Until the End (Volkov Bratva #2)

Until the End (Volkov Bratva #2)

London Miller



For those that have found love

No matter the challenges.





FOREWORD



The Volkov Bratva: 1. Forsake his relatives—mother, father, brothers, sisters…

Allow no family to come between your obligations to the Volkov Bratva.

2. Not have a family of his own—no wife, no children*

Have no family to be used as a weakness.

3. Never, under any circumstances work, no matter how much difficulty this brings*

Live only by means that are permitted by the Volkov Bratva.

4. Help other thieves—both by moral and material support, utilizing the commune of thieves Hold the Bratva sacred; they are your only family.

5. Keep secret information about the whereabouts of accomplices Never betray the confidence of a fellow Vor.

6. In unavoidable situations, take the blame for someone else, buying the other person time for freedom Provide an alibi for a fellow Vor.

7. Demand a convocation of inquiry for the purpose of resolving disputes in the event of a confrontation between thieves If problems arise with a fellow Vor, bring the case to the Counsel.





8. If necessary, participate in such inquiries


Provide evidence to support your claim against a fellow Vor.

9. Carry out the punishment of the offending thief as decided by the convocation Once the convocation has reached a decision, mete out justice.

10. Not resist carrying out the decision of punishing the offending thief who is found guilty, with punishment determined by convocation Never hesitate to mete out punishment after a decision is made.

11. Have good command of the thieves’ jargon (Fehnay) Talk the talk.

12. Do Not gamble without being able to cover losses Do not bet more than you can afford to lose.





13. Teach the trade to young beginners


Pass along knowledge to up and coming Vor.

14. Have, if possible, informants from the rank and file of thieves Even men in the lowest ranks can serve a purpose.

15. Not lose your reasoning ability when using alcohol Do not allow your choice of poison to skew judgment.





16. Have nothing to do with the authorities


Never help police.

17. Not take weapons from the hands of authorities; not serve in the military To serve in the military is to be considered a suka.

18. Make good on promises given to other thieves Be a man of honor among thieves

*At a meeting between high ranking officials in the Vory v Zakone, these rules were redacted.





House of Besnik

London, England

7:26 p.m.

Naomi Le Feuvre accepted the valet’s hand as she stepped out of the chauffeured car, pressing a bill into his hand as she sauntered by, checking her reflection in the tinted windows.

She had salon-dyed blonde hair that was sheared to just below the nape of her neck, the light strands falling in soft waves. The tap of her heels echoed off the cobblestone and the fact that she could make the trek on such an uneven surface was a feat on its own.

A pathway to the entrance was provided, scores of people moving out of her way as she walked past, but despite the importance of each person in attendance, Naomi was a special guest of the host.

The mansion was only one of the many properties that the Besnik family owned. Tonight, parts of the estate were closed off, manned by men dressed as waiters, their guns hidden beneath their jackets.

Once inside, Naomi handed her coat to an attendant, smirking as he fumbled a bit.

They were all the same.

Following a few of the waitresses as they carried trays of appetizers and flutes of champagne, Naomi made her way into the center of the party, her eyes immediately drawn to the case that was illuminated by a spotlight in the ceiling.

Goosebumps prickled across her flesh, her breathing labored as she immediately started walking towards it. There was nothing that affected her quite like an exquisite jewel.

Djegia Flaka—The Burning Flame. One of the rarest fire diamonds in the world, found in a previously unexplored cave in South Africa. Naomi had only heard rumors when the diamond first surfaced, warnings about the bloodbath that followed.

The newspaper suggested that the three dead natives were killed by child soldiers, but the unsavory truth had been brought to light when the diamond appeared on the Black Market, the Albanians quickly obtaining it.

For the first time since acquiring the diamond, Jetmir Besnik—the owner of said diamond—was putting it on display for the small gathering of men and women who were invited to the mansion.

That was the problem with men—and Naomi’s problem as well though she refused to acknowledge it. Their need for recognition caused them to take needless risks.

She spotted a young man, no older than eighteen, walking towards her from the other side of the room, carrying two glasses of champagne. With a glance, you could tell his position in the Albanian Mob. His suit was ill-fitting and was a ghastly polyester blend.

He might not have appealed to her, but he had his uses.

“It’s an exquisite piece, is it not?” Naomi asked her Albanian lover, accepting the glass he offered her, careful to only let the pads of her fingers brush his, not wanting to risk anyone seeing them together.

It was a trick she had learned while perfecting her craft, learning the art of persuasion with a few simple actions that made men, and well people in general, do her bidding without her ever having to say a word. And if that didn’t work…she hadn’t gotten the best body money could buy for nothing.