Empires and Kings (A Mafia Series Book 1)

by A. C. Bextor

Bending down, she hisses, “What the hell have you done?”

  Abram, not yet gone, comes back to stand inside the door. When I nod in his direction, he doesn’t leave. Whatever’s gotten into my sister this time certainly doesn’t require a witness.

  “Faina, sit,” I guide.

  “What have you done?” she repeats, this time louder, causing Abram to adjust from his position at the door to standing straight at attention inside the room. “You son of a bitch!” she seethes.

  “Sit down,” I demand, this time raising my voice as she did hers. “And tell me what the fuck you’re talking about.”

  Slapping her hand on my desk, the sharpness of it echoes between us. “She’s a child!” she shrieks.

  Klara.

  “Vlad?” Abram asserts, causing my sister to turn her head. “I’ll stay.”

  “Out!” she directs him, pointing her finger to the door.

  Even face-to-face with Faina’s obvious fury, Abram doesn’t budge. Instead, he continues looking at me, eyebrows raised, awaiting an order. He’s waiting for word to remove my fiery sister if needed. Or knowing Abram, he’s waiting alongside her, to hear my clean confession.

  I raise my hand and shake my head. “Close the door behind you, Abram. Do what I’ve asked and I’ll be in touch later.”

  Once the door clicks shut, Faina forgets her place.

  “You fucked her,” she says first, turning in a small circle before taking two steps away from my desk. “Klara, Vlad. My sweet Klara. You….” She loses her words, along with some of the color in her face.

  “Yes, I did,” I return to her surprise, then drive the knife of her ire deeper with “A few times, actually.”

  “Oh my God.”

  “Where have you been?” I query. My question and tone may as well have physically bitten her, being that she stops moving and looks directly at me with fear I can’t explain. “Faina,” I prod. “Tell me where you’ve been.”

  “She’s too young for this, Vlad,” she expresses with disbelief. “She’s never experienced anything like—”

  “Where have you been?” I ask again, losing patience.

  “This isn’t about me! How could you?”

  A part of me knew Klara would have questions about what happened between us. As we parted for the first time once we’d gotten home, I didn’t want to let her go. She looked uncertain and lost, but it was also clear she was determined. I should’ve known her determination would lead her straight into the ear of my sister. And that, in return, my sister would react just as she is now.

  I wasn’t going to ask Klara to keep our time together a secret from anyone. There would be no reason. I’ve taken her, in ways I’ve made her mine, and whatever fallout my sister or anyone else in this house feels this has led to is of no concern to me.

  Truth be told, only a few weeks have passed since Faina came to me with favors and plans for Klara. Rueon was included in said plans. My sister couldn’t have known her unintentional matchmaking had a part in seeding what was inevitably bound to happen.

  “Klara is an adult,” I point out. “You’ve said this yourself. Countless times, if you remember.”

  “You took advantage of her,” she says through a heavy gasp.

  “You brought her to me, Faina.”

  “I brought her to you?” Genuine hurt covers her face. “How?”

  “You may as well have gift-wrapped her for me. Dressing her in those clothes and—”

  Astonished, Faina frowns. “You can’t be saying I helped send her to that cabin so you could fuck her. Even for you, that’s… that’s sick!”

  “Stop it,” I demand. “What’s done is done, so you’re going to leave this alone.”

  Ignoring me once again, she pushes, “What in God’s name were you thinking?”

  I was thinking how beautiful Klara’s body would be between my sheets and how hard it would be to resist lying with her beneath them. Then I was thinking of how beautiful it would be to have a clean, untouched woman of intelligence and class. I was focused on how many ways I could be inside that body again and again, taking her to the verge of lost control before bringing her back down only to do it all over again once she did.

  More to pressing matters, I fight back what I’d rather be doing with Klara right now and ask, “Faina, where the fuck have you been?”

  “I’m ashamed of you,” she replies, walking back toward my desk. “You knew better.”

  “Give me your answer and don’t lie. If you do, I’ll know.”

  Leaning over my desk, Faina points to my chest. “You’ll hurt her once she knows it’s over and all of this meant nothing to you.”

