When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, a pale horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.
Zephyr VronskyKing Shit
âTookâ to the family business at an early age - more for knowledge than for power. His unusually sadistic tendencies showed themselves at a very early age, all of which he knew were invariably wrong, so he kept a bit of a tight lid on them until he was a little older
Commit his first murder when he was thirteen. After overhearing two of his fathers friends conversing with what he knew to be a higher up of the militsiya in russia. Zephyr ended up following them back to one of their homes and killed them both - it was v messy.Â
When Alexei realized the potential he clearly held, he wasted no time at all in making sure he grew up under the right people, with the right teachers/mentors etc and tbh he absolutely thrived (this wasnât really done in a âprodigyâ way, it was more his father just feeding zephyrs thirst for blood and criminal knowledge. Zephyr also never made a move for power that he couldnât absolutely secure and never intended to make a move for his fathers position - he was pretty happy doing whatever came his way.Â
He ended up being away a fair bit as he grew older, settling connections and putting his face to some of the workings of the bratva across the world until his face was just as recognizable to the rest of the bratva as his own fathers.Â
The kind of guy that has earned the respect of the people within the mafia - obviously there are people that donât trust him at all (which is fair) but for the most part, he takes care of his own.
V cool calm and collected at almost all times, to a point he can almost seem uninterested in everything going on around him, but trust... he is watching and listening to everything
On the flip side - when he snaps... he snaps
Met Sera when he was around 27 when the bratva stormed a collective of the syndicates prostitution ring.. He liked that she seemed to show some kind of fire that some of the others didnât.. So, instead of bringing her into their own ring, he pulled her out of it completely.
Taught her everything she needed to know to function in the US - english language, currency, how to drive etc etc etc. Fast forward to 2015, right after he stepped up - he asked her to marry him ( not only because it meant they couldnât testify against each other but also bc love )Â
Since Vasili was stabbed... heâs been biding his time for the last month, pulling things together and watching the Syndicate very closely.Â
Will burn the entire city down for the fam, regardless of whoâs in itÂ
Alexei watched as his eldest entered the room and he couldnât help but notice how so much of him was mirrored in Zephyr. A piece of him and a piece of Yulia imbedded within their children he wondered if they noticed. Wasnât that how children presented most of the time? he thought to himself but then shook his head ever so lightly. He was nothing like his father and his mother used to always shudder to think him anywhere near her own character. Alexei chuckles at the words, âDoesnât mean it isnât worth asking all the same.â he countered. It bode well to always assume there was more to learn, one too many times had he seen people lose their lives due to arrogance alone. He saved the lecture sure it was one heâd passed on before and instead filled their glasses once more, gesturing for them to sit. âNot so bad hmmâŠ.â he raised a brow, âWhen would you deem it necessary then, Zephyr?â he asked. âWhen of those attempts are successful and I have to come dressed in black, your grieving mother in tow, and I have to put one of my children in the ground.â he answered himself, this time taking a slower sip.Â
For that, they certainly agreed. It was always worth asking, because the details were always far more important than some believed. âI wonât deny thereâs been a few.. obstacles, since our new friends joined us. Temporary distractions though, nothing we canât find out way back from.â Even the botched deal that ended in bloodshed the night the clock ticked over, had left them in a rather difficult standing with the Arthurs, however, luckily for him, it was rather obvious that the chaos had not ensued on their behalf, but rather, the syndicates idea of an ambush. âThe Arthurâs have already expressed theyâd like to continue their dealings, theyâre just simply not prepared to do that right now, with the Syndicate yapping at our heels.â Like stray, hungry dogs nobody could deem loveable enough. Understandably, the near miss on Diana had concerned Zephyr, the internal conjecture that wanted to share such with his sister won over only by the fact that it was never something they did with each other. Stoic and pillars of criminal dignity, theyâd always remained. âYou know how this looks.â He started, sighing a little as he swallowed back another mouthful of liquor. âYour return on the heels of a pissy little shootout assumes doubt, not concern for your daughter.â Regardless of what it was - or what Zephyr hoped it wasnât. âWas the knife that sliced Vasili open not gut-wrenching enough for our mother to insist you come?â
