Chapter 69

Albert

Polina was mingling with various guests, a smile plastered on her face that took over her whole face. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of frustration when I thought of her. She really thought this was going to go a certain way.

I moved through the crowd avoiding her. I noticed several of Dimitri’s associates—each one carrying their own air of menace. I approached the bar, grabbing a drink to blend in and keep up appearances. The music was loud, the chatter constant, but my focus remained razor-sharp waiting for the right time. I checked the time.

It was nearing time.

The moment Dimitri arrived, the atmosphere in the room shifted. Dimitri’s imposing figure cut through the crowd, his eyes scanning the room as if searching for something—or someone.

He was probably looking for me. From my concealed position, I could hear snippets of conversations through the devices, whispers of deals and alliances, murmurs of discontent. Dimitri’s voice was unmistakable, commanding and cold, as he spoke with various guests. I took mental notes, piecing together the fragments of information that would prove crucial.

When the hour hit, I approached Polina’s father. It was time to get the party started. My mind briefly flickered to thoughts of Mia. Her memory gave me a sense of purpose, a reason to push through the chaos. Whatever happened now had to happen for us to ever have a chance.

I saw Polina standing beside her brother, both of them trying to maintain a composed exterior. Their father, a figure of authority and influence in the bratva, was preparing to make a toast. His glass was already raised as anticipated.

"Ah, Albert, glad you can make it up here so quickly. We were looking for you."

I nodded and turned to the man near him. He was the pahkan of a bratva that rivaled the Kulaks: the Belovs.

"Pahkan Belov, I don't think we've ever met."

The man laughed. The room fell silent, the guests turning their attention towards me. Polina’s eyes widened in shock, her face paling as she realized what was about to unfold. Her father’s expression shifted from jovial to perplexed as I didn't bother to address him or Dimitri.

“How is your son?"

He stiffened, and Polina's father cut in.

"This isn't the place for that--"

"It's rare that we're all gathered," I said, cutting him off. "Rare that we have such an opportunity for truth."

The words carried a weight that rippled through the room, causing murmurs of surprise and confusion.

Polina stepped forward, trying to intervene. “Albert, please, this isn’t the time. Think about—”

I didn’t let her finish. My gaze was locked on her father, ignoring her pleas.

“I’m not interested in listening to a traitor,” I said sharply.

She flinched.

Polina's father started to clink his glass, trying to regain order.

"That's hardly the way to start--"

"I would watch your drink, Pahkan Belov. They've already targeted your son. You could just as easily be next."

Polina's father grew stiff and pale. Pahkan Below turned rigidly to look at him.

"What is he talking about?"

The commotion was palpable. Polina’s face was a mix of anger and desperation, her eyes pleading with me to stop. Her father’s expression was hardening, his demeanor shifting from surprise to defensiveness.

The silence was damning.

Moments later, Pahkan Belov had drawn his gun.

“Answer me!"

His gaze flicking between me and Polina’s father, who was now visibly sweating, trying to regain control of the situation.

Polina’s father stepped in, his tone urgent and conciliatory. “Please, let’s all remain calm. This is a joyous--"

"The Kulaks need the Belovs out of the way. They targeted your son to weaken you, but they didn't count on your bodyguards being at his school. I'm the reason he was transferred to the other hospital. Otherwise, he would already be dead."

Polina's father flushed and he spun on Dimitri. "You son of a bitch!"

Guns came out, and I darted back as the two groups of men started to open fire. Polina was thrown aside. Tables were flipped for cover. The room erupted into chaos. Guests scrambled for cover, shouting and pushing as bullets flew. Fists flew, and chairs were overturned as the celebration devolved into a violent brawl.

I almost laughed until I saw Dimitri trying to make his way over to me, his eyes full of fury. His gun was raised, but before he could shoot, I fired just as the glass of the windows and veranda door crashed.

"Everybody on the ground now!"

Agents burst into the room, guns drawn. The attendees opened fire on them but they were overwhelmed.

In the midst of the chaos, I spotted Dimitri, clutching his shoulder. Glaring at me, his face twisted in a mix of anger and fear. He tried to get toward the backdoors and I shot out both of his legs.

I rushed to him, disarming him and putting my gun to his head.

"You're going away for a very long time, alone to rot until your last breath," I said. "And it's too good for what you did to her."

His eyes locked onto mine, wide with shock and pain.

"Why not just kill me?"

"Because that would be a mercy."

The agents moved in swiftly, subduing everyone after that, hauling people away and rounding them up from all the random escape routes.

I sat at a table, watching people get hauled away with a deep sense of relief.

"Albert!" Polina screamed. "Albert tell them I'm innocent!"

"Tell them yourself," I said.

She looked stunned as they hauled her into the back of a van with her father. Her white dress was covered in grime and blood.

The room was a battleground of flashing lights, shouts, and the clattering of fallen weapons. The air was thick with smoke and the acrid scent of gunfire. As the dust began to settle, I took a moment to survey the aftermath. The Volka's reign was officially over, taking with it most of the bigger bratva.

Soon, reporters swamped the area. I pushed through the crowd, trying to get away from the area. When I settled in the car with Ivan, we grinned at each other.

"Should have aimed for his head," Ivan said.

I smirked. "I think the cane will suit him better than a missing ear."

We laughed, freely for the first time in a long time.

Mia

I was sitting in mom's hospital room, the TV providing a dull background hum as I flipped through channels, trying to escape the weight of boredom and everything that had happened. Then a headline flashed across the screen, pulling me back to reality:

Breaking News: Major Mafia Collapse—Volka Bratva Taken Down

My heart skipped a beat. I saw Albert’s face among the news clips, looking determined and intense. The news report detailed the dismantling of the Volka bratva, led by Dimitri, the older man who had kidnapped me and threatened me.

"My father's reign of terror wasn't just over the criminal underground," Albert said, a smudge of dirt and blood on his cheek. He looked a mess, but there was a lightness in his eyes that I had never seen before. "He molded me to take over from a young age. I always resented him, but when he killed my mother, I hated him more than I could say... It was only the hope that he would suffer at least a fraction of what he put me and mother through that kept me from killing him myself."

I watched, letting the news report fill me mind. Albert was prominently featured as a key figure in the operation. The anchor talked about the arrest of Dimitri and several other mafia leaders, marking the end of a criminal empire that had loomed over the city for so long, including Lorenzo and several other Dons. It was acclaimed as the biggest bust in American history.

I turned to my mother, who was watching the broadcast with an approving expression. “Carmelo isn’t listed,” I said, trying to sound calm watching Carmelo step onto a different stage and shake hands with the mayor.

"I don't understand..."

Mom seemed to think for a moment. “Sometimes, those who work in the shadows manage to make deals to stay out of trouble.”

I took in her words, my mind racing. The collapse of the Volka was monumental. Hearing how Albert had been planning this for years sent my mind reeling.

Mom took my hand.

"Mia?" I looked at her. She smiled. "Think... Do you think you might reconsider it now?"

My eyes burned. Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. The news anchors started discussing the impact of the mafia takedown on the two cities affected the most. As the news continued, I was lost in a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.

“I..." I looked back at the screen. "I think... I could at least consider it."