  “Are you seeing someone?” I ask, ignoring whatever she’s insinuating. “Have you been leaving home to run off and meet a man?”

  “End it with Klara,” she bites out.

  Hearing her demand, I stand. My sister has always been granted more than enough extension on her leash, but now, with Klara, she’s gone too far.

  “I’m not ending anything,” I hiss, leaning toward her as her head rears back. Pointing to her as she did me, I curtly advise, “You don’t have a say who I fuck or when. Nor the reasons why.”

  “End it,” she snaps again. “You’ll break her heart.”

  “No.”

  “This life is dangerous. You know this!”

  “She’s an adult, Faina. She understands.”

  “She doesn’t.”

  “I can protect her.”

  “You can’t.”

  “I won’t end anything.”

  “You will, Vlad.”

  “I won’t!” I bellow as Faina’s body jolts in place.

  “She’s not yours!” she shouts, her hands flailing uncontrollably around the room. “She belongs with someone her own age. Someone who can care for her in a way you won’t. You can’t!”

  “Stop this,” I demand, at the same time walking around my desk.

  Faina takes a few steps back, heading toward the door.

  “You’ll get the rest of your things together and you’ll go,” I instruct. “Your life isn’t with mine anymore, Faina. And it sure as hell isn’t with Klara’s.”

  “You didn’t say that,” she whispers in disbelief. “Vlad, you don’t mean that. It’s one thing you understand his side, but another that you stand against mine.”

  “You’ve been sleeping with a man I not only don’t know, but one I haven’t approved of. The deceptive lines between us have already been drawn.”

  Without denying my claim, not once since entering my office, Faina shrinks in defeat.

  “I’ve worked so hard with her, Vlad. I never wanted our lives to touch hers.”

  Closing my eyes in reprieve, I exhale. Faina’s right. She never wanted Veni or Klara near our lives as we’ve come to understand them.

  “You may have doubted my intentions with her before, Faina. But I need you to not doubt them now.”

  “I’m sorry, Vlad,” she whispers, although not in apology for anything she’s said. “But I don’t know you. My big brother wouldn’t do what he’s about to do to that sweet young woman waiting upstairs. He wouldn’t,” she says, shaking her head. “I don’t understand any of this. And the idea of you and her—”

  “Good-bye, Faina.”

  Nodding, looking to the floor, my sister quietly gives in and bids, “Good-bye, Vlad.”

  He’ll ruin you, Klara. You’re nowhere near experienced enough to handle a man like Vlad.

  Faina’s words haven’t stopped spinning through my mind since she spoke them. When she came to my room this afternoon, saw I was unpacking, and how happy she thought me to be, she already knew.

  He’s going to break your heart. He won’t do it intentionally, but he will.

  When she demanded to know what exactly happened between Vlad and me, I told her. I wouldn’t keep anything from Faina. Partially because it wouldn’t do much good, anyway. She’d find out and be hurt knowing I kept something as big as this from her.

&n
bsp; This is dangerous, Klara. A man who lives as he does has enemies. They’ll use you to get to him.

  As she stormed out of my bedroom, she took all the assurances Vlad had given me with her. My conscience began to doubt everything we’d shared. I’ve never allowed opinions and judgments of others to sway how I did or didn’t feel about something as being important. But Faina’s anger was abruptly palpable.

  Like Vory, my brother isn’t capable of loving a woman before all else. Or loving a woman at all.

  “It’s late,” Veni unexpectedly observes, standing in the door of my room, leaning his shoulder against it. “Why are you still up?”

  Glancing at the clock on my dresser, I hadn’t realized it was already nearly eleven. I haven’t spoken to Vlad since we got back mid-morning. He left me standing at the front door. After telling me he’d see me later and kissing my forehead, he left in the direction of his study. Not knowing what to do with myself, I went to find something to do.

  “Why are you still up?” I counter, avoiding Veni’s concentrated gaze.

  Raising his eyebrows, Veni pulls himself from the door and takes a few steps into my room. He scans my now-empty suitcase.

