“Da,” I say tiredly.
I was not mentally prepared for the immensity of this inheritance. If Thane wasn’t by my side right now, I would be drowning.
Instead, I’m riding on an emotional high knowing I have the world at my feet.
“Are you ready for some fun, brother?”
Revelry
As far as the world is concerned, I am still the same person I was before becoming the sole beneficiary of my grandfather’s will.
But I am a new man—a man with limitless reserves.
I can’t quite wrap my head around the idea that I am one of the richest men in Russia, and there are only two other people who know it. I thought I knew wealth, but it is nothing compared to this.
This entire scenario has a superhero feel to it.
In the eyes of the public, I’m just a mild-mannered sadist, yet I have the ability to literally change the world.
I shake my head, smiling to myself. To have such riches and remain in the shadows is a true gift I never appreciated until now.
I appreciate why my grandfather kept it such a tightly guarded secret. I also understand the reason why the stipends my father, brothers, and I received were relatively low, considering the vast amount of money in the estate.
It’s all been a carefully crafted ruse.
My grandfather and the Durovs before him have meticulously hidden the extent of our wealth while investing their resources to grow it.
Now, all of that money is mine!
I break out in laughter, thrilled by it all.
“What’s so funny?” Thane asks.
I shake my head, grinning. “I’m feeling like a million bucks right now, moy droog—six billion, actually.” I laugh again. “It is a heady experience.”
He nods thoughtfully. “I can only imagine.”
“I understand why my grandfather refused to let my father or brothers take on this responsibility. All of them are far too weak for such a duty.” I spit out the words in disgust.
“Agreed, but be careful, Anton. Being responsible for so much money is bound to change you as a person.”
I bump shoulders with him. “What would you know about handling money, peasant?”
Calling my men back in, I tell them, “My plans for the day have changed. Get the jet ready.”
Immediately, one man leaves to arrange it, while the others wait for their new orders.
Smiling at Thane, I tell him, “Go change, comrade. We’ll be leaving within the hour—and layer up.” I add with a smirk, “You are about to experience a variety of temperatures.”
After he leaves, I instruct my men. I know what I am asking them to do would be impossible under normal circumstances, but I assure them, “Money is no object. Tonight, I want to celebrate.”
“Yes, gospodin.”
Energized by my new status, I clap my hands together and leave to get dressed. As I climb the impressive stairs of the mansion, I think back on that helpless boy bound to the pole.
How could he know then how powerful he would become?
After a five-hour flight, we find ourselves circling the city of Chelyabinsk as we wait to land.
Thane notices the number of ski resorts outside the city limits and looks at me in concern. “Durov, I hate to tell you this, but I’m not a skier.”
“We won’t be skiing, comrade. I want to share a cherished Russian tradition with you.”
I can see I’ve grabbed his attention when he asks, “What tradition is that?”
“A Russian banya.”
“Which is…?”
I punch him in the shoulder. “A powerful bonding experience, moy droog.”
We go straight from the jet to a vehicle waiting for us and drive out of the city. When Igor stops near a frozen lake, I get out of the vehicle and start down a path in the snow that leads into the trees.
I call back to Thane, “Follow me.”
“Where are we headed?” he asks, hurrying to catch up after throwing on his coat.
I look at the coat and chuckle. “You won’t be needing that.”
The air is filled with the fragrant scent of burning birch and oak. Thick smoke billows out of the chimney as we walk up to a large cabin.
I can already feel my body beginning to relax.
Opening the door, I gesture to Thane to enter first. The room is lit by the flames of old-fashioned lamps, and it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust. This main room has a wet bar and rustic wooden tables covered with tablecloths. The place is empty except for the bartender.
“Sit down, comrade,” I tell Thane.
He shrugs off his jacket and lays it beside him on the bench.
I sit down opposite him and grin. “Tonight is about extremes, moy droog. But first, we prepare our souls for the cleansing.”
Thane smirks as he looks around the room. “Something tells me the quaint feel of this place is a ruse designed to suck me in.”
The bartender comes up and sets down a bottle of vodka and two glasses, along with a plate of smoked fish.
“This is where we tell each other what we admire about the other. I’ll go first, but you must drink.”
I pour him a shot and nod in approval when he downs it.
In the dim light of the lamps, I look over at my blood brother and smile. “You are a man of principles. You never sway from them no matter the circumstances.”
Thane nods. “Thank you.”
“Now, it’s your turn,” I announce.
He pours me a shot and watches me drink it. The moment I put down my glass, he states, “You are a man of extreme passion. I admire the fact that you’re not afraid to show your emotions.”
“True,” I respond. “You are a man of deep emotions as well, but you keep them tightly controlled.”
He smiles slightly. “I do.”
I pour him another shot. “While I admire your great intellect, moy droog, I admire your humbleness more.”
Thane snorts in disbelief. “Really?”
I nod.
Thane pours more vodka into my glass, then looks me in the eye. “I am cynical and cautious by nature. But, you…you approach life differently. You live each moment with fierce intensity.”
“It’s all or nothing,” I agree.
I pour his next shot with reverence and push it toward him. “You saved my life, brother.”
He downs the vodka and slams the shot glass on the table. “We’re even on that score.”
I can tell the alcohol is starting to affect him as I watch Thane carefully pour the vodka into my glass. He stares at me for several moments before saying, “I admire your belief in God.”
I laugh, caught off guard by his admission. “Why?”
Thane holds my gaze when he answers, “I consider you my intellectual equal and yet…you can believe in something intangible.”
I smile and shrug it off. “It is no different than believing in love, comrade.”
Thane shakes his head. “That’s another thing I struggle with.”
I look at him with compassion. “It’s because you think with only this.” I point to his head. “But you also have to think with the heart.” I press my fist against my chest for emphasis. “We are made up of both, brother. It is not one or the other.”