Page 56 of Brutal Reign (Bratva Kings #3)
CHAPTER
FORTY-FOUR
HOPE
The compound’s conference room feels charged with energy as Pavel and I step inside for the meeting that will finalize tomorrow night’s operation.
Around the table, everyone is already in mission mode: Maxim and Roman pore over building schematics, Niko and Vadim examine satellite images, and in the corner, Dinara hunches over her laptop, purple-streaked hair falling across her face, with Eva beside her.
When Pavel first presented the plan to capture Chen, I wasn’t sure I could go through with it. He left the decision entirely to me, never pushed. If anything, he seemed torn about asking me.
Ultimately, I decided to go through with it, not only for myself but for Kin, my father, and the Syndicate. Chen and Simon need to be stopped, and they need to pay for what they’ve done.
When I think of the trust I placed in Chen, believing he had my best interests at heart, nausea rolls through me. But to learn that Simon—the boy my father raised and called his right hand—could turn around and murder him, that’s beyond sickening.
Pavel suspects Simon pulled the trigger, staging Baba’s death as a suicide, then escaped through the tunnels just before the Syndicate torched the place.
The irony is that Simon must have believed he’d inherit everything after my father died—the money, the power, the organization. It must have been a shock to discover the Black Company’s assets were frozen.
Pavel’s hand finds my elbow, and heads lift as we approach. Subdued hellos and nods ripple around the table, and I see a newfound respect in their expressions.
When we take our seats, everyone goes quiet. The weight of what we’re about to discuss settles over the room. Soon, I’ll meet with Chen, pretending to trust the man who betrayed me in the worst possible way.
Maxim stands, his authoritative presence commanding attention. “Hope, we all appreciate what you’re willing to do. I know the last few days have been difficult, but you made a brave choice, and I promise we’ll keep you safe.”
I nod, trying to project confidence I don’t entirely feel. Under the table, Pavel reaches for my hand, his fingers warm and reassuring against mine.
“Thank you,” I say, surprised by how steady my voice sounds. “I’m ready for this.”
And I am, as much as anyone can be. These past few days have been a whirlwind of preparation.
Pavel has been relentless in his training, teaching me basic self-defense, weapon handling, and tactical awareness.
He’s obsessed with ensuring my safety, that nothing could go wrong.
We’ve run through scenarios until I could navigate them in my sleep.
I know exactly where the exits are, where Pavel will be positioned, and what signals to watch for.
He’s prepared me for every possibility he can think of, but there’s no such thing as risk free, and I’ve made peace with that uncertainty.
Before anything more can be said, the conference room door explodes open. Kira storms in, followed by Liza and Sofiya.
The room goes dead silent, every head turning toward the interruption.
“We’re coming with you tomorrow,” Kira announces, her finger pointed at the table full of dangerous men. “If you think we’re sitting at home worrying, you’re out of your minds.”
“Kira,” Maxim warns, slowly standing to face his wife. He walks right up to her, using every inch of his considerable height to loom over her menacingly. But if anything, Kira looks vaguely amused. “There’s absolutely no fucking way you’ll be anywhere near Element for the meet.”
“Don’t you “no way” me in that tone,” she purrs, completely unfazed. “If you’re all going, so are we. A little moral support for Hope.” She winks at me, and despite everything, I have to fight back a smile.
Niko growls and pulls Sofiya into his lap possessively. “Not happening. Not even a discussion I will entertain.”
Sofiya crosses her arms, matching her husband’s intensity. “It’s a Syndicate club, filled with your men. We’d be safer there than anywhere else in the city.”
“Over my dead body,” Roman snarls, his voice dropping to a growl that makes the air vibrate.
Still sitting, he pulls Liza toward him, his large hand covering her growing baby bump protectively.
I can see murder in his expression at the thought of his pregnant wife anywhere near danger.
“You are not going near Element. End of discussion.”
Liza smiles and calmly grabs her husband’s face between her hands, forcing him to look directly at her. “But you’ll protect us, won’t you, babe? You always do.”
“Always, but it’s going to mess with my head if I have to worry about you and our baby,” Roman says through gritted teeth, though his voice softens as he looks at her.
The fact that these women are willing to put themselves in danger for me makes my chest tight with gratitude. After years of being completely alone, having friends who actually care enough to fight for me feels surreal.
I clear my throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “I appreciate the offer more than you’ll ever know, but your men need to be completely focused, and they can’t do that if they’re worried about protecting you too.”
The men around the table visibly relax, and the women’s faces soften in understanding.