  Plopping himself on my bed as I sit on my floor sorting clothes, he replies, “I hate when Dad and Aunt Faina fight like that. It bugs me ’cause they hardly ever do.”

  “I know,” I sympathize. “I’m sorry.”

  Grinning, Veni reaches to my dresser and picks up the pendant I bought for Vee weeks ago. His thumb runs over the top. Guilt sieges. As awkward as it would be to explain to Veni how I’ve come to feel about his father, he’s incredibly perceptive. He’ll figure it out and, like Faina, he’ll be upset I said nothing.

  “Why are you sorry?” he asks, setting the pendant down. “It’s not your fault they’re fighting. Is it?”

  Swallowing hard, I shake my head.

  “I’m heading to the kitchen for some of Maag’s pecan pie. You wanna go?”

  Smiling and tossing a throw pillow at him, I question, “Isn’t that supposed to be for tomorrow?”

  “Yep. But Maag’s asleep and I’m starving.”

  “I think I’ll pass. But thank you.”

  “All right,” he replies. Once he reaches my door, he turns in place. “It’s nice to have you back. I kind of missed you.”

  Returning his grin, I return with truth. “I kind of missed you, too.”

  Once he’s out of sight, I take in a deep breath and exhale slowly.

  The hallway is dark as I round the corner from the stairs. This entire day has been exhausting. Between Faina’s secrets and anger, needing to find more information about Josef, and Klara being out of sight for this long, I’m ready to find her in my bed and sleep.

  However, when I open my bedroom door, the room is completely as I left it. Empty. Klara’s nowhere to be found. Apparently, I hadn’t made myself clear while being inside her over the last two days.

  Partially curious and fully annoyed, I make my way to her room. The house is quiet. At this hour I hadn’t expected anyone to be awake.

  When I enter her room, the hall light casts an angelic glow over her body as she lies in bed sound asleep. Her suitcase sits empty near her dresser. Her blankets, clothes, and shoes litter the floor.

  Anxious to see her beautiful face, I walk to her bed and without so much as warning her first, I bend, grabbing her behind the knees and around her waist, and cradle her to my chest.

  “Wait!” she shrieks, still half-asleep.

  “Quiet,” I snap. “You’ll wake everyone at this end of the house.”

  Moving the hair from her face, Klara’s big green eyes come to mine with shock.

  “What are you doing? Where are we going?”

  “Apparently, you’ve gotten lost.”

  “What?”

  “Klara, you’re in the wrong fucking bed.”

  Confused, her eyebrows furrow as I carry her out into the hall. The bright light blinds her momentarily, and her hand comes up to shield her eyes.

  “I was in my bed,” she snaps. “Sleeping. It’s what people do. Until you barged in like—”

  The bedroom door next to hers opens. Maag stands silent. She’s dressed in a frilly white robe and purple fuzzy slippers. Thick pink curlers are twisted in her hair beneath a white net cap she wears tightly over them.

  Taking in a long, silent look at what’s in front of her, Maag’s mouth drops open before her hand flies to her chest.

  “Oh my God, Klara. Sweetheart, are you hurt?”

  Shit.

  “Vlad!” she shrieks in panic. “Put her down right now. Let me have a look at her.”

  Taking her hand from her eyes, Klara looks down at Maag and smiles softly. When she doesn’t say anything, Maag walks in close and covers Klara’s forehead with the palm of her hand.

  The next to join our party is Rueon, with Veni following closely at his heels. The two boys are both fully dressed, indicating they’ve been playing video games this late into the night. Or listening to that hideous music they’re both so enamored with. I’m not sure which is worse.

  Rueon takes in the sight as Maag did, only he comes to terms with what’s happening much quicker than our elderly charge.

  “Boss.” He nods with a knowing smile. His eyes move to Klara, and he greets her quietly. “Klara.”

  When I look down, Maag’s hand is no longer on Klara.

  Klara’s face is flushed. I despise her reaction to Rueon’s presence. Before leaving the cabin, Klara made me swear to yet another promise. I was to work things out with Rueon, apologize for acting like a Neanderthal—as she put it—and lift the ban of him not interacting with or speaking to her without me near.