âIf you hadnât noticed, I am relaxed.â The former Navy Seal countered, which wasnât completely untrue, though perhaps his version of relaxing wasnât like many others. While most referred to such a term as a common requirement, Ryan Marshall had little time for such things. To an extent there was an inability to do so because of his background, and even the mission at hand. Letting his guard down for even a second could result in failure and furthermore, tragedy. As it had for Kate Montgomery. Nevertheless, the late special agents death was exact fire that needed to be lit under the belly of the eldest Marshall as a stark reminder of what was really on the line when it came to the undercover operation. âContingencies donât always go to plan.â Was but all the soldier could remark as he gave a curt nod to the head of the Bratvaâs request. âConsider it done.â Though despite his silence, he still couldnât shake a sense of foreboding.Â
He had noticed. It had always been one of Zephyrâs greater skills - observance. It held a lot of weight when one considered the things that heâd accomplished over the years. Every detail precise, the man didnât let slip those that might have otherwise gone unnoticed and Ryan Marshallâs idea of relaxed hadnât changed in the time heâd known the man. A state which otherwise might have never hit the mark for anyone else. Briefly, he wondered what it was that kept the man within his security team at bay. âPlans donât always go to plan, Iâd prefer to work without, if weâre being honest.. but, that doesnât bode well for business.â Which, brought him full circle to where his curiosity about Ryan Marshall lay - âWhat are you doing here, Ryan? With us?â Us, meaning the bratva, and not the glaring display before them now.
Axel rolled his eyes as he leaned against the bar, plucking his beer bottle off the surface of the bar. âThey donât like it, the door can hit them on the ass when they leave.â He didnât really care if he was unapproachable, his role in the Bratva had built him to be that way and the only time he had seemed semi-approachable is when he feels like it will get him close to something for the family. He turned his head to look over at him, arching a brow at him. âFriends are overrated,â he smirked. The only person he would consider his friend is the man next to him but Zeph was also someone he would lay his life on line for in a heartbeat. âNot even one drink to ring in the New Year?â
The brash nature of Axel was almost exactly why Zephyr thought so much of the man - there had never been a day in the long years of their friendship where the other, and his sister, hadnât made every effort to tell him the truth. Regardless of what it meant. Their careless, dangerous venture throughout the years had given him a best friend and a weapon all in one. âThat you are, brother... that you fucking are.â The depth of his laugh almost far too natural a state for a place like this, but he didnât mind all that much around the other. âIâm a little more interested in everything that happens after midnight, than saying goodbye to another year. Who needs another reminder that times ticking?â
âI will,â Alexei spoke into the phone, his wifeâs soft voice on the other end listing off the things she wanted him to remember to do and get. When he heard a knock on his door he lifted his head towards the other man in the room with him, a name he couldnât quite recall, and told him to get it. âCall me later.â With that he hung up and walked over to the bar located in the corner, the sound of footsteps, this time a pair, headed in his direction. âZephyr,â he greeted pouring into two glasses and not hesitating to empty out the contents of his in a moment. âHow are things?â he asked the question appeared vague but held the weight of exactly what he meant through tone.
