A Treacherous King- Dark Mafia Romance

nine

Caine

Dinner with the Petrovs' went as expected. Ivan's hostility towards my houseguest was even more expected. I enjoyed seeing the shock turned anger on his features. Knowing that he walked willingly into a trap I'd laid. It would bring me even more immense pleasure at seeing Ivan's spilt blood.

Ivan had been an old friend of my fathers and was granted the title of my godfather upon my birth. My father had trusted him with his life for years, and in return I had done the same after my father's death.

Problem was, Ivan had the tendency to overstep his power. I had always bit my tongue anytime he had done it in the past, but after learning of Ivan's secret meetings with Vlad, I had enough of his transgressions. I was no longer going to sit and allow him to make a mockery of me in front of my enemies. That's one of the reasons I requested the presence of the sharp-tongued American at dinner tonight.

I despised having her at my dinner table as much as Ivan, but it was necessary. Having her there, dining at the same table as Ivan and his family was the first move in our skilled game of cat and mouse. And I had him right in my claws.

This strategic game was only going to grow more dangerous and I didn't need any careless casualties along the way. I didn't need any klouny (clowns) fucking up my plans, only to get caught in the crossfires of our war. The biggest liability was waiting for me in my study at the moment

Upon walking into my office, I discover Simon sitting in my chair behind my desk. He's got his legs crossed at the ankle on my cherry oak desk, puffing on one of my Cuban cigars.

"Up." I say, knocking his legs off my stacked paper load.

"Sorry. I grew bored waiting on you. Hope you don't mind." He gestures with the cigar, giving me a wink.

Simon goes over to the liquor cart and pours us both a drink. He plops down in a chair in front of my desk, sliding the glass across the desk to me.

"You're dangerous Simon." I say, taking a sip of the strong liquor.

"If you mean dangerously handsome, I'd have to agree." He says, that arrogant smirk plastered on his face.

"Let me rephrase that. You're dimwitted. A duraki." (fool) Simon widens his eyes at this.

"Look, if you're mad about what I said tonight, I was only trying to lighten the mood. You could have cut the tension in that room with a knife."

"It's not about tonight. I don't give a shit about what you said to Nicoletta. What I mean is you wish to be one of my soldiers, yes?"

"Of course." He replies, the mirth gone from his eyes.

"Then I need you to stop with the antics and act like a soldier. There is no time for jokes when you are surrounded by trigger happy men with a bullet loaded in their chamber with your name written on it." I hiss. The boyish features of Simon seem to harden before my eyes.

I don't fancy the idea of being hard on him. Simon has always been like a brother to me. Having no siblings growing up was hard. My father was constantly breathing down my neck, melding me into a perfect soldier before I'd even lost my first tooth. Simon was different. He was softer, he didn't have mental and physical scars like I did.

Oleg, Simon and Nadia's father had worked for my father for years. He had been an enforcer for the Bratva and my father's right hand man up until my father's death three years ago.

While Simon was playing video games with friends, I was tagging along to arms trades with my father. While he was going on dates with different girls, I was scrubbing dried blood from my hands. We were not cut from the same cloth. Regardless, I felt an immense sense of protectiveness and responsibility for him. If that meant I needed to be a hard ass, so be it.

"Let me prove myself. Let me help take down Vlad." The thought of Simon going up against someone so bloodthirsty and demented as Vlad made me twitch.

"No."

"Why not? You know how good of a shot I am."

"Perfect aim won't be enough to take down Vlad." It was true. Vlad had built himself an almost impenetrable fortress on the edge of the city. It'd taken years of careful planning to even dare to attempt to take Vlad out. Anyone that had attempted in the past, was not alive to tell the tale.

Vlad and his gang had not been a hindrance in the past, but he had apprehended several of my port deliveries recently. Costing me hundreds of thousands of dollars. Plus learning of his secret rendezvous with Ivan had moved him up several names on my list. It was time Vlad be put down. I just needed to find an opening, a chink in his armor.

Simon was not going to be a part of that. I needed to keep him safe. I had made a promise as such to his mother, one that I intended to keep. Simon hadn't been fully exposed to the life of the Bratva. Not yet at least. He had only accompanied me to meetings, where he had to wait outside. And God knows he's been to the Belaya Roza enough times. He's never seen the dark side of the mafia. He's never seen the life drain from a man's eyes. His gun being the one to cause it.

But Simon was eager. I could tell from the set in his shoulders he wanted a taste of that blood. He had been practicing in the shooting range for months and he was regretfully a good shot. I could use his abilities to my advantage. I just needed to keep him far away from Vlad and whatever schemes Ivan was up to.

"There is a shipment being delivered tomorrow night at the docks. I am sending Leo to oversee it, but you can accompany him." I say, already regretting my words. Simon's eyes light up.

The shipment was not major. Just a simple exchange of guns. If everything went as planned, no violence would be required. It should be an easy enough task for Simon to complete and one where he wouldn't be in the way of firing bullets.

"No fuck ups, Simon. No misfired bullets or you're done."

"I won't let you down boss." He goes to stand.

"Let's keep this between us. No need in worrying Nadia." She would have my head if she learned I was potentially putting her brother in any danger.

"Just because we're twins doesn't mean I tell her everything." He winks. "Now if you will excuse me, I have a hot virgin named Dominika begging me to defile her." That irritating smirk is back on Simon's face.

"You're dismissed." I scowl.