Preface
Mikhail Kovarnov Drummond
In the dark world, carrying an important last name is not an easy task. Grandeur and power open doors that only a Drummond can step through.
The Bratva organization started in the 20th century, after the First World War, together with the Soviet Union. Ensuring greater power was not an easy job, my father and grandfather always wanted to have status and power, but at the time they lived, that seemed impossible. However, they realized that the secret was in the strength and in the mind, capable of seeing the immensity of where we could reach. Until here.
I was educated and trained specifically to run a criminal organization. All carefully planned by my predecessors who paved the way for me to lead the Bratva. Training started as soon as I showed interest in the life that awaited me, because I already knew what I wanted: the whole fucking world. I started from the bottom, training among the soldiers and serving my father, all to show what I was capable of. I served on the front lines of battles between mafias and on missions to grow the organization, because I knew that all of this, one day, would be mine.
Once I came of age, I ran the organization as I saw fit. I built companies, luxury hotels and casinos, anything that multiplied my power and money. For me, all I achieved was the result of an advanced and perceptive mind, but even so, to increase my territory, I would be forced to marry and thus ensure that there was an heir.
Louise Roux was the perfect choice: heiress to two territories, the French and Thai mafia, but being a woman, she couldn't take over the French mafia. However, by marrying me, I would dominate everything. I was able to negotiate with your father and form an alliance. It was not an easy task, I had to threaten, articulate and make business difficult in their territory until they came close to falling into decay and losing everything they had achieved, but because of my help and clemency, they accepted my offer, even though Louise was against our union.
Louise was a very beautiful woman, a striking redhead. But, as much as she owned all the beauty in the world, I hated her sweet and weak personality of an ordinary woman. Her docility and lack of courage caused me great revulsion, as I knew that this would affect the education of the child she was expecting. I determined the terms of our coexistence, making my preference clear and it terrified her, every single day.
Andrei Kovarnov Drummond
When Andrei Kovarnov was born, I let Louise have the child full-time, providing the precious mother's milk that would make him strong and healthy. But as soon as the boy started walking, I approached, starting to take him to the Bratva. I wanted him to get used to my lifestyle from an early age. Louise tried to intervene, as she knew what my intentions were, but I put her in her place whenever necessary. However, even though I knew she couldn't stop me, she insisted. On the other hand, I couldn't get rid of her, not yet. Among the terms of the marriage, it was stipulated that we would bring up the child together until he was five years old. The woman abused this clause and, several times, I caught her teaching useless things like compassion and religiosity. She knew it was costly, but she was stubborn and insisted.
"What do you expect with these teachings?"
“May he be a good person, Mikhail.
"Don't waste your time, it goes against his destiny!"
“You teach what suits you, I teach what is right.
"Do you really think it's going to do any good to have you take care of that animal?"
"It's a cat! He likes cats!"
“Sensibility is a virtue, Louise, remember that before I lose mine.
"Is raising him to be callous and cruel wise?" This seems to me more like a whim, with your vanity and pride exercising tyranny.
Over time, I realized that Louise had come to act indifferently toward Andrei's education. Her only intention was to spend as much time as she could with her son, taking care of him.
When there were a few days left before the boy turned five, I forced him to use the pistol against the cat and, even without skill and against his will, he killed the animal, shooting the small feline head. For more than a minute, Andrei stared at the inert cat, not understanding the situation, until I took the gun out of his hand and picked him up. Just then, he looked at me with teary eyes. It was time to reinforce his learning, so I asked:
"What does a Drummond do?"
“He kills.
“Is that natural?
" Yes."
"What are we trained for?"
“Lead, Daddy.
"Very good!"
From a distance, Louise watched what I had done and was afraid to approach. It was better this way. I walked over to her and placed the boy on his lap.
"Wisdom is a virtue, Louise — I reinforced, after so many years."
Louise Roux Drummond
With Arthur in my arms, I soothed the small body and squeezed it with the intention of making it feel protected. He lifted his head and pointed at the lifeless cat in the garden.
"Meow are you cuddling, Mom?"
“No, my love, he's dead.
"Aren't you going to wake up?"
- No.
"But, it's my kitty..."