There didnât need to be a call, Zephyr had long since known that it would be only a matter of time before his father sought to return under some less than idea circumstances. Once heâd been informed that the plane had hit the tarmac, he made all the necessary changes to clear his evening, instructing Diana and Peter to handle anything coming in until they heard from him again. Interruptions were something that he didnât tolerate all too easily anymore. He didnât wait, barely pausing at the sight of his fathers security, milling about the foyer and the floor of choice. Once, heâd been much more cavalier about being around his father, but thatâd long since faded with each and every year he became a little more like the man himself. âYou ask questions you already know the answer to.â The footing of the Bratva, while still perfectly intact now, hadnât been challenged in a long while within Chicago - things were simply different right now. Plucking the drink from the table, he drank just as surely as the man before him. âNot so bad that the trip out here was necessary.â
âDid you read that on a touristâs keychain?â She volleys back while deliberately relegating her gaze to his face, a singular brow raising with coy expectation. Much of their affection stills remains behind closed doors and out of the public eye by design, itâs the only sanctity they can provide each other in an otherwise thoughtless world. Yet tonight she allows one palm to curve around the nape of his neck, silent reassurance of her presence and safety. âAnd youâre wise enough to never pick one with me,â Sera muses as dark hues follow the figure of Dilara Ăzdemir crossing the room some distance away. Always watchful, never fully allowing her guard to drop. âSmart man.â Another image captures the womanâs attention before she leans to whisper against his ear, âUnless my eyes deceive me, I think Vasili brought a date.â
âFortune cookie, actually.â Itâs spoken almost matter-of-factly, his hand tightening ever so slightly at her side as she melds into him as if they were physically a single being, just as their minds seemed to be. Truly, he hadnât ever sought out any kind of conflict for the woman he loved, had never really felt the need to. Generally speaking, she held far more fire within her than he ever did. âFoolish has never really been one of my more memorable traits, and anyone would have to be a fool to take you on, Sera.â Heâs mapped out the room, and itâs almost instinctive to know where her eyes land. The art of observation had yet to fail him, even now. âHe has. You know who she is, donât you? Sheâs one of Marinoâs kids.âÂ
Axel rolled his eyes at his words when his best friend told him he should smile more. âThe last thing I want is people to think Iâm approachable.â He muttered. He lifted his glass up off the surface of the bar and taking a long sip. âI donât need friends, Zeph.â Plus the last time he tried to get to know someone new it turned out she was a sworn enemy of what he stood for. âWhat are you drinking tonight?â
âWith a dazzling personality like that, I doubt theyâd ever actually think that.â Zeph laughed, a short, brash sound that went hand in hand with never once knowing his best friend to be something close to approachable and perhaps, coming from him, that meant something. âObviously, I canât imagine anyone youâd actively make friends with would be all too sound of mind.â And between the two of them, he believed they had that covered. âIâm not, but donât stop on my behalf.â
It went without saying that before Ryan had even stepped over the threshold of the large gold doors that lead to the ballroom, but a few feet behind Diana Vronsky, there was an unsettling feeling that welled deep within his gut. And if there was anything he trusted it was his gut instinct, beyond all else. Not once had it failed him and while he could only hope it was misguided this once, the former Navy Seal knew better than to believe otherwise. After some time watching his charge go about socializing with various familiar faces, the male stepped away from the woman to approach her brother and the head of the Bratva. âApologies, was not my intention to linger.â He returned, retracting his hand from the chair as his gaze briefly met Zephyrâs. âI donât mean to alarm you, but I suggest you stick close to your security tonight. Somethingâs upâŠâ
It was one thing that Zephyr could never get used to - regardless of how long he held the position he had, or worked towards it. The niceties that the hierarchy offered were beyond him, he neither cared, nor wanted any of it. Where his father had once carried it with a certain regality, he regarded it as another reason to separate himself from all those within the Bratva - and heâd never wanted that. âRelax, Marshall.â He huffed, almost amused by the former sealâs reaction, azure hues relegating his sisters guard with a certain passive nature that didnât seek to turn Ryan away. âSomethingâs always up, itâs Chicago.â The corner of his mouth turned up slightly, though a heady sigh pressed his lips. âYou donât have to worry about alarming me though, we have contingencies for a reason. You just keep an eye on Diana and weâll get through the night.â
Mingling at these sorts of events is almost second nature now, a carefully constructed persona that she dons whenever needed. Seraâs mask is foolproof, painted just so and easily worn for hours at a timeââ days, even. Shrewd and powerful, yet somehow easier to swallow than the vast majority simply because she finds it more advantageous to strike from behind poised charm. Snakes smile before they bite, after all. âIn all my years, Iâve never seen you back down so quickly,â she questions his immediate surrender with idle amusement trailing along her lips. âShould I be more concerned that youâre sick or becoming conflict avoidant?â
The harmless taunt that frees itself from his wifeâs lips is one that he knows heâll never tire of hearing. Conflict was one thing, but the comfort of Sera is something that Zephyr would never stop fighting for, whether it paved itself with obvious intention or not. âHappy wife, happy life.â He murmured, taking the seat now without second thought, only to pull her gently towards him until she perched his lap. âIâm neither sick nor avoidant, I just know which battles to pick, clearly.â