All In

Двадцать пять

Our weekly dinner at The House is a lot more upbeat since the first one I attended. We all talk and laugh like a normal family. I sit next to Alexei, his hand rests on my thigh, and when he laughs, he squeezes my leg. May wasn't able to join us because she wanted to work for the next few weeks just to finish paying rent until her own lease is up. 

Irina wanted to go with something less Russian today, so she had the cooks make taco bowls with fried fish. Very odd selection, but man, is it good. 

As all of us are laughing and creating a commotion, one of Volkov's assistants comes rushing in. We all turn to him, and he takes a second to catch his breath. 

"Sokolov". Alexei straightens his posture in attention. "Was spotted in New York."

When the table realizes he's talking about the father Sokolov, all of the men at the table stand. The women start to chirp about and whisper to each other. 

"How long ago?"

"One PM, sir." 

"Irina. Get the family together. Meeting set for eight, in the living room." Irina nods at her husband. "All of you women. Stay. Here. Men, let's go."

The men at the table all push back their chairs and start to follow Volkov out of the room. But before Alexei moves, he turns to me and places a kiss on my cheek, then whispers into my ear: "I love you."

As he walks away without waiting for a response, I just watch him leave. All of my thoughts start to echo through my head. I first think about Sergei, the man who killed my father, the man that tortured his son, the man who ripped his family and his whole country apart. Then I think about Sasha. The man I thought I loved for almost two years, now to be the half brother of my mafia ruling boyfriend. How the fuck did my life end up like this?

Irina settles all of us to finish our meals, but Dina nor I really have the appetite anymore to eat anything. I can't even imagine what Dina is going through in her head, knowing that it could be no time before sees her father for the first time in five years. 

The front door opens and closes multiple times over the course; people streaming in and out, mean scrambling to talk to Volkov and leave again. A few minutes before the meeting, Irina takes all of us into the living room, and we all sit in various spots. 

Dina and I share a large chair. She stares down at her hands, so I take one in mine, giving it a tight squeeze. She looks up and smiles a half smile, leaning into my shoulder. 

At eight on the dot, Volkov and his entourage stroll in. Volkov and Alexei go to the front of the room, and the rest stand to the side. Irina starts to stand to join her husband, and when Alexei looks over at me, he holds his hand out for me to join him. 

When I turn to stand in front of the family, it's vaguely intimidating. Over a hundred people stand or sit in front of us. Women with their husbands, men of all ages, even the employees that work here in the house. 

"Thank you all for coming so quickly. Though I usually allow news to spread through the family, I needed everyone to hear loud and clear." Volkov's voice echoes through the room. 

"Sergei Sokolov was spotted in New York earlier this afternoon", Alexei's voice booms so hard that I feel it vibrate through my body as I stand holding his hand. The room reaches a new level of silent for just a moment, then whispers form. "As of now, we will up our security presence around The House and The Office until we understand Sokolov's interest here in the States. We believe it is his son, a half brother of mine, Sasha, who recently came to light when I brought Aleksandra to live with us.

"It is important that we stay vigilant here until we know Sergei is either back in Russia, or in our custody. I will be working with our security to teach them his tactics and strategies, as I grew up learning all of them. He was once teaching me to be his heir, but now I lead all of you to taking down this man. If we do not take him down first, he will use his men to take us down."