The door to my office closes the next day with a quiet click, sealing me in with the only men I trust. I settle into my leather chair, eyes locked on my brothers.
Aleksei leans against the edge of my desk, arms crossed, eyes cold and unflinching as always. Kirill sprawls in one of the leather chairs like he owns the ce, a wicked grin tugging at his mouth as he flicks his knife open and closed with rhythmic precision, while Anton stands by the window, hands sped behind his back, nk-eyed, watching the city like he’s calcting which building to blow up first.
“I want an update,” I tell them. “What have we learned since the attack?”
Aleksei is the first to speak. “The two she killed were high ranking. Word is, DeLucas want her blood for it.”
“How do they even know about her?” My fist curls.
I will destroy them all for even thinking they could kill her.
“Maybe they had you followed,” Kirill offers.
That’s not likely.
“What else do we know?”
“They moved their location again,” Aleksei continues. “Went underground. Every contact we’ve leaned on says the same thing. But the word on the street is clear.”
Kirill picks it up. “They want her blood and won’t rest until they get it. There’s even talk of a bounty.”
I m a fist on the desk, sending pens scattering to the ground. “Find them and bring them to me. Everyst one of them!”
“Trying,” Aleksei says calmly. “But they’re ghosts right now.”
“You’re telling me none of you can hunt down a nest of fucking roaches?” My temper continues to unravel. “If anything happens to her…” My voice carves through, sharp and unforgiving. “It’s on every single one of you. And I don’t forget.”
“You’re serious.” Anton tilts his head, eerily still, his gaze narrowing. “Why is she not dispensable? Why do you care? She’s not family. She’s not necessary.”
“She saved my life.”
Of course, that’s not the only reason why, but Anton of all of them would never get it. He hasn’t understood connection since the night our father mmed a bottle across his skull and left him unconscious for hours. Whatever emotion used to live in him died then. After that, he just…stopped feeling. Stopped caring. A perfect killer.
Sometimes I envy that. The simplicity of not giving a damn.
“She’s useful,” I add. “Not that I need to justify anything to any of you.”
“Of course not,” Aleksei replies, throwing his hands in the air.
“She shares your bed. Of course she’s useful.” Kirillughs.
“Enough!”
Anton tilts his head. “You’d go to war for her?”
“I’d wage a thousand wars to keep her safe, even if it was just for an hour.”
The room goes silent, all eyes on me. The man I was before I met her wouldugh. To go to war for a woman never crossed my mind until now.
Kirill flips the de closed. “Nu da. Never thought I’d see the day Konstantin caught feelings.”
“That’s not what this is,” I grit out.
“Like hell it isn’t,” he adds, smirking.
My eyes cut toward him.
He holds up his palms. “Hey, I’m not judging. She’s beautiful. Deadly. I’d probably catch feelings too.”
My eyes narrow. “Call her beautiful again, and I’ll rip your tongue out. You focus on the crew. Leave her out of your mouth.”
“So sensitive.” Alekseiughs. “How exactly do you n to keep her safe?”
I let a small, sharp smile y at the corner of my mouth. “Don’t worry about that.”
Kirill raises a brow. “You’ve already nned it out, haven’t you?”
“Of course.”
They don’t need to know anything. Not yet. But I’ve thought of the perfect way to ensure her absolute protection.
If DeLuca wants her blood? He’ll have to go through me.
And I don’t break. Not for anyone.<hr>
EMILIA
Without Konstantin near me, it’s like I can finally breathe again. Like his presence doesn’t cling to my skin or coil around my ribs like a vise. I needed space, real space, to remember who I am and why I’m doing all this.
My home is too quiet as I walk inside after having a run. No scent of his cologne in the air, no low murmur of Russian-entedmands, no flicker of that glinting stare watching me like I’m both prey and prize.
I kind of miss it.
See, no! Don’t do that!
Fuck. I’m never this pathetic.
I take a long sip of my water before grabbing my phone and making the call I’ve been dying to make.
I haven’t seen Nate for a couple of weeks, not since this whole operation began. The guilt weighs on me like an anchor around my throat, but it’s been impossible to get away and I can’t risk one of Konstantin’s men following me.
I tap Reyes’s name. He hasn’t called, which is hopefully good news. The phone continues to ring, but he finally answers.
“Emilia…hey… What’s up?” His voice cracks slightly, the nervous energyced through his words, and I immediately know something’s wrong.
