The Heirs: The Silver Knight

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

1 Year Ago - May

Gilmore Island, UK

Aleksander Sokolov

I hate most people.

In fact, the list of people that I like grows smaller each and every day.

I'm a cynical bastard. And I know that. I've never trusted humans. Everyone is always looking out for number one, at all times. Everyone seems to find ways to give me a headache, it seems.

Exhibit A: Gabriel Rossi.

Also known as: the worst human you will ever have the displeasure of meeting.

I'm not just saying this because he's my rival. I'm saying this because it's true.

The Black Wolves and Silver Knights have been rivals for decades. It's pretty clear what alliance your mafia family is in when you join one or the other of the two main clubs at Legacy University. The Black Wolves – the club that I'm the president of – represent the alliance between the Irish syndicate, the Providence Italians, and the Bratva (my family) amongst others. The Silver Knights represent the Cosa Nostra and the web of other crime families that they are connected to.

The Rossis. The Tazzas. They rule the Costa Nostra – one of the most powerful crime families in the world.

But my family is powerful too. I come from a long line of Russian Bratva blood – the Balandins – one of the longest dynasties in Moscow. My grandfather rules with a strength I can only aspire to one day. My father, Alexei Sokolov, his right-hand and the heir to his kingdom. Me and my brother Zane next down the line.

Needless to say, Gabe Rossi of the Rossi Cosa Nostra empire and I do not see eye-to-eye.

Hence why my senses went off when I got a message from Gabe that he wanted to meet man-to-man tonight. Leo Moretti, Gabe's first cousin and one of my best friends, is the one who delivered the message to me earlier today.

Now I find myself sneaking around outside of the Silver Knights mansion like some petty thief. I don't fucking like it. Everything Gabe Rossi does is calculated.

He likes to pretend he's all charming and carefree, but I see the sinister truth of him.

He's a certified psychopath who will do anything and hurt anyone to get what he wants.

I walk around the garden as instructed and see Gabe come into view. He's sitting casually in the back garden, lounging in a chair, a lit cigar dangling from his hand.

I am very aware that I could be walking into a trap.

Hence why I didn't tell my brother, or Josh, or anyone else about this. Leo is the only one who knows, and Leo is a fucking vault. That's why I trust him more than most.

I take a seat across from Gabe, not bothering to shake his hand.

"Cigar?" Gabe asks, offering me a box of Cubans.

I shake my head.

"What am I doing here?" I ask.

"Can't two well-meaning leaders meet to discuss the future of their clubs?" he asks.

I say nothing. Gabe gets off on being an annoyance, and I won't give it to his antics tonight.

"Another good year, no?" Gabe asks.