Shattered Crown

CHAPTER ONE (1/2)

One month Earlier

Kira 

I  fan myself with one hand while grabbing a chilled glass of champagne
with the other. Haute couture in summer is never a good idea. But then
again, nothing about tonight is.

The luxurious ballroom is filled with Russia's crème de la crème,
celebrating Maxim Belov discovering his long-lost daughter, Alyona
Nikitin. But like everything associated with Maxim, the happy union is just
an illusion.

Glancing around the lavishly decorated room, I spot Alyona—my best
friend and ride-or-die—in one corner, caught up in a discussion with
Maxim and the interior minister. A familiar sense of anger prickles my
spine. Despite the story that Maxim spun for his esteemed guests, this is no
happy reunion.

One week ago, he abducted Aly and me from a safehouse in Croatia and
whisked us away to his grand Black Sea estate. At the time, we had no idea
who had captured us or why, until Maxim sat Aly down and basically said,“Nice to meet you. By the way, I’m your biological father—here’s the
proof. From here on out, you’re going to rule my empire by my side. And if
you don’t, I’ll kill everyone you love

The last thing Aly wants is joining forces with Maxim, a man
entrenched in organized crime as he is in legitimate business. What she
yearns for—what she's always yearned for—is a regular life, far from the
bratva upbringing she's known. Well … that, and my brother Leo, but that’s
a whole other story.

So yeah, not the warmest of reunions with dear old dad. But here we are
a week later, at Maxim’s version of a “debutante ball”, where he’s parading
Aly around like his newest acquisition, which is exactly what she is to him.
Property to be owned and controlled.

But no one in their right mind would challenge Maxim. His influence
extends far beyond business and politics, deep into the underworld. He's not Brava: he's the king to whom the bratva pakhans report. If he's the king,
then Alyona is his reluctant Princess.

And I’m the joker that got caught up in this mess. Truth of the matter is,
Maxim has no business with me. I suspect I’ll be free to go after tonight,
but there's a fat chance that’s going to happen. When the opportunity
presents itself, I’m getting my friend out of here—one way or another. Aly
is strong in her own right, but I’m a born fighter. Along with my half-brothers—Andrei, Daniil, and Leo—I run Brooklyn’s Kozlov Bratva, the
most powerful crime syndicate on the US East Coast.

I take another sip of champagne and watch the couples on the dance
floor before scanning the room again. But this time, Aly is nowhere to be
seen. I'm about to go look for her, when I'm met with a pair of familiar
green eyes.

“Liza?” I exclaim.

Elizaveta Ivanova, an old friend and roommate from boarding school,
stands in front of me. Her teenage braids have been replaced by cascading chestnut waves, and her striking eyes are winged-tipped and sophisticated,
but they still light up with the same genuine warmth as always.

My lips curve into a surprised smile.

She chuckles, wrapping me in a tight hug. "I can’t believe it! The last I
heard, you'd moved to New York and found your brothers. The Kozlovs, is
that right?”

“It’s true,” I confirm. “I’m back in Russia for a … visit.” If you consider
abduction and forcible confinement a visit. “And what about you? What
have you been up to?” I ask, eager to change the subject.

“Not much has changed since we were schoolmates. I’ve been living the
life in Moscow—the parties, the society events, the usual. Papa allowed me
to go to university, but now that I’ve graduated…” She takes a solemn
breath and lifts her left hand with a less than thrilled expression.