“You tell me. Why do you sound like you’re scared of me? What the fuck happened to Nate?”
Silence presses into my chest. Something’s wrong. I can feel it.
“Reyes, I swear to God if you don’t start talking right now, I’m gonna?—”
“There was an incident two days ago.”
My stomach instantly free-falls. I picture my brother dead on the floor, blood all around him.
No, no, he’s fine. I expected shit to go down again. He’s okay…
“What kind of incident?” I keep my voice steady.
“He was jumped in the yard while working out. Three guys. Skinheads. We think it was nned.”
I go cold. My fingers tighten around the phone. “Is he okay?”
“He’s alive. Got stabbed in the leg, but the de missed anything vital. He’s stitched up and recovering.”
I can barely swallow past the lump rising in my throat. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me?!”
“I wanted to, but he told me to keep you out of it. Em, I’m sorry. Being caught between you two hotheads isn’t a ce I wanna be, but I’m trying, alright?”
My chest rises and falls with long, shallow breaths. “Let me make it clear. When he tells you not to tell me shit, you tell me shit. Got it? Because if this happens again, I will make sure you lose you goddamn job! We understand each other?”
Blood rushes to my head; I can almost hear it in my temples.
“Yeah, okay. I’m sorry. You’ll know everything from now on.”
“Good. ’Cause remember, in exchange for you protecting him, I keep your little secret about supplying the prisoners with drugs.” Heat shes through my veins. “If that’s too much work for you, I can let your boss know what a bad boy you’ve been.”
“Jesus, alright. I’ll do better. You think I wanted this to happen?” His tone grows sharper.
For a second, it sounds like he has a pair of balls. The fucking coward.
“I don’t care what you wanted. I care about what you’re getting done. We won’t have this conversation again.”
“Yeah, fine.”
“So, what happens to Nate now? Are they gonna put him in solitary?”
“Yep. They’re gonna have him in there for a few weeks, and he’s got no choice this time.”
I hate that I’m relieved that my brother will be locked in a box, cut off from everything. But at least he’ll be safe.
“Do me a favor,” I tell him. “I want you to pass him a message from me.”
“What is it?”
“Tell him…” My throat tightens as I close my eyes. “Tell him I’m doing everything I can and I’ll never stop until he’s free.”
Reyes is quiet for a beat. “You’ve got it.”
I hang up and let out a shuddering breath.
Nate can’t stay in there. I know deep in my gut that if he does, he’ll die.
When I call Riley next, she answers immediately.
“Tell me you have good news.” I release a sigh, desperation digging into me.
“Wish I did.”
Fuck!
“I need something, Riley. He can’t go on like this. He was attacked again.”
“Oh, shit. Is he okay?”
“He’s alive. And the good thing is they’re gonna put him in solitary for a while. But he won’tst in there forever.”
She blows out a harsh exhale. “I know, and I’m trying. I’ve dug through everything on Konstantin’sptop, and I’m sorry to say but there’s nothing that points to evidence tampering or Nate at all. The man’s paranoid as hell and smarter than most, and believe me, he made it difficult tob through everything. But you have me, so…”
“Okay, Miss Cocky.” I let out augh. “Tell me what else we can try. Where else we can look.”
“Well…” She pauses, like whatever she ns to say next is even more dangerous.
But thankfully, danger is my middle name.
“Tell me.”
“Okay, but it might be hard.”
“I don’t care.”
She scoffs. “Of course you don’t. Alright, so as long as you can get your phone close to his, I can ess it and see what I can find there. Or if you can somehow get near anotherptop, maybe a private one, then we can try that too.”
I press a palm to my forehead, the weight of everything crushing me. “I’ll do it. We work pretty closely together, and having my phone near his won’t be a problem.”
“Okay, but it will be risky because the program runs for about ten minutes and he can’t be using his cell at the time.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
My hand slides through my hair, gripping it with frustration. “Fuck, maybe he’s keeping the evidence in some damn safe at home or something. But how would I get in there?”
“I’m guessing he won’t just let you snoop around in his mansion of death?”
“I’ve never even seen it.”
I guess I need to get closer to him, secure some way inside, but how?
“So other than his phone, you’re out of options,” she says softly.
“There’s always n B…”
There’s a pause. A beat too long. Then Riley exhales.
