Page 28 of Cruel Russian Pakhan (Safin Bratva #1)

I kept my eyes closed, an ache radiating from my skull as the freezing sting of the concrete seeped into my skin. My arms were twisted painfully behind me, the handcuffs biting deep into my wrists, which throbbed. I'd been conscious for at least five minutes, maybe more, long enough to listen.

At first, I thought it was Artyom, that I’d somehow been dragged back to him. But when I woke on a cold, filthy floor instead of a warm bed, with unfamiliar voices circling me like vultures, I knew I was wrong.

The men didn’t bother whispering. They spoke in English, but they had an accent. Italian? Maybe French? Definitely not Russian.

Their words scraped against my bones, and I fought not to let their words affect me.

“Once we cut off her head and send it to Rykovs, it’ll rip his faction apart.”

A cruel laugh.

“Send the fetus to Safin. In a little box. Tied with a ribbon.”

Another laugh.

“With this bitch tied to both the Safins and the Rykovs, her death would ripple through two of the most dangerous families in the Bratva in Philly. Making our job at dismantling them easier than expected.”

I fought the bile rising in my throat. I was nothing more than leverage: an unborn child, a severed head, and a statement.

I forced myself to breathe, slow and shallow, to keep my body limp and muscles slack. I didn’t want them to know I was awake.

When they finally left, the door slammed shut and I was left in silence.

I cracked one eye open. The room was dim, the walls crumbling and stained, a thin window near the ceiling letting in barely any air. I pushed myself up slowly, wincing as pins and needles shot through my arms.

I leaned back against the wall and exhaled shakily. “I really hope they didn’t use the expensive cuffs,” I muttered dryly.

Biting down on my bottom lip, I slammed the metal against the wall. Once. Twice. Again. My wrist screamed in protest, but I kept going. After the fourth hit, the lock finally gave and popped open with a small metallic click. The cuffs clattered to the ground.

I flexed my hands, shaking out the numbness. My fingers brushed against my hair. Relief rose in my chest; I still had my handmade hair stick tucked in tightly.

Without wasting time, I pulled it free and approached the door. It was locked, of course. I knelt and worked the thin blade into the keyhole, ears straining for any sound outside: footsteps, voices, engines.

But I heard nothing.

“Don’t panic, Katya,” I whispered to myself. “Panic wastes energy. Panic gets you killed.”

The lock gave with a faint click. I stood, blade still in hand, and slowly cracked open the door.

Two men stood just outside.

Shit.

They froze. So did I.

Then I lunged.

I drove the hair stick deep into the neck of the man closest to me. He screamed and stumbled back, crashing into the second man. A gun went off, and a groan followed, but I didn’t stop to check who got hit.

I ran down the hallway, my bare feet slapping on cold cement. My heartbeat thundered in my ears as I turned a corner and saw a heavy double door at the end.

Please, God.

When I reached it, I grabbed the handle, yanked, and it opened.

A bullet whizzed past my face. I screamed and bolted into the night.

Outside, the air was freezing, stinging my lungs. I had no idea where I was; an abandoned warehouse, maybe? Industrial district? The area was half-lit by flickering streetlights and trash fires in metal drums.

I looked over my shoulder, trying to gauge how close the man who had fired at me was. That was when it happened—a blinding flash of headlights. Tires screamed and a car skidded to a stop just inches from me. I stumbled back, panic woven in every heartbeat.

I barely caught myself before hitting the ground and scrambled upright. I darted toward what looked like an alley between two buildings, praying it would give me cover.

But I never made it.

A broad, tall shadow peeled itself from the darkness, and a gun rose, pointed straight at my chest.

My breath caught. My body froze.

Instant flashbacks of Lev saving me the last time a gun was pointed at my chest ran through my mind. How he got us to safety and shielded my body with his.

I wanted him here so badly it hurt. Even if he couldn’t save me this time…I just wanted to see him one last time. Because I knew only a miracle could save me now.

With trembling hands raised, I stepped back slowly, my eyes locked on the barrel of the gun trained on my heart.

Then everything happened at once.

A strong arm wrapped around my waist, yanking me back just as a deafening gunshot rang out. The man who had his gun trained on me dropped like a stone.

I was being carried, more like hauled, and I fought blindly, panic overriding logic.

“Katya! It's me. Marten. You're safe now, baby girl.”

A sob broke loose from my chest.

If Marten was here…then Lev had to be close.

Marten opened the door to the third SUV and gently pushed me inside. “Stay put. It’s armored, you’re safe. I’ll be right out here.”

He shut the door before I could even nod.

I curled into the seat, trembling, every muscle taut. I couldn’t hear anything from outside, and the silence only made my heart race faster.

After what seemed like forever, the door was yanked open, jolting me from my thoughts.

I screamed.

“Katya…”

My head snapped to the voice.

“Lev!”

I launched myself out of the SUV and into his arms. I couldn’t stop shaking.

