The drugs have left my system. My blood is my own again, no longer tainted by whatever they used to keep me weak. And with that, my rage is back full force.


    I can feel it in every muscle, every bone—an undeniable surge of fury. All I want right now is for that bastard brother of hers to still be alive so I could tear him apart with my bare hands.


    The thought of Gerardo and the DeLucas still breathing, still out there, sends a hot wave of anger through me.


    My body’s fighting to fully recover, but I don’t give a shit about the pain. I don’t care about the throbbing in my muscles or the pounding in my head. What matters is that Emilia’s okay. She’s strong, stronger than I could’ve ever imagined, and she saved me, saved our family. And she didn’t hesitate to kill her brother to do it.


    As I walk back toward her hospital room with something for her to eat, I find my brothers marching over to me. As soon as Aleksei got her text, he said they rushed over, but only made it in time to catch the aftermath. But still, they came, and that’s what family is.


    Aleksei looks me over, his eyes flicking from my face to the bandages still covering parts of my body.


    “How’s she doing?” His tone’sced with concern.


    “She’s going to be okay. She’s tough.”


    He nods. “She is.”


    My hand tightens around the bag of food I’m holding. “She’s pregnant.”


    The words hang in the air until Aleksei’s mouth twitches. “This is good.”


    I run a hand down my face, blowing out a breath.


    “You won’t be anything like Papa was,” he adds, and I hope he’s right.


    Kirill’s eyes flicker between me and the hospital door, a dryugh escaping. “A fed, huh?” He smirks, shaking his head. “Didn’t see thating. But stranger things have happened.”


    That they have.


    Anton walks closer, his gaze meeting mine. “She saved your life. There’s honor in that. Honor’s not something you find in everyone.”


    I know this is them epting her, and I’m grateful for that. It’s much easier than having to kill them…


    But how could they not ept her? They saw what I see. Loyalty, even when it hurts. Love, even when it’s hard. They saw a woman who risked her life for mine, and after that, how could they hold the badge against her?


    Aleksei steps back, his expression hardening. “We’re going to find Gerardo and the DeLucas. Bring them all to the farm and dispose of them.”


    A smile creeps up my face. “Save Gerardo for me.”


    He’s dead the moment Iy my hands on him, but I want to savor it. I want him to feel everything I’ve been holding back. Everything he’s done to Emilia, to me, to our family.


    Aleksei nods, and with that, my brothers turn and walk away, leaving me alone in the hallway. But I’m not really alone. Not anymore.


    As soon as I step into the room, I drop the bag of food on the table, my fist clenching when I see her propped up on the hospital bed, a doctor sewing her up while she stares at me with a faint smile.


    “Hey, babe. That was fast.”


    “You’re lucky I left at all.”


    Even with the men stationed at her door, I still hate to be away from her.


    Blyat, her skin is so pale, and I know she still carries the shock of what happened. Every time I remember what her brother tried to do, my hands twitch, needing something or someone to break.


    The doctor threads another stitch through the torn skin of her arm. And when she winces, I immediately see red.


    Grabbing the doctor by the cor, I jerk him an inch away from her body. “You hurt my wife again, and I will do the same to you. Except worse.”


    His mouth goes ck, terror filling his eyes. “I-I’m sorry.”


    I drop my hand away. He works for me. He knows damn well I don’t bluff.


    Emilia shakes her head with a softugh. “Don’t mind my husband. He gets a little sensitive when I’m in pain.”


    When I peer down at her, a hand around her stomach, I swear something in my chest cracks wide open.


    I don’t deserve this. Her. The child inside her. But I will burn the world to protect them both.


    I should never have let myself get captured. I should’ve been smarter, yed the game like I always do, but I didn’t. I let my heart take the lead, and it almost cost me everything. It almost cost me her. The family we’re trying to build.


    But with Emilia, all I want is to feel—every moment, every touch. I want to love her through the darkest of times, to protect her with every breath I take. She’s not just my wife. She’s my equal. My queen. And nothing will ever change that.


    This woman, this force of nature, risked everything for me. Again.


    And I would die a hundred deaths to have her at my side.


    Emilia. Tessa. My wife. My salvation.


