Chapter 2

I had a very restless nature, and maybe that was due to my size—exactly two meters tall—but it was incredibly difficult for me to stay still. Whether with a gun in hand or sitting in a leather armchair so genuine I was afraid to pinch it in case it mooed.

"I need you to pick up a special package for me."

Don’t think I’m delegating a mediocre task or anything like that. It’s truly a mission I wouldn’t assign to anyone who wasn’t extremely trustworthy.

I took a deep breath, feeling slightly uncomfortable with all that formality and flattery. Pavel wasn’t like that; he wasn’t a man of pleasantries. He was straight to the point and rarely explained his actions, especially to subordinates.

"What kind of package?"

"Big... a kind of... merchandise. Something more relevant, let’s say..."

I glanced at Kolya, and he didn’t seem to know what it was about either.

I grew suspicious and shifted in my chair again, as if there were nails in the damn seat.

"So you want me to go pick up this... thing... without knowing what it is. Is that it?" I repeated carefully, not wanting to sound insolent but definitely not wanting to be made a fool.

"Ilya!" Kolya scolded.

I didn’t look at my brother; I kept my eyes locked on Pavel, and I could swear my expression was far from friendly.

"Do you really think I’d ask you to do something that could get you into trouble, Ilya? We’re friends, brothers in arms. You’re my trusted men. My orders are unquestionable, but I have a thousand people who could do this job. I wouldn’t put either of you in a dangerous situation."

I doubted that very much, but there was no way around it. It was my job.

I accepted the mission, but even that didn’t seem to satisfy Kolya.

We each left in our own vehicles—me on my bike, and my brother in his car—and when we arrived at his house an hour and a half later, he rushed up the stairs of the mansion where he lived, entering and slamming the door violently.

"What’s gotten into you, vorchlivyy?"—Grumpy. That’s what I’d always called him since we were kids.

The truth was, I had a great admiration for Kolya. When our parents died, I was only twenty-one, and he was twenty-two, which immediately made him responsible for our younger siblings.

Tasha was just a baby, and we made a promise to protect her at all costs. His choices were for her—to ensure she made a good marriage, preferably with someone of her choosing, and that she was safe.

"I didn’t like your behavior with our pakhan. You know he’s temperamental. He could use that against us at any moment. We must be loyal to him."

"Hmmm..." I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest. "If one day you have to choose between your blind loyalty to your pakhan and your family, let’s see what you’ll put on the scale."

"Cut the crap! I’m doing this for you all, and—" Kolya growled and was about to say something else but was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

"Ilya!"

The sweet, feminine voice of Tasha interrupted us, making us both turn toward her.

My little sister came running and literally threw herself into my arms, which made me catch her off the ground before she fell.

It had been some time since I’d moved out of the Kravtsov house, and I knew my sister missed me. We talked constantly on the phone, but with my trips and missions for Pavel, I ended up visiting less often than before.

"What have you been eating to get so heavy?" I asked with a wide grin, though it was a lie. At thirteen, it was clear Natasha would grow up to be a tall woman, but she was as skinny as a stick.

"You ogre!" She slapped my shoulders, so I set her down.

I quickly glanced at Kolya and saw him looking a bit uncomfortable.

Even though there were no fights or animosity in the family, I knew my brother resented my closeness with Natasha. After all, I’d been much more present than he had. From an early age, he took up a position alongside the pakhan, replacing our father, and missed much of her growing up.

Dimitri was there too and extended his hand to greet me, but I pulled him into a hug instead.

"Did you come to have lunch with us?" Tasha asked excitedly.

"Uh..." I scratched my eyebrow, glancing at Kolya, who was taking off his blazer and not joining the conversation. "I don’t know, printsesa. I just came to say hi since I came with Kolya, and—"

"Oh no, Lya! You barely show up. Please! I can ask Marya to make borscht! It’s your favorite dish!"

It really was. A traditional Russian dish, borscht was a beetroot soup with vegetables and meat. It had been a while since I’d eaten anything homemade like that, after so much time living alone and relying on more practical meals.

Of course, she won me over with just a few words.

But Kolya, despite everything, wanted me to stay too, because before I headed out on Pavel’s mission, we had another job to do.

It was just a lunch. Just a mission with my brother. Like the damn old times.

I just had no idea why I couldn’t shake the feeling that a shadow followed me wherever I went, heralding a bad omen.