Page 22 of Cruel Russian Pakhan (Safin Bratva #1)

Timur’s team had been watching Artyom like a hawk. Nothing traced back to him. No moves, no messages. Which only made everything worse. At least if it were Artyom, we’d know how and where to strike back.

We doubled the security at every business, reinforced the Hearth and added ten more men to the mansion.

With the world on fire around me, having Katya in my home felt like the one thing anchoring me. With her near, I could face anything.

Every morning, she was there. Breakfasts shared over quiet conversation.

Dinners where we laughed until my sides hurt.

One night, I left her flowers and a gold bracelet next to a basket of her favorite chocolates.

Another, we watched some ridiculous romantic comedy in her room until she fell asleep against me.

I put her to bed and climbed in with her, and she automatically found me and clung to me.

There were times she asked about seeing her family, hope in her eyes, a softness in her voice that made it hard to say no.

But I always told her the same thing: with everything going on in the faction, now wasn’t a good time.

What I didn’t tell her was that the thought of her walking into Artyom’s world again made my gut twist in ways I didn’t want to admit.

And somewhere in between, I stopped pretending I didn’t look forward to those moments with her. I felt something for Katya. Maybe not love, at least not yet, but whatever it was, I was done fighting it.

Earlier that afternoon, we’d gotten word about another attack before it went down. We thought we had time. We thought we could stop it. But everything went horribly wrong. Three of our men didn’t make it out.

I was barely holding back my rage when I stepped through the front door, and I headed straight for the office. It was already past midnight. I figured Katya was asleep by now.

Still, part of me wanted to see her. Touch her. Breathe her in just to feel something other than the rage that strained against my veins.

But first, I needed to calm down. I paced the office, fists clenched, my mind spinning, until a knock at the door interrupted me. I didn't even wonder who would be knocking at this hour; I just answered.

“Come in,” I barked.

Katya stepped inside, holding a tray.

“I thought you might be hungry. Since you missed dinner,” she smiled.

I just looked at her, caught off guard by the simple kindness.

I’d spent my whole life taking care of others, leading, protecting, making sure everyone had what they needed.

It hit me then, that no one had ever really taken care of me since I was a child.

But this…this small, quiet gesture from Katya, it moved me.

Katya shifted under my gaze, her smile fading.

“I’m sorry. You’re probably busy. Maybe you already ate,” she added quickly, turning to leave.

I crossed the room in a few strides. “Katya.”

She paused. I gently took the tray from her hands and set it down on the side table. Then I kissed her softly.

“Thank you,” I said.

Still holding her hand, I led her to the couch.

“How was your day?” I asked.

Her gaze dropped to her lap. She hesitated, then bit her lower lip. Something was bothering her.

I tilted her chin up with one finger. “Katya. Talk to me.”

“Kira reached out to me today…”

My brow arched. “What did she want?”

“The same thing I want. Another meeting. I want to see my siblings, Lev. I want a relationship with them.”

I sighed. “Katya…it’s not the right time.”

Her eyes flashed. “So when will be the right time? If you're worried about what happened at the house, I’ll talk to Artyom. We can meet somewhere neutral. A public place, even…”

I cut her off, sharper than I meant to be. “Artyom won’t go for it, especially coming from you, a woman he clearly despises. He won't be interested in a peaceful meetup this time.”

That, and the stunt you pulled at the club was an added log to the fire.

Katya shot to her feet. “Lev, I can’t keep living like this, knowing I have a family out there and being told I can’t even see them.”

I stood and reached for her hand, but she pulled away.

“Katya,” I said more firmly, “You don’t understand. Artyom doesn’t play fair. If you go to him again, he won’t let you leave. He might not even marry you off this time, he’ll do something worse, just to hurt me.”

“Lev, this isn't about you, it's about me! I'll bear whatever it is Artyom wants if I can see my siblings.”

“Katya…”

“No, Lev! You don’t get it!” Her voice cracked. “You had parents who loved you. You have siblings who would die for you. You know what it’s like to be part of something, to belong. I want that too, don’t you see?”

I heard the pain in her voice, saw it etched in her eyes. I knew what it meant to her, to have a family, to be with them. But I was a selfish bastard. I didn’t want to risk losing her, not even if it meant giving her the one thing she wanted most in this world.

I moved toward her and wrapped her in my arms, lifting her face so I could see her eyes.

“You do belong. To me…to my family.”

“But…”

“You don’t want me?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“I do,” she breathed.

“Then show me.”

She stood on her toes.

And I bent, pressing my mouth to hers as she melted into me.