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Chapter 8

Zeke

His eyes snapped towards his father. Next to him, Francesco's head whipped around so fast to face their father that he felt like his brother almost snapped his neck.

"Father..." Francesco cautioned but father waved him off.

"It seems like we will be working closely for this investigation. It would be best if we pooled our resources together to deal with this as quickly as possible," their father said. "We can have a formal contract drawn."

Francesco visibly relaxed when it was clear father wasn't about to propose an arranged marriage. He had been worrying the last few years if he would arrange him with a powerful man's daughter—rich but a stranger. He had Bianca to think about. But as heir, he knew he had to have an advantageous marriage. Rarely anyone in the mafia married out of love. The ones that do were the lucky ones. Francesco dearly hoped that he'd be one of the lucky few.

Antonio pondered over it for a moment before nodding. "Agreed."

Their father smiled, pleased. "Wonderful. I'll have my lawyers draw up a contract and send them over."

"I'd also like to discuss Tatiana's safety. Rest assured that I will handle the incompetence of the men in my security team, but really, some of the guards that were with Tatiana did not protect her as they should have," Father continued and unintentionally got on Antonio's nerves. Zeke saw his fist clench.

"I shall personally see to the matter," Antonio said in a neutral tome that did not reflect his tense pose.

Father nodded sympathetically. "I'm sure you will but please don't think me rude, I'd also like to contribute to her safety since she is the daughter of a very dear friend of mine," he said, gesturing to Agnieska who sat beside Tatiana.

"Really, there's no need, Mr. Vasiliev. I can handle myself," Tatiana murmured her protest, though Zeke couldn't help but notice her tiredness and lack of conviction.

Father looked directly at her. "Your safety is just as important to me as that of your family." His eyes darted pointedly to her mother. "I'd like for you to hide away for a few days, if your parents agree. Antonio would, of course, send some security but I will also be sending some of my best men, along with my son, Zeke."

Zeke narrowed his eyes at his father, still suspicious, but did not object. They had discussed this earlier, long before Agnieska had arrived and Tatiana had gained consciousness. They feared that there would be more attempts on Tatiana's life and therefore planned to hide her away and he was sending him with her. He didn't know why but he had an inkling his father was trying to play matchmaker. And he didn't object. He wasn't against spending a few weeks with a beautiful woman.

They looked to Antonio and Agnieska. They were looking at each other, communicating through their eyes. Agnieska nodded at him.

Antonio turned to them. "Fine," he agreed.

Tatiana began to object. "Really, father, this isn't--"

"Please, Tiana, do this for your safety," Antonio implored her. "You know I would never do something like this unless it was absolutely necessary."

Tatiana only nodded her understanding.

"We can discuss this further once we've all gotten some rest. It has been a trying evening," Pavel said, standing up. "You are welcome to stay, of course. We have accommodations prepared in the East Wing."

"Thank you for the offer, but I think I will bring my family home," Antonio said, standing up as well. "We can convene some other time when the papers have been drawn. We don't want to rouse suspicion among the godfathers."

Zeke grimaced. The godfathers were the only form of authority that mobs, gangs, and the mafia answered to. With normal people, they were considered a folk tale but really, they were the people who made the world what it was today. Each of the five godfathers were powerful in their own right, each coming from a prominent family and none were to be antagonized.

Lawyers and contracts are what kept them away most of the time. If any suspicious activity was going on without a signed contract dictating the nature of the agreement, they'd be brought to questioning. Anything suspicious was immediately dealt with because it could be seen as an act of defiance or a coup to overthrow them. Of course, the odd agreement would slip past them but if it did, it rarely happened or they didn't mind it on purpose. Either way, it was best to just follow the rules.

"Very well." Pavel nodded. "Will you be going with them as well, Agnieska?"

Agnieska looked at Antonio. "I'd like to stay with Tatiana, if that's alright, but I wouldn't want to intrude on Rhea..." Agnieska said, trailing off.

Antonio waved her off. "Nonsense. Of course, you are welcome. I'll talk to Rhea, it will be fine."

Awkward days were hard to avoid in the mafia, Zeke thought as they continued to plan their stay in New York. Since a lot of mafia heirs had to marry for advantage, it wasn't a surprise to see them have mistresses who they actually loved and have children with. He was a prime example of that, and Tatiana was too.