    She’s strong, fierce, more independent than half the men I’ve evermanded, and twice as dangerous. And yet she’s mine.


    The doctor finally leaves, muttering something about pain meds, but I don’t even nce his way. As soon as the door clicks shut, I move to her side, lowering myself to the edge of the bed. My knuckles brush against her cheek, and I press my lips to her forehead, lingering there, still needing the reassurance that she’s alive.


    Hershes flutter under my touch, eyes meeting mine, tired but full of light.


    God, how did I ever live without this woman?


    My palm finds her belly. The quiet promise of everything we have yet to be.


    “I will love this child and you every day that I live. And I swear on everything I am, I will protect you both.”


    Her hand slides over mine.


    “I know you will,” she whispers. “And he or she will love you too. Because you’ll be an amazing dad.”


    I search her face, every part of her, and I see it. The truth. The trust. The strength.


    “And you know you’ll be a good mom too, right, katyonak?”


    She nods, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes. “I feel it already. This overpowering love I’ve never felt before. Not like this.”


    Dropping my forehead to hers, I exhale slowly. “It terrifies me, having you and this baby, but it’s the best fear I’ve ever felt. Because it means I finally have something that matters.”


    She smiles through her tears. “You’ve always mattered too, Konstantin. Even when I hated you.”


    I smirk. “You’re so good with your words, moya lyubimoya.”


    “I know.” Sheughs, and the sound fills the space between us, something pure and good.


    Sliding down beside her on the bed, I pull her against my chest, her head resting over my heart. And for the first time in what feels like years…it beats in peace.<hr>


    EMILIA


    The following day, I’m home, tucked under Konstantin’s watchful eye like I’m made of ss. He’s everywhere, hovering, making sure I don’t lift a finger, not even to walk to the bathroom without his help, and it would be quite adorable if it wasn’t also a tad annoying. But I love him for wanting to take care of me.


    I’m doing my best to cope with the aftermath of Nate’s death, the betrayal that feels like it will take forever to heal, and the fact that Gerardo is out there, escaping the payback he deserves. But it wille. Konstantin will not let him live. He’s going to make them all pay, and I will enjoy every painful second.


    “Come, I have a surprise for you,” he says, his voiceced with that excitement that hints at a secret he’s eager to reveal.


    I raise an eyebrow. “What kind of surprise?”


    “You’ll see.”


    He takes my hand, guiding me down the steps. “Careful, Emilia.”


    His grip tightens as he steadies me, and the concern in his eyes only makes me love him more. I let out a breathlessugh, even when that’s thest thing I want to do.


    “Really forgot who you married, huh?” I tease, pushing the heaviness away for a moment.


    “Never.” His eyes darken, his intensity growing as we stand beside his Royce, already waiting for us.


    In one swift motion, he grabs the back of my neck, pulling me in. The kiss is hot, demanding, burning with passion. It consumes me, pulling every bit of air from my lungs, leaving me breathless and raw. When he pulls away, his gaze fastens to mine with such force, it makes my chest tighten and my pulse race.


    “I haven’t forgotten who you are, Emilia,” he says softly. “But I also know you’re not okay. And that’s alright with me. Trust me enough not to be okay around me.”


    His words hit deep. My throat tightens, a sharp throb in my chest, and I feel the sting of tears prick at my eyes. I quickly swipe them away, trying to hold it together.


    “Jesus, stop making me cry. I never cry.”


    Konstantin cups my cheek, his thumb gently wiping away the remnants of my tears. “Maybe you should. You don’t have to be strong all the time.”


    I shake my head. “What good would that do? I cried enough yesterday. I don’t have anything left in me.”


    His expression softens, but there’s a quiet anger behind it, anger I understand. “I’m sorry, malyshka. I wish I could take your pain away.”


    With a sigh, I wrap my arms around him and groan in satisfaction as my cheek hits his chest. “That’s okay. This is enough.”


    My arm still throbs from the bullet graze, but it’s nothingpared to the gaping hole in my chest where I once held space for my brother.


    We stay like that for a while,fortable in the silence, in the arms of one another, even when things are still unfinished. But in this moment, it feels like it’s just him and me. And that’s all that matters.


    Gradually, he pulls away, still holding me close. Heces his fingers with mine and looks down at me.