“Em…”
“What? Framing him is a viable n. He won’t y ball otherwise. If I make him believe that he could be put in prison for that cartel boss’s murder, he’ll give me what I want. He won’t want a war with them either. Once he gives me what I need, whoever actually killed that cop goes away, and so does the evidence I’d have on him.”
“That’s reckless and you know it. That man…he’ll kill you without blinking. There’ll be nothing stopping him once you tell him what you’re up to.”
Sure, she’s right, but it’s a risk I’d be willing to take.
“I don’t care what he does to me, because if I’m dead, you’ll give the bureau everything you need to frame him. If I can’t free Nate, then I’ll make sure that the man who put him there rots for the rest of his life.”
She lets out a sardonic chuckle. “Of course I’d do that for you, ’cause I know if I don’t, you’d haunt me for the rest of my life.”
“You bet your ass I would.” My mouth curls. “I owe you. You’re a good friend.”
“I know. Now go and get me that phone. I’m texting you the program you need to install on your end. When you’re ready, you run it on your cell and the program will do the rest.”
“Okay. Thanks. Speak soon.”
I end the call and toss the phone onto the table with more force than necessary. It skids across the surface, but I barely notice. My feet start moving before I can think, pacing back and forth like a caged animal, breath shallow, pulse thundering in my ears.
The pressure builds in my chest, fury and helplessness coiling so tightly it feels like I might snap in half. The room shrinks around me, the walls pressing closer with every second. I rub my arms and flick the stic band on my wrist, trying to use the breathing techniques the therapist taught me to help ground myself.
But nothing helps. My mind spirals, needing to center all this pain and frustration.
A familiar ache pulses beneath the faint, silvery lines hidden on my arms.
They burn—not from pain, but from memory. From temptation. The need creeps in like a ghost. A quiet voice whispering that if I just let the de kiss my skin, the storm inside will finally break.
I know better. But that doesn’t stop me.
I rush into the bathroom, hands trembling as I drop to my knees and yank open the cab under the sink. The chaos in my head screams louder with every heartbeat. I dig past bottles and towels until my fingers brush the box filled with disposable razor de refills—the ones I should’ve tossed, but didn’t.
The light catches the metal as I open the box, glinting like a cruel invitation.
I stare at them, and I swear I can feel my past staring back at me.
None of this is going the way it was supposed to. I wasn’t supposed to lose focus. Wasn’t supposed to forget who I am or crave the way Konstantin’s body feels wrapped around mine like armor I never asked for. But now I miss it like air.
And that terrifies me.
My fingers close around the razor, my palm trembling as I lift it. I lower myself to the cool tile floor, the silence of the room pushing in around me like a scream I can’t release.
I press the dull edge against the faded lines on my arms, those reminders of darker days.
My body tightens. My throat closes.
I swore I was past this. That the girl who needed pain to breathe was long gone.
But here I am again, staring at a de like it has answers.
This mission wasn’t supposed to get personal. I was supposed to infiltrate, manipte, gather evidence, and walk away unscathed.
But Konstantin Marinov isn’t just anyone. He disarms me with a look. Wraps me in warmth and hunger. Makes me feel safe when I know I’m anything but.
He touches me like I matter. Holds me like I’m already his.
And part of me wants to believe it. Wants to believe the possessiveness in his voice is protection, not control. That the way he watches me, listens to me, kisses me…it’s not just a game.
But it is. Because he’s still the one who destroyed my brother. The man who ys judge, jury, and executioner behind closed doors. The Bratva king with blood under his nails and power in every word.
And I’m ying him like a violin.
Except now I don’t know who’s being yed anymore.
I press the razor a little harder. Just enough to feel the cold bite of steel.
You’re stronger than this, Emilia. Don’t do it. You’vee so far.
My other hand curls as I stare at the de for long, drawn-out seconds.
FUCK!
I drop the de on the floor, breathing so fast my head grows dizzy. I won’t do this to myself again. I won’t be her.
Running a hand down my face, I pick up the de and the box with the rest and I toss them in the trash.
I can’t go back there. Not ever.
I have to believe Nate will make it. That I can resist Konstantin long enough to outy him before the spiral pulls me under, before I forget why I’m here and let him burn away what’s left of my soul.
He may hold me like I’m his, but he’s still the man who put my brother in a cage.
And no matter how tangled my feelings get, how deep I fall, this mission doesn’t change. I will free Nate.
Because love is a luxury. Survival is a choice.