“I know, but he's not alive anymore.
"Did I do that?"
I took a deep breath, fearing that my voice would break, but I sought strength, without even knowing where it came from, and I managed to answer, in a firm voice:
- No! Your father made it!
"We are trained to kill," he said, repeating his father's phrase.
"But what did Mom teach you?"
“Kindness prevails.
"That's right, congratulations!" — I replied, rubbing my face in her hair, to hide a stray tear — Shall we shower?
Arthur snuggled into my lap and I carried him upstairs. The smell of his shirt, soiled with Nala's blood, invaded my nostrils and I felt nauseous. In his bathroom, I took off his dirty clothes and gave him a shower. Matilde entered the room, with the tray of food I had prepared for the boy, and announced:
"Little Andrei's breakfast is ready."
"Thank you, Matilda. But please don't use that name with the boy. His name is Arthur.
"Are you sure, ma'am?"
“Yes, use Andrei only in front of Mikhail. At other times, use Arthur.
"As you wish, ma'am."
"Any message from my brother?"
"So far nothing, ma'am."
"He needs to answer me!" Arthur's birthday is coming up and we have to go.
“Ma'am, it's too risky. You'll put not only your life at risk, but little Arthur's as well.
"In any case, my life is at risk, if I stay I'll give him chances to kill me, without any effort."
“B-but he might change his mind, you're the mother of his child.
"For him, this is irrelevant, you know him and you know it very well."
One night before Arthur's birthday, I managed to get in touch with Heron, my brother, and was told that everything was going as planned. As we agreed, I would wait at the back of the property, among the trees, until they launched the rope ladder. It was perfect timing, as Mikhail wasn't home, and in his absence, security was always more relaxed. In a short time, we would be far from this hell.
"Mom, what are we doing?"
"Playing hide and seek." Do you like the joke?
- Yeah really like!
"We have to be quiet so no one can find us."
Crouching down, Arthur flashed a mischievous smile in my direction. I brought my face closer to his who was admiring my eyes and holding a lock of my long hair, as if he was afraid I would pull away. He always did. I was already impatient with the delay, however, the rope ladder was thrown and I helped Arthur to leave first, doing the same right after.
Safe on the other side, I turned in the darkness, ready to hug my brother, whom I hadn't seen in years, but was met with a blow to the face and grabbed by the hair. Dizzy and without understanding what was happening, I realized that I was being taken back to the fortress.
"Ungrateful! Trying to run away with my son! ’ Mikhail’s voice rumbled like thunder across the property. "Did you really think this escape would work?"
As I walked through the door, I was knocked to the ground and kicked all over my body. Arthur was left in the corner of the anteroom and watched my suffering from his box. Mikhail accepted that I tried to convert the boy, because he knew that it would be useless with his presence, but he would never accept that we dared to try to escape, even more so in a poorly planned and unsupported escape. Mikhail slapped my face and slammed my head against the living room floor. All I could do was scream and call for help, even though I knew no one would come.
"Neither you nor anyone else is going to take away my fucking heir!"
"Let go of me, you lunatic, crazy bastard!"
I fought him, trying to save my life, because I knew that as soon as the clock struck midnight, the term of the marriage would be fulfilled and he would finally be able to get rid of me. I managed to get him off my body and got up. He looked at me with hate and disgust.
"I should have killed you when you gave birth to Andrei!"
"You are a horrible and cruel human being, even for your own son!"
"Enough! You've already weighed too much on the earth!"
"Arthur abhors your presence, he hates you!"
“Arthur?"
"Yes, I renamed him, he's called Arthur!"
"Damn!"
Mikhail reached out and grabbed my hair, dragging me across the room and, once again, throwing me to the floor, punishing my weak body.
"You only served to give birth, nothing more."
"At least I was good for something!" You only handle cruelty well, you only know how to give orders!"
My body ached. Mikhail was trying to rip my clothes off, and I knew what he intended to do, but I fought to keep it from happening. I was crying, looking at Arthur, who remained glued to the wall, watching the scene.
"Arthur, turn around!"
"Mommy! I'm sleepy."
"You're going to sleep, my love, but first, do what mommy asks."
the boy f