brought him up to speed on my return, and arranged for security for Aria at the hospital. Since she was taken to a general hospital I’m not familiar with, I wanted to be careful.

It’s just for the next two nights. The hospital called before I got here. The doctor told me Aria could stay with them for a week to monitor her pressure or go home on Saturday with medication so we could do the same at home. Since Aria requested to come home, I agreed.

This is the meeting that will decide Pasha’s fate.

The only reason I was home early today was because of this. I swapped around what I had planned for the evening. Luckily I did that, or no one would have been able to reach me.

I nod at Alexei as I approach him, and he puts out his hand to shake mine.

“Glad to have you back, boss,” he says, and the others nod.

“Good to be back.”

“Damien and Aiden are both here.”

“Thank you.”

I dip my head again, and he accompanies me along with five others while the rest stay behind. They won’t be joining in the meeting. They will stay here in case there’s trouble.

We make our way to the elevator to take us up to the larger meeting room on the top floor. It’s the one Grigori uses when he wants the whole Brotherhood here.

I open the door to the auditorium-style room and see the only people who aren’t here are Pasha and Grigori.

I’m not late by any means, but when Grigori calls an emergency meeting, people get to it insanely early. It’s been a while since I saw this many members. There are over two hundred men here who hold the ranks between Brigadier and Byki. And near enough, everyone except Aiden and his men looks surprised to see me.

Damien looks shocked, and whispers erupt around the room, just like when I returned from the dead.

My men take the seats at the front to the left where the execution squad sits, and I acknowledge Damien the way I always do and ignore the shock still etched in his face.

I then make my way over to the elite table at the head of the room where Aiden, Maksim, and Eric are sitting.

Tonight, I’m grateful for the rank system because that puts me right next to

Aiden.

The room, strangely enough, looks more like a courtroom. So, Grigori and Pasha take the seats the judge would take at the head.

“How is Aria?” Aiden asks, keeping his voice low.

I told him Aria was in the hospital, but I haven’t told him about the baby yet. I

can’t bring myself to talk about a child I won’t be allowed to celebrate. When I get my head around that, I’ll talk then. Of course, by then, should we make it through this, people will know my wife left me.

“She’s stable,” I manage, wishing I could feel more settled for a meeting like

this. I can’t when I actually don’t want to be here, and I’m worried about Aria. “She’ll be home on Saturday.”

“Good. I’m glad.”

We don’t get to say another word. The wooden double doors to our left open, and in comes Grigori and Pasha.

Seeing that bastard’s face makes me want to rip it off and cut it to shreds. It’s a beauty to see we have the element of surprise when Pasha looks from me to his father and Grigori keeps his head straight.

I notice he’s carrying a box.

“What is going on here, Father,” Pasha says.

“Please sit,” Grigori replies, and Pasha makes his way over to his seat.

Grigori doesn’t sit next to him like he usually does. Instead, he takes the floor like he’s judge, executioner, and jury.

“Assassins, please stand guard,” Grigori commands, and now the room goes silent.

The only sound is that of my feet and my men as we stand across from Grigori.

All executions in this room are carried out by Grigori himself, and the men know what’s about to take place when he makes an announcement like that. Which means Pasha knows too.

Since I’m standing here on the right arm of the devil, he knows, like everyone else, it’s not me who will be dying tonight.

The fucking bastard is looking at me with the deepest hatred, showing the depth of his dislike.

“Good evening, men,” Grigori begins. “I have called you here tonight to discuss news that has hurt my heart at the deepest level. I have been made aware that my son, who sits before us, has colluded with Raphael De Marchi in activities that would destroy us.”

“That’s a lie!” Pasha bolts up out of his chair.

“Is it now, son?” Grigori turns to face him head-on and switches on the overhead projector with a screen as wide as a movie theater.

Instead of the usual charts showing the success of the bank for the fiscal year and other matters of business we usually discuss here, I see pictures of the four Hawthorne sisters.

“These children, do you remember them?” Grigori barks then starts flicking through more pictures of the girls. “You killed them and framed their father.”

The same hatred Pasha diverted my way moments ago is replaced with a combination of shock and disbelief.

Grigori flicks through evidence after evidence and names the crimes. He surprises me, though at the end, when he has pictures of my father and Timothy.

I glance at Damien then, who looks beside himself, and I decide then from the look in his eyes that he couldn’t have known Pasha was behind Timothy’s death.

That doesn’t, however, excuse everything else that I still need to find out the truth for.

“For their deaths, you will pay with your life at my hand,” Grigori announces, snapping my attention back to him. “And it matters not that my blood runs through your veins. You dishonor me and disgrace the Yurkov.”

“You think I care that I dishonor or disgrace?” Pasha snaps back. “You foolish old man. You were a means to an end, and there’s not a damn thing you can take from me. It’s just a shame that the secret is out. You were a very good means to an end.”

Grigori growls with rage and raises his gun to shoot Pasha. I was so focused on him doing so and the cock of the hammer on his gun that I slipped up and didn’t see the man in the back rise to his feet and fire the bullet that hit Grigori in his back.

It’s Aiden that ends him as Grigori goes down.

Pasha then laughs and pulls out his gun, shooting his father once more in his chest. I’m too late and not quick enough.

“Attack men!” Pasha shouts, and all hell breaks loose inside the room.

It becomes a scene that reminds me of that painting depicting the war in heaven when rebel angels were cast out with the devil.

At least half of the men follow Pasha’s orders firing bullets at those still loyal to Grigori.

I shoot back and try to get to Pasha to kill his ass, but there are too many covering him so he can escape.

I look at Damien to see if he’s with me or against me. I’m surprised when I see him fighting with me and covering Aiden with his men.

The battle takes place within minutes, and the rebels escape with Pasha.

“Go after them,” I order Alexei and my men along with the two younger Brigadiers.

I rush to Grigori’s side when I see him lifting his hand toward me. For a moment, I hope he made it, but the moment I get to him and see where he was shot, hope dies.

“Lucian,” he calls me by my father’s name and holds on to my hand. Aiden and Damien join me. “You are your father’s son. Loyal to me to the end. He never told you this, but he took a bullet for my wife when she was alive. I tried to thank him by doing whatever I could. You are the same.”

“Hold on, Pakhan, I’m going to get you to the hospital.” I scoop him up and hold him close. He’s so cold, though, and his lips are already turning blue. “Somebody call an ambulance.”

“No, Lucca,” Grigori protests. “It’s over.”

I widen my eyes when he pulls the ring of leadership off his finger and places it in my palms, covering my hand with his.

“You are Pakhan now, Lucca Dyshekov. Whoever holds that ring owns the Yurkov and the bank,” he speaks, but I’m so stunned I can barely hear him. Then I hear clearer when he raises his voice. “Let all men who stand before me acknowledge this man as your new leader.”

Everyone left in the room drops to one knee and bows their heads.

I’ve never seen this happen in my lifetime, and I never thought the next leader of the Yurkov would be me.

When I look back to Grigori, there’s a faint smile on his face.

“Such a happy little boy you were. I hope I have done right by your father now.”

He holds my gaze, and I watch the light leave his eyes as he dies in my arms.