  The way Rueon’s gazing at her in my arms now, he’s lucky my hands are full or he’d be bleeding profusely from his nose.

  “Vlad, what’s going on?” Maag questions, looking to me, then Klara, and finally Rueon and Veni.

  “Like you can’t see?” Veni sarcastically questions, anger edging his tone. “Put it together, Maag. This isn’t hard to figure out.”

  Klara gasps, clearly embarrassed.

  Tiring of this, I snap, “Klara will be staying in my room for now.”

  “What?” the old woman whispers.

  “Maag, have all of her belongings moved to my suite.”

  “Okay,” she answers, still in disbelief.

  Turning to Rueon, I narrow my eyes. “Rueon, get your fucking eyes off Klara.”

  Rueon’s obedience is immediate; however, I still catch his small, aimless grin.

  “Veni, why are you still awake? It’s nearly one in the morning.”

  Veni starts to answer but can’t because Klara interrupts.

  “I cannot believe you,” she hisses.

  Looking down at her in my arms, she appears extremely annoyed. This is good, because so am I.

  Shaming me further, she states, “You didn’t have to tell them anything right now. Not like this.”

  Rueon turns around and slaps Veni on the chest to get him moving. Both pass without uttering another word in our direction. Maag takes two steps backward into her room and then quietly closes the door.

  Fucking finally I’m able to take Klara to bed, where she’ll stay until I tell her otherwise.

  Eight weeks later…

  “I’m out,” Rueon childishly pouts, tossing his five sad little cards into the middle stack where Gleb, Abram, and Veni have already surrendered their own.

  “You’re out again?” I smirk.

  Exasperated, Rueon runs his hands through his dark hair. “That’s the third hand in a row you’ve dealt me shit. If I didn’t know you like I do, I’d say you’re cheating.”

  Vlad’s men and I are in the living room playing five-card poker. This is a game Gleb recently taught me to play. When he did, he told me I wasn’t supposed to smile or frown at the cards I was dealt because my opponent would read my expression and I’d lose my bet every time.

  During this lesson, I
quickly figured out that poker is a game built solely on deceit. I’ve never thought of myself as a good liar, but as I mentally count all the mint packages I have, I’m relishing in how wrong I was.

  The guys who work here won’t play for money. Either they’re nervous that I’ll lose too much of Vlad’s, or they’re scared I’ll take too much of theirs. I don’t know, but either way, as it usually is, tonight I have the most mints.

  “I’m not cheating,” I tell the group as they sit around watching me take my winning candy from them in turn. For added emphasis, I drag them in closer and sigh as if the load is too much.

  “Explain to me, Klara. Why do you always insist we play cards on the floor?” Abram questions, placing his hand on his lower back and arching it forward to work out the kinks.

  Turning my gaze to Gleb, I bite my bottom lip to keep from smiling.

  Another important lesson I learned while being taught this fabulous liars game. Gleb told me making the opponents uncomfortable in any way pushes the hand to my advantage. He also suggested I wear something that would grab and keep their attention, thus letting me steal their money. However, the last few months of being with Vlad has taught me to know better.

  I’m sure our lives together would be smoother if I agreed to wear a heavy parka day-in and day-out. So far, I’ve happily met the few requests he’s made of me, but I draw the line at a summertime of coats.

  “There’s more room on the floor, Abram. Besides, I can take your ante from anywhere,” I explain, gathering the cards. “At least if you’re already this close to the floor, you don’t have much farther to go before hitting rock bottom,” I smart, now shuffling the cards like a professional as Gleb again showed me how to do.

  “Oh, you’re cute, sweetheart.” Abram smirks. “Seems you being with Vlad has opened a part of you I hadn’t expected to find.”

  Rueon’s eyes slam shut, and he shakes his head. “I don’t want to think about what part is open to Vlad. He and Klara being together hasn’t sunk in yet. I need more time.”

  “Yeah,” Veni agrees, leaning toward me from my left and snatching a mint from my winning stack.

  Looking down at his stack, I find it’s almost gone. All that remains are the clear candy wrappers. He’s eaten his way through his bet.