Ruthless Mafia King: Chapter 5
Another meeting, another hour that I’m kept away from the blonde beauty. Ever since that afternoon in my office, I can’t think of anything other than Katarina Sokolov’s wild eyes and lush body. The mere memory of her teeth nibbling on her lower lip assaults my brain.
However, I have to make sure that I deliver on my commitment before I can expect to make her mine. As soon as I get the weapons from Russia, we’ll be ready to set the wedding date.
“Nikolai.”
I glance at my CFO and realize that he’s asked me a question.
“You were saying, Roman?” I ask patiently.
Since our meeting started, my mind has been going in five different directions, all of which involve Katarina.
“We were discussing the shipment,” Roman explains. “The container should arrive at Chelsea Piers shortly after midnight.”
I check the Rolex on my wrist. Tomorrow at this time, I’ll be standing in front of Katarina to inform her of our wedding date.
“Cancel my appointments tomorrow, Roman.” I give him a sly grin as he nods in acknowledgment. “I’m going to be busy celebrating my engagement with Katarina Sokolov.”
Our exchange of pleasantries doesn’t last long as Roman starts hammering me with more financial details. However, my mind no longer focuses on business as the image of a beautiful girl in a sexy black dress dominates my mind.
Interrupting my daydream, Peter, Volkov Enterprises’ Chief of Security, bursts into my office. “Nikolai, we need you,” he informs me with an urgent tone.
“Can it wait?” I ask with a raised brow. Though I might not be paying attention to last quarter’s balance sheet right now, I’m aware that it’s important. “We’re in the middle of a meeting.”
“It can’t wait,” he whispers.
The desperate voice and his anxious expression have me nodding and waving him in. After just a few first steps across the room, I recognize the determination in Peter’s long strides.
I gesture for Roman to stay. He’s my second in command and as such, should know everything that’s happening.
“What’s going on?” I ask Peter once the three of us are alone.
“Several of our oil rigs in Western Siberia have been compromised,” he blurts out, and the hairs on the back of my neck rise up.
“Do we know by whom?” I shoot back.
Everyone knows to fear the Volkov name, and yet someone was brave enough to cross me. The news of someone having breached my site sets my nerves on edge.
“We don’t know yet,” Peter says. “It’s hard to establish contact with the compound. We believe that they were bombed. I don’t have any details about the losses yet except that the damages are devastating.”
“Motherfuckers,” Roman curses, scratching the back of his head. “We have to do something.”
“I’ll fly there myself,” I decide instantly. “I want to inspect the damage in person. Hopefully, by the time I get there, our team will have found out who’s responsible. I want the pleasure of showing them what happens to fools that decide to fuck with a Volkov.”
“Right now?” Roman, a close friend and the brother I never had, lets out a heavy sigh.
“I’m trusting you to make sure business runs smoothly,” I tell him, smirking. “If you fuck up my engagement to Katarina, you’ll be the first to pay when I’m back in New York.”
Though Roman returns my smile, the look in his eyes makes it clear that he understands the gravity of my words.
“You can count on me, Nik.”
I nod at Roman, then turn to the other man in the room.
“We’re flying out tonight. “
“Understood.” Peter nods and leaves.
“Is there anything I need to know about, Nik?” Roman asks when it’s just us.
“Probably,” I reply with a heavy sigh. “But nothing you can help me with, so there’s no use telling you the details. Just make sure to keep an eye on Dimitri Sokolov. Despite our agreement, I don’t trust him.”
“Should I put surveillance on him?” Roman asks.
I shake my head. “He’s too smart not to notice it,” I reply. “His son, on the other hand, is a much better target.”
“Igor Sokolov?” he questions.
“I already have people on him,” I confirm. “If anything is to happen within the Bratva, we’ll be able to tell through him.”
“Consider it done.”
When the time comes, I will get that family in line. Until then, I need to focus on the first part of my plan, which involves marrying Katarina.
But right now, I have something more important to deal with. Namely, the people who will rue the day they messed with Nikolai Volkov.
They will live and breathe regret by the time I’m through with them. I might not be Bratva, but I can be just as brutal. No one gets away with trying to destroy my business.
“Get me Ivan!” I bark out to my secretary.
Shortly after, a barrel-chested man hurries inside the room.
“Ready my jet,” I command.
“Where are we flying?” My faithful childhood friend, Ivan Kuznetsov, is not only an able assistant but also my bodyguard.
“Siberia.”
Aside from him, I chose my best buddies from my army days to join my private protection detail. Some do it for the money, while others do it out of loyalty to the Volkov name.
As I’m packing up my laptop, my phone buzzes with a call from an unknown number.
“Hello, Nikolai,” a heavily accented voice sounds through the phone. The fact that this man dares to address me by first name is either a sign of disrespect or of equal standing, and neither of them makes me happy. “You should cancel your plans to go to Siberia.”
I raise an eyebrow. “And who exactly is telling me this?”
“Someone close to you,” the voice croaks. “Someone that needs you alive.”
Then the line goes dead.
Enraged, I throw my phone against the wall. My hands ball into fists, anger rattling my bones. In my world, threats don’t exist without a legitimate source.
My eyes flash with fury as I turn to Peter. “I need to know the name of the man that dared to threaten me. Can you trace the number?”
He nods and leaves the room wordlessly.
“Ivan,” I turn to the burly man beside me. “Someone wants me to stay away from the site. Make sure that my men are ready. I want them armed and alert.”
“Leave it to me,” Ivan replies. “And don’t worry, Nikolai. I’ll be there right beside you until we get to the bottom of this shit.”
I squeeze my friend’s shoulder. It’s rare to find people with a sense of loyalty like Roman and Ivan have. I’m lucky to have them work by my side.
“Let’s go,” I tell him. “The sooner we get that over with, the sooner I can get married.”
As much as I’m wary of what I just heard, it still brings a smile to my face. I grab the briefcase from my desk and make my way to the limousine. It takes us half an hour to reach Teterboro airport. My jet takes off at precisely seven in the evening.
Under ordinary circumstances, I would spend the flight from New York to Siberia studying contracts or crunching the numbers on new purchases to expand my business. Tonight, on the other hand, I’m simply sipping on a glass of Macallan scotch and occasionally checking the time.
At five o’clock in the morning, our plane finally touches down at Nizhnevartovsk airport. My site is a short helicopter ride away, and as soon as we land, the smell of soot and smoke reaches me.
I grip Ivan’s arm in an instant as a terrible feeling goes through my body.
“This is our largest and most protected offshore oil drill station,” I say through gritted teeth, slowing my erratic breathing and pushing out the anger that fills my lungs.
People don’t just double-cross me. They damn well better brace themselves for their impending demise because I’m coming for them and the mysterious caller with everything I have.