Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“Oh?” I ask.
I fail at hiding my emotions. Wordlessly, his arm snakes around my shoulders, and he pulls me closer to him. He runs a hand down the back of my neck and kisses my forehead.
“Yeah,” he whispers. “I told them you were great. I told them you’re brave. And I promised them I’d take very good care of you.”
I smile but shake my head. “The girls better not think this little jaunt to Columbia gets them out of our next practice.”
“Mmm,” he nods soberly. “Of course not.” His lips still twitch.
I smack his chest. I know he’s giving me shit. “I’m serious!”
“I know you are. We’ll be back in time.”
I lean back against him. “Polina was a fucking beast when they attacked.”
He huffs out a breath that’s a half laugh and half groan. “You girls are going to make the rest of us obsolete.”
I stifle a snort. “Hardly, though I fully intend on using Aria’s prowess in support of my plan for world domination.”
“I’m sure she would love that.” He squeezes my shoulder.
“But will Mikhail?”
“You’ve demonstrated your leadership abilities and your honesty. I’m sorry any of us ever questioned it. Don’t worry about Mikhail. We’re allies now.”
The power of the Romanov Bratva and the talent of the Los Sangre Dorada will be dynamite. We’ll have to exercise caution and use fool-proof methods of communication, for starters. But the potential for what our families could do together is damn near mind-blowing.
“I’ll want to coordinate our efforts to rebuild and heal,” I tell him.
“And we’ll want to do the same.”
We all will—our families. Our rival factions.
Me and Lev.
Five hours later, after a few more snacks and naps and establishing our plans, we land in Colombia in the early afternoon.
“Do you have friends here? Allies? Relatives?” Lev asks another question as we gather our bags.
I nod. “Of course, but I’m not here for them. This won’t be a time of visiting friends and relatives but securing my men. It’s time to assert my authority and make it clear human trafficking is no longer part of our operations. We’ll have to squash any dissent.”
“Absolutely. And you anticipate some?”
I sigh. “It’s inevitable. The key is to bring it to the surface and end it, rather than letting it simmer and cause division.”
“And then what?”
I nod. I’m not here on some sort of mercenary rescue mission. I’m here to solidify the newly hatched Los Sangre Dorada and make it my own.
“We will start there. After I see who remains loyal, I’ll be better equipped to make our next move.”
Lev leans over and kisses me again. “You’re going to make an excellent leader.”
I wink at him. “So will you.”
I step out of the plane into the bright, warm light of my homeland and feel a little wistful. It’s so different here, so beautiful, though I think I’ll grow to learn to love The Cove in my own way.
Unfortunately, I can’t trust everyone here. Not now, not after Javier's death. Though we’ll keep my involvement confidential, unrest always follows the fall of a leader. I must settle my family home and put our affairs in order, but first things first—we drive to the cartel’s headquarters.
I need to quickly assert my dominance. Calling together the leaders and most powerful members of Los Sangre Dorada, I organize a meeting at my family home. Later today, I have a meeting with a lawyer to manage the property and assets I now control as the sole remaining survivor of the Morales family—the one responsible for carrying on our legacy. It will not be the legacy my father wanted.
Twenty-two men arrive. Two have gone rogue, but I did not come into this position blindly. Juan-Carlo, an older man who took me under his wing when I was just a little girl, has kept me informed. The two who have gone rogue were stealing from Javier and expect blowback. I’ll deal with them later.
“Thank you for coming,” I tell the men assembled before me. Lev sits beside me, his back ramrod straight. I don’t miss the way the men stare at him with a mixture of respect and fear—his reputation, and the reputation of the Romanov Bratva, has preceded him.
Lucky me. There’s something about knowing this man who they fear, this man who is mine, that makes my heart beat faster. I squeeze his hand under the table. He runs his thumb over the top of mine. I swallow and clear my throat.
I begin, my voice commanding. “In the wake of my brother’s death, I will assume the position as head of Los Sangre Dorada. Effective immediately, all human trafficking operations end. We will be completely disassociated from any tasks or connections. Anyone caught defying this order will answer directly to me.” I look at Lev. “To both of us.”
I will not wait one more second to end this reprehensible work.