Page 48

I watch him, struck by the transformation. Natasha Blackwood had done what no woman before her could—penetrated my brother's carefully constructed walls. For weeks, I'd witnessed the change in him. The way his eyes softened when he mentioned her name. How he'd check his phone more frequently, lips curving into that rare genuine smile when she texted. The sharp-tongued museum curator with her vintage Chanel and unflinching honesty had somehow captured Dmitri's attention, then his interest, and finally something I never thought he possessed—his heart.

“Katarina's secure. What do you need?” I ask.

Standing in the doorway, I watch as Dmitri struggles to maintain his composure. My usually immaculate brother looks disheveled, his perfect appearance cracking under the weight of what's happened. I've rarely seen him this undone, and it sends a chill through me.

As he speaks about Natasha, I see the raw fear in his eyes. This isn't the calculating businessman I know—this is a man terrified of losing something precious. Something he loves.

I listen as plans form around me, but my mind keeps drifting to Katarina. To her face when I left her in the secure room, to the way she trusted me during the security breach. To how right she felt in my arms.

Dmitri's voice breaks through my thoughts as he makes his admission.

“I can't lose her.” The words tear from his chest with painful honesty. “Nikolai, I—” His carefully constructed walls crumble as the truth hits him. “I love her.”

The word strikes me like a physical blow. Love. Such a dangerous concept in our world. I think of Katarina—herstrength, her brilliance, the way she challenges me. The way something in my chest tightens when she smiles.

Is that what this is? This constant awareness, this need to protect, this ache when we're apart?

My brothers exchange looks, but neither mock Dmitri's moment of vulnerability. They understand what it means for a man like him to admit such weakness.

“We'll find her,” Nikolai says firmly. “Whatever it takes.”

I watch as Dmitri runs his hand through his hair, a rare display of agitation that reveals how deeply Natasha has affected him.

“There might be only one way to end this quickly.” His words land like lead in my stomach even before he continues. “A trade. Katarina for Natasha.”

My body goes rigid at the suggestion. Trade Katarina? Return her to her father? The thought sends possession urging through my veins. She's mine now. The intensity of my reaction startles even me.

I feel my face contort with pain, my usual stoic mask cracking. The thought of giving her up tears at something deep inside me—something I didn't know existed until she awakened it.

“Brother...” Nikolai starts, but Dmitri cuts him off.

“I know what I'm asking.” His voice remains steady despite the obvious storm raging inside him. “But every minute she's in their hands...” He can't finish the sentence.

I turn away, my shoulders rigid with tension. We all know what Lebedev's men are capable of. The same techniques we've used countless times on our enemies. The thought of Natasha enduring that makes my blood run cold—not for her sake, but for what it would do to my brother.

“There has to be another way,” Alexi says, fingers flying over his keyboard. “Give me time to track?—”

“Time is exactly what we don't have.” Dmitri meets my eyes as I turn back. “I wouldn't ask if?—”

“I know.” My voice comes out rough with emotion I rarely allow myself to show. “But Katarina... she's not just a bargaining chip anymore.”

The admission costs me, but I owe my brothers the truth. These men are the only ones I've ever trusted completely. The only ones who know the darkness that lives inside me.

The weight of what Dmitri is asking settles heavily between us. He's not the only one who's found something worth fighting for, worth dying for. I found an unexpected... connection with our captive, and now he's asking me to give her up to save his love.

The choice tears me apart, but I already know what I'll do. Family comes first. It always has. Even if it meant giving up the one thing I never knew I wanted until she was in my hands.

Even if it means giving up Katarina.

The silence stretches between us, heavy with unspoken emotions.

Alexi clears his throat, his fingers still dancing across his keyboard. “Well, this is certainly a plot twist I didn't see coming. Both of my stone-cold brothers falling for women at the same time? Should I be checking the water for some kind of love potion?” His attempt at humor falls flat, but I appreciate the effort.

“We're not discussing my feelings,” I say flatly.

Dmitri shoots him a withering look. “Not the time, Alexi.”

“It's always the time for levity in crisis. That's basic psychology.” He doesn't look up from his screen. “Though I must say, Brother, your taste in women has improved significantly. The cybersecurity genius is definitely an upgrade from that bartender last year.”