“You came,” I whispered.

“Of course I did. As did your brothers…and mine.”

I looked up, just in time to see the cleanup, the men moving methodically, putting final bullets into anyone still twitching on the ground. The air was heavy with smoke, gunpowder, and blood.

Had both families come to a truce? I could only pray it would last.

But tonight? Tonight was a start.

I buried my face in Lev’s chest, clinging to him, tears in my eyes. Grateful to be back in his arms, surrounded by family, where I felt safe. His hand cradled the back of my head, and for a brief moment, the world around us melted away.

Then, a gunshot cracked through the air and Lev hissed sharply, and his body jolted. I heard Marten swear somewhere behind us.

Startled, my eyes flew open. I saw a thin dark line of blood slowly soaking his shirt along his upper arm.

“Lev…” My voice caught, brittle with panic.

But right then, Artyom's voice rang out. Behind Lev I saw his brothers’ guns raised. My heart lurched as I spun in Lev's arms.

Artyom stood a few feet away, his gun raised.

Pointed at Lev.

“Katya, we’re leaving. Now.”

My blood turned to ice.

“W-what are you talking about?”

Behind Artyom, Yegor’s and Zahkar’s guns were also raised. My brothers had their weapons aimed at my brothers-in-law, and my husband.

My husband.

The man I loved.

Terror clawed at my chest. I couldn’t lose him, not now. Not when I was carrying his child.

I placed a trembling hand over my stomach and met Artyom’s gaze, refusing to look away.

Lev and I weren’t the perfect married couple, not yet, but I clung to the hope that we could be. And for that to happen, I had to stay by Lev’s side.

Yes, he was Bratva. Yes, he was dominant and fierce. But he was mine. And I’d come from nothing, scraped my way through hell. Now that I finally had something worth fighting for, I wasn’t about to give it up.

If I wanted this life, I had to protect it.

I had to protect him, even from my own brother.

There was no way I was stepping aside. No way I’d let Artyom take the shot.

I shifted slightly, positioning myself, aligning my head with Lev's heart. If Artyom wanted to take him out, he’d have to shoot through me first.

“Step away from him,” he growled. “We’re leaving. I’m taking you home.”

Lev’s grip tightened on my hips, like he was afraid I'd actually leave. I knew with one wrong move, it could all go to hell. And if I survived, the person with the most to lose was me. But I had to try.

I straightened my shoulders.

“No,” I said, firmly. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Katya…”

“Artyom,” Lev spoke from behind me. “We've had a long day. Why don't we all go home, get some rest, and we can meet tomorrow and discuss whatever is bothering you.”

“What’s bothering me?” he spat. His eyes danced with menace before darkening. “What’s bothering me is that you’re withholding another man’s wife. That you lied about annulling the marriage with this half-breed to marry a real Rykov woman…”

Artyom waved his gun at me before re-aiming at Lev.

“You’ve proven you’re not a man of your word, and that comes with consequences.

Katya is leaving with me. As for Vera, the deal’s dead.

I won’t tie my blood to a family that can’t follow through on a simple arrangement, especially one you came to me begging for. ”

“It's too late for that, Artyom, because I'm pregnant.” Lev gently squeezed my hips. “And the father is Lev.”

I saw Yegor's and Zahkar's eyes widen a fraction and heard a low whistle from one of Lev's brothers.

“I will be leaving here with my husband. When we go home, we will decide whether or not our marriage will be annulled, not you , not anyone else.”

Artyom lunged forward, fury etched into his face. Fear shot through my veins, but I stood my ground. Yegor and Zahkar moved fast, each grabbing one of Artyom's arms.

He growled, yanked free with a snarl, then stormed off in the opposite direction without another word.

Zahkar cast us a wide, amused grin before following him, and Yegor gave a subtle nod before trailing after them.

Only once he was gone did I exhale. My knees buckled, but Lev caught me, arms circling my waist as he turned me gently into his embrace.

He kissed me, short and hard, before pulling back. “I know why you shifted,” he said, voice husky. “You were trying to protect my heart.”

“I was,” I murmured. “And mine as well. You're my heart, Lev. Without you, I won't be able to survive.”

My hands slid up his bicep, and he flinched. I stilled.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, looking at the blood on my hand. “We should get you to a hospital.”

He looked down at me, pride gleaming in his eyes, then reached into his jacket and pulled out a handkerchief. Gently, he wiped the blood from my hand before tucking it away again.

“I’m fine,” he said calmly. “It’s just a graze.”

I pressed my forehead to his chest, soaking in the steady beat of his heart. Then I tilted my head back to meet his gaze.

“Take me home, Lev,” I said softly, teasingly. “After everything today…I think I’ve earned the right to be stuffed.”

A low chuckle rumbled from his chest. “Let’s get you home, then.”

***

An hour and a half later, I sat nestled in the warm tub of Lev’s master bathroom suite, cradled