Slavik
I hated banquets.
Being surrounded by the rich, the powerful, all under the guise of helping those less fortunate. Even as I stood with my wife by my side, I looked at the sickening falseness surrounding me.
I was used to dealing with dirty people. The dregs of society, some would call it. I never stuck to the protocol of only dealing with my immediate Bratok. For my men and people who worked for me, I was everywhere. They never knew where I would turn up. Right now, as men and women donated money to several well-meaning charities to help the less fortunate from children to poverty-stricken families, I spotted one woman who owned a slave through human trafficking. This woman she beat on a regular basis. I had the footage of her beating this woman. She used anything from sticks to whips, to even clubs. Her anger was always taken out on this woman. She held a place in a senior role within the courthouse. The evidence I had was a good bargaining tool.
Most of the people here were under Ivan’s thumb in one way or another. My presence, as well as two other brigadiers, helped to drive the point of our power.
No one could touch us.
“You’re hurting me,” Aurora said.
I loosened my hold on her hip with an apology.
“It’s fine. I don’t mind. You don’t like these places. Why come?”
“Business.”
“Do you ever donate to the causes?”
“Yes.” The money donated did go to several foundations. I made sure of it.
“Excellent. Would you like me to go and make a donation?” she asked.
I pulled out my checkbook and gave her one I’d already written. I tore off a second for her to fill in. “Go crazy.”
She chuckled and left my side. I nodded at one of my men to follow her. She was in a fish tank full of sharks. The people here would gladly try to take her from me, and the very knowledge of that pissed me off.
Andrei chose that moment to come my way. We shook hands and turned to look at the crowd.
“I can’t stand half of the people here,” he said.
“It’s what business is all about. Our likes do not come into it.”
“Will you be attending my wedding?” Andrei asked. “Bethany informed me no response had been sent.”
I glanced at Bethany. She stood in the center of six businessmen. I hadn’t liked the woman the instant I met her. Something seemed off about her.
“You know she’s a whore?” I asked, turning to Andrei.
“Do you think it takes a rocket scientist to work that out? I’m aware she’s not a princess. She uses her snatch to get what she wants. It pisses her off I have no use for it.”
“Why marry her?”
“Business, and I need a wife to have a kid with. A slut she may be, but not all of us can have cute virgins to bed.”
My gaze went to Aurora. She stood at the booths that displayed all the charities being showcased tonight. My man was close and made sure no one approached her.
“How is it to bed a virgin?”
“I’m not going to tell you about my wife,” I said.
“I have to say I’m impressed. Everyone thought you’d have killed her by now. Aurora must have a special pussy.”
I reacted before anyone saw. Slamming the side of my hand against his throat, I immediately choked him.
His glass dropped to the floor, and I grabbed his shoulders, feigning concern to the onlooking crowd.
I made sure they were far away before I dragged Andrei away, slamming him against the wall, out of earshot and eyesight.
“Now you listen to me, my wife is not up for questioning. You talk about her, you insult me. You should tell your fiancee that the next time she thinks to insult my wife again, I will slit her fucking throat.”
Andrei cleared his throat, taking a few minutes to get himself together. “What?”
I told Andrei all the details Aurora had given me. There wasn’t a lot there, but enough to get his attention.
“I will deal with her.”
“Is there a problem here?” Ivan asked, coming out of the main room to talk to us.
“No, no problem. A simple misunderstanding, but that is all,” I said.
Andrei agreed and made his way into the room.
“Your wife is lonely,” Ivan said.
I nodded and went to go into the room.
“What was that?” Ivan asked.
“Andrei believed he could talk about my wife disrespectfully, and I told him he couldn’t. It was a misunderstanding.”
“Your wife’s not pregnant yet.”
“I’m working on it.”