Vasily makes a low growl in the back of his throat, and Bohdan holds up his hands. “It has nothing to do with you, V. You’re good; we work well together. I don’t want to keep doing this if it’s about the money and shit. I did it for you, K.”
Well, shit. Seems like Cassie is better at reading people than I’ve given her credit for.
“What the fuck are you going to do? Focus on London and legitimate business?” Vasily asks me.
“No. I’m hiving that off too and putting Margaret in control. I will take a cut of that going forward, but your side of things you understand that I’m walking away completely, right? I won’t take a cut, and I won’t be there to help if the shit hits the fan. I can’t. I’m going into a new venture with Andrius, and that’s the stipulation.”
Andrius grins at them. He hasn’t said a word through this exchange, which I appreciate.
“What business?” Bohdan demands.
I explain the plans, and Bohdan looks from me to Andrius and back. “I want in.”
“What?”
“I want in. On this new venture. I want in. I’ve got skills. I can train people. I get you want mercenaries and military to be the ones you train and hire out, but I grew up on the streets. I know street level shit they ought to understand if they’re going to be the best at protection. I can do that stuff.”
“Bohdan,” I say. “Even if Andrius agrees to it—and it has to be a joint decision not mine alone—it won’t pay anything like the opportunity I’m offering you right now. You get that, right?”
He smiles at me. “I’ve got plenty of money saved. I could truthfully retire now and live in comfort. I don’t need a lot. I grew up with nothing. I’m happy to do it for a fair wage and room and board. I’d like to be in on it. I won’t have any contact with this life. I understand this means walking away for good, but I’d always planned on doing so one day. I don’t want this life forever. In fact,” he says with a smile, “I’ve always dreamed about living in Italy or Greece. I want in, and yes, I’m Bratva and you don’t want that, Andrius, but you’re doing this with K, and he’s Bratva too. I’ll sever all ties.”
“You fucking love this life,” Vasily shouts. “All you cunts leaving suddenly. What the fuck? You love the power, the money, and the girls it gets you.”
Bohdan nods. “I do, or I did. Long-term, though, I always planned on getting out one day; I just never knew how. This is a perfect opportunity. If I don’t leave now, and I step up to work with you, V, I only get in deeper.”
“What the fuck?” Vasily shakes his head. “I’m supposed to run things on my own now?”
“You won’t be alone,” I say. “You’ll have Stamatis and his men working with you on the arms. That’s the biggest worry, and they know their shit and are a highly professional outfit. You’ve got London off your plate because I’m giving that to Allyov. All that leaves is Moscow, and let’s be honest, Vasily. You’ve been running that for years anyway. Now, you’ll be doing it officially. Or … you can walk away, and I will pay you a million. Call it a severance.”
“I don’t want to walk away,” he says mulishly. “I’m freaking out at the idea of doing this alone.”
“You know, you could ask Ilya if he wants to partner up,” Andrius says, finally speaking.
“Ilya?” I ask. He’s a Pakhan based in St. Petersburg, and we’ve done business many times before.
“Yeah. Makes sense for you and him to work together, Vasily. You could merge both sides of your operations, Moscow and St Petersburg. He’s trustworthy.”
“I like it,” I say to Andrius. “It’s almost like creating a network. Locking it down amongst us Russians and the Greeks. Keeping the Armenians out, which is in everyone’s best interests. It also stops the fucking Polish mob moving in and keeps the Albanians out too.”
Andrius crosses himself when I say Albanians, and we all bust up laughing, diffusing some of the tension.
“I can see that working,” Bohdan says. “Ilya is a good man. You work with him in Russia, pool your resources, and have the Greeks onside in America, then you’ll be a force to be reckoned with.”
“You don’t want in on this?” Vasily asks Bohdan. “I can’t believe what