"Well, that's settled," Tatiana's older half-brother grumbled. "It was good meeting you, Sir." Matteo said to their father.

Pavel bowed slightly. "A pleasure."

"We'll keep in touch," Antonio said in parting as he assisted Tatiana out of the room, followed by Agnieska and his son.

***

Tatiana

"Mama, I'm really fine," she grumbled to her mother as she fluttered around her, trying to find some way to help her. "I'm not decrepit or anything. They treated me well in Pavel's house." She felt faint after the whole ordeal but after some much needed rest, she was feeling better.

"Well I should hope so," her mother huffed. "After the lax security, honestly, how could this have happened on his property!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

It was the next day and they were staying at her father's house. At first, she wanted to stay in her apartment but she had been outvoted by her family, saying that she needed to be looked after. So, they went to her father's house. Now, they were currently in her bedroom, one of the many rooms in her father's vast modern mansion. It was painted white with a steel window and a view that looked out onto the grounds. Like the rest of the house, her room was pretty modern with a white king sized bed, a flat screen, an en suite and walk-in-closet with various other nick-nacks she had collected in her early years of adolescence.

Saying that it was awkward had to be the biggest understatement of the year. Her step-mom Rhea and her half-sister Lucia had been there to greet them upon their arrival. At first, she was worried that they would debase each other and cause a scene, however her initial worry was for nothing when Rhea went up to her mother with a smile and shook her hand, welcoming her to her home. Her mother, in turn, was nothing but all smiles and politeness, taking the whole thing in stride. It was obvious that everyone had worried but as they interacted as if they were old friends, her father and siblings visibly relaxed.

"And that security entourage your father assigned to you for the party, o Gospodi." her mother continued to ramble on. "I'm going to have a few words with those young men, yes I will."

"Mama, really it was no one's fault," she tried to reason with her mother to no avail. "The only one's to blame are the people behind this and father and Pavel are doing all that they can."

The crime world had been at peace the last few years. No excessive violence occurred with the higher families, particularly theirs. Lately, there have been a series of attacks on a lot of families, mobs and mafia alike. However, it was on a smaller scale as compared to the events of the party a few days ago. It was an anomaly in the eyes of the godfathers and if it wasn't dealt with as soon as possible, they might intervene and no one wanted that. No one wanted the godfathers to leave their various vacation homes only to unleash their wrath on the crime families.

As her mother carried on with her pacing, they continued to bicker and argue about the possibilities of the party's events.

Her mother touched on how Zeke had jumped in front of her to save her, raising her eyebrows at her as she blushed red.

"It was nothing, I'm sure he did it just because I was your daughter or something," Tatiana tried to downplay, playing with her duvet cover. She had switched from the oversized shirt she had been wearing and into a pair of silk pajamas her mother had helped her into. "He said he really admired you."

Her mother scoffed. "Oh please, darling. With the way he looks at you I can hardly believe it was because of me." She rolled her eyes. Sometimes she forgot how young her mother was. Her mother met her father when she was twenty two. She didn't know all the details, her mother didn't like to talk about it but shortly after she met him, they had her and the rest was history.

She had raised herself off the bed slightly to dispute her mother's statement when suddenly pain shot up her side. Her mother noticed her flinch and her face softened. She went over to her to help her lie back down in a comfortable position and sat down beside her on her bed.

"I'm sorry I'm not around enough." Her mother sighed sadly, brushing back a tendril of her hair that fell to the front of her face. Her mother may be rich, but she was constantly on the run which was why her father mostly raised her. Royals weren't really popular in Russia these days.

She gave her a small smile, shaking her head. "It's not your fault. You do the best you can. You're still the best mom I could ever ask for."

Tears sprung from her mother's eyes as she smiled at her, hugging her tight.

"Oh, moya detka, if only you knew," her mother said softly into nothing as she rubbed her back soothingly. She wasn't sure if she was meant to hear that so she disregarded it, hugging her back tightly.

It probably wasn't all that important anyway.

Translations

o Gospodi - my God (Russian)

moya detka - my baby girl (Russian)

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