Prologue: The Godfather’s Heir
◈Nikolai◈
Nikolai Artur Kuznet stood beside his father’s deathbed, watching him. The man had been ill for years and used his final moments to groom his son and teach him the family business.
In other words, his father showed him what it meant to be king: to be the boss of all bosses, to keep it in the family, and to watch out for outsiders
“Nikolai,” his father, Rolan Isaak Kuznet, said, looking at him.
Nikolai met his father’s eyes. This man had led the Russian-American mafia for forty-two years — since he was fifteen. He was not the man most people believed him to be. Rolan Kuznet was both ruthless and loving. He would do anything to protect his family — blood or not.
That’s why everyone called him the Godfather.
He would even send loved ones away for protection, never to see them again. That’s what happened to his mother and sister twenty years ago, when Nikolai was ten, and his sister was six. His father sent them away. Nikolai never forgot their faces, even after his father destroyed every photograph of them. He had refused to let their images fade.
“Find your mother and sister,” his father said, jolting Nikolai from his thoughts.
Nikolai stared at his father in shock. “Papa, I thought you sent them away because they would be safer away from us.”
Rolan coughed, and a thin line of blood trickled from his lip.
“Pa-pa,” Nikolai said, moving closer to the bed.
“It is time to bring them home,” Rolan said, his voice weak.
“What about what happened to Natasha and Ma-ma?”
“Your ma-ma will know what to do,” Rolan assured him.
Nikolai nodded and said, “If you think it’s time.”
Rolan looked at the ceiling, then back at his son. “Take care of them.”
“Pa-pa…” Nikolai murmured as his father’s eyes closed and he breathed his final breath.
Nikolai lifted his father’s hand and said, “I will find them, Pa-pa. I promise.”
“I am so sorry,” a female voice said from behind him.
Nikolai released his father’s hand, stepped back, and turned to the nurse. “Please take care of everything,” he said.
“Of course,” the nurse replied, nodding to him.
Nikolai left to find his bodyguard. He needed to share his father’s words with him — the man would know what to do next.
~❁❁❁~
“Are you sure it is safe to bring them home?”
Nikolai looked at his bodyguard. If his father was certain, then he should be certain as well.
Nikolai thought about it for a moment, then said, “I’ll call Uncle Luka and see what he says.”
Luka knew of his brother’s illness, so whenRolan passed, Nikolai texted his uncle as he looked for his bodyguard, to inform him of his brother’s death.
His bodyguard nodded in agreement so Nikolai pulled his phone from his pocket, dialed his uncle’s number, and relayed his father’s last words.
His uncle didn’t agree with his father.
When Nikolai hung up, he glanced at his bodyguard. Alek watched him and Nikolai could tell from the large man’s expression that he knew exactly what Luka Kuznet said to his nephew.
“Uncle Luka does not believe it is safe for my sister or mother to return to the family.”
Alek nodded, a knowing expression on his face.
“But Pa-pa asked me to bring them home.”
Alek met Nikolai’s gaze and said, “Maybe they need to stay undercover.”
Nikolai smiled, knowing there was a reason his father had insisted that this man be his bodyguard. It had nothing to do with Alek and Nikolai being best friends.
After a pause, Nikolai asked, “How do I find them?”
Alek smirked and said, “I think we should leave that up to Rolan Kuznet.”
Nikolai shook his head. “My father cannot do that; he is —”
“I do believe your family is capable of communicating beyond the grave,” Alek said, interrupting Nikolai.
Nikolai stared at Alek. He knew his father didn’t know where his sister and mother were, as he had hidden their location to keep them safe. So how were they going to find them? As his father’s final words played through his mind, a thought struck him and a smile spread across his face.”
“Car, now,” Nikolai said.
Alek smiled as he followed Nikolai to the car.
Nikolai clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white, determination burning hot through the raw ache in his chest.
He was not going to fail the Godfather’s last wish.