    “Come, let’s go for a drive.” He leads me into the back of the car with him as one of his men takes the wheel.


    Konstantin’s hand is warm around mine, his thumb brushing lightly over my skin as we drive up toward the farm, and something instantly catches my eye in the distance.


    A slow-growing fire looms closer, something roasting over it. My heart skips a beat at the sweet gesture.


    I turn to him, a small grin tugging at my lips. “Did you cook for us again?”


    His smirk deepens, eyes lighting up with mischief. “Yeah, something like that.”


    Curiosity bubbles inside me, but I don’t push it further as the car smoothlyes to a stop. Konstantin kisses my knuckles before stepping out and opening the door for me. He doesn’t release my hand as he guides me toward the fire, his driver trailing behind us.


    And when I see what he’s actually making, the shock of it causes me to bounce back a step.


    Because he’s not cooking a meal. He’s cooking…a person. Gagged, bound to a rod, spinning slowly over the mes. His body is burned and bruised, barely recognizable through the charred skin and open wounds.


    I stop dead in my tracks. “Who is that?”


    Konstantin smiles something cold and vicious. “You don’t recognize your own boss, katyonak?” His voice drips with venom. “Gerardo was nice enough toe over for dinner. Except, of course, he’ll be the dinner tonight. Isn’t that right, my friend?”


    Frozen, I watch as Gerardo groans, struggling against the ropes, a scream dying off in his throat.


    Konstantin pats the top of his head, his eyes gleaming. “Good piggy.”


    I’ve wanted this confrontation for so long, wanted him dead. But now I don’t even know if this will bring me an ounce of satisfaction.


    “Where was he hiding?” I wonder, barely able to process what I’m seeing.


    Konstantines to my side, sliding his arm around my back. “One of his girlfriends’ basements. You made it easy, didn’t you?” His gaze locks on to Gerardo, his irises ming with fury. “Did you really think you could get away with hurting my wife? No one will ever get away with that.”


    Gerardo groans, the sound muffled by the gag, but Konstantin’s rage only grows. He gestures sharply for his man to tear it away.


    “Answer me!” he snarls, his features twisted with ferocity.


    “Emilia, I-I-I’m sorry.” Gerardo trembles out as he speaks, barely above a whisper.


    My chest tightens as I step toward him, but I can barely look at him. “Not only have you lied to me my whole life, but you’re the reason Nate is dead too.”


    “No,” he mutters weakly. “Nate was…Nate. He knew what he wanted, and when I-I showed him how much money he could make, he went for it. That’s n-n-not m-my fault.”


    He’s gasping for air, his words stumbling over one another.


    I want to scream, to say something else, but the anger, the grief… It’s suffocating me.


    He’s right. I just want someone else to me. But the truth is, Nate is just as at fault for his role in this. And Gerardo? Well, he’s the monster I never knew he was, and now I’m watching him pay for it.


    Konstantin’s voice drops to an icy, unforgiving tone. “After I kill you, I’m going after your family and every member of your crew. Every single one. Because I’m feeling charitable with a baby on the way, I’ll spare the wives and children. But no one else.”


    Gerardo doesn’t respond. He doesn’t get the chance. The fire crackles as Konstantin steps forward, picking up a heavy log and tossing it onto the mes. The fire soars to life, growing hotter, sending sparks flying into the air.


    Gerardo screams, the sound echoing far and wide.


    Konstantin leans in close, his breath hot against the shell of my ear as he says, “This is what I’ll do to anyone who touches you. But you already knew that.”


    Gazing up at him with absolute adoration, I hold his cheek and nod. “I do know that, and I’d do the same for you.”


    Gerardo’s screams fade, bing muffled under the roaring ze, while Konstantin pulls me against his side, his hand firmly holding mine as we walk away from the chaos.


    The mes burn behind us, and all I feel is this sense of deep loss, but somehow, a new beginning too.


    Because in Konstantin’s arms, I finally feel like I’m home. Like everything I’ve been searching for has led me to this moment.


    To him.


    No matter what the future holds, I know one thing for sure: I’m where I’m meant to be. With this man. With our child. In this new life.


    And together, we will survive it all, no matter the cost.