“We want to be there for you however we can,” Kira says finally, her voice softer but no less fierce. “Just tell us how.”
“You’re incredible for doing this,” Sofiya adds, squeezing my hand across the table.
The kindness in their voices threatens to undo me completely. I blink hard and look down at my hands for a second, composing myself before smiling at them. “How about when this is all over, we celebrate with a night out and margaritas the size of our heads?”
“Deal,” Kira assures me with a grin that promises mischief.
Pavel stands and clears his throat, claiming control of the room.
“Alright, now that we’ve got that sorted,” he says, “let’s discuss the actual operation.
Element opens at nine sharp. The main floor will be open to the public as planned, to maintain normal cover, but we’ve completely taken over the VIP section.
It will be filled with our soldiers, both men and women who are trained fighters. ”
Dinara connects her laptop to the wall display, bringing up detailed building schematics and photos of the club’s interior and exterior. Every entrance and exit is clearly marked, and I study them intently, trying to memorize every detail that could be important.
“Chen is confirmed,” Pavel continues. “We believe he’ll enter as a regular guest to avoid suspicion. But we should expect him to bring backup positioned throughout the club. The real danger comes from the soldiers blending in with regular guests.”
“Why does Hope need to meet with Chen at all?” Liza asks with a frown. “Can’t you just grab him when he walks through the door?”
Pavel shakes his head grimly. “It’s safer if we wait until Chen’s alone and isolated. If we grab him the moment he walks into the club, his men are likely to attack, and that’s when innocent people can get hurt.”
“How does he plan to get Hope out of a Syndicate club in the first place?” Sofiya asks, still seated in her husband’s lap.
“Multiple possibilities.” Vadim points to the schematics. “But the most likely scenario is that they’ll use the service tunnels to the old metro system, or they’ll try to fight their way out through main exits.”
“Fighting their way out would be suicide, but it doesn’t mean he won’t try if he’s desperate,” Maxim observes. “Either way, we’ll have all exits and entrances covered.”
“The roof is also a possibility,” Eva points out. “But Vadim will be positioned in the building directly across the street, acting as sniper, so he can cover any escape attempts from above. And I’ll be operating the drone, watching from above.”
I feel Pavel’s eyes on me, searching for any signs of fear or hesitation. I keep my expression steady, even though my heart is hammering against my ribs. Despite trusting everyone in this room, I’m scared.
But stronger than the fear is my need to move forward with my life. That means telling Pavel that Kin is his son. I know Kin will be thrilled; he already adores Pavel and looks at him like he hung the moon.
But Pavel’s reaction will be more complicated. Will he be angry that I kept it from him? Will he be disappointed that he missed the first four years of Kin’s life? I know in my gut he loves Kin as his own, but it’s still a revelation with a lot of emotional weight.
I need to survive tomorrow. Then I can think about the future.
“You really think Chen can lead us to Simon?” Kira asks.
Dinara looks up from her laptop for the first time. “I’m certain of it. The digital breadcrumbs are there, even if I can’t crack their messages.”
“Maxim, Roman, Niko, and I will be onsite.” Pavel points to different locations on the schematic. “Maxim will be with our men in the main security office here, where he can see everything happening throughout the club. Roman and I will be on the VIP floor, close to the action.”
“I’ll be running ops from headquarters,” Dinara adds without looking up from her screen. “Coordinating everything and monitoring all feeds from a secure location.”
Pavel turns to me, his expression intense. “Until the moment you need to meet Chen in that bathroom, I’m not leaving your side.”
“I know, and I trust you,” I say quietly. “I can do this. I’m ready.”
Because more than revenge, more than anything, this is about securing forever with this man. The only way to get to that future is to eliminate the threat hanging over us.
“Anything else?” Maxim asks.
“One more thing,” I say, looking around the table. “What happens to Chen after you capture him?”
Silence settles over the room. Everyone seems to be weighing their words carefully.
“We’ll use any and every method available to us to find out where Simon is hiding and anything else we need to know.” Pavel runs a thumb over his bottom lip. “And he’ll pay for every lie he told you, every moment of pain he caused.”
I expect to feel horrified by the implication, but instead I feel emotionally drained. I nod, accepting what needs to happen even though I wish it didn’t have to come to this.
The meeting winds down, but Pavel doesn’t move, his attention focused entirely on me as the room empties. Our eyes meet, and in his gaze, I see a storm of pride, possessiveness, and a raw hunger that makes my blood sing. He’d burn down the world to keep me safe, and I’d do the same for him.
And tomorrow night, I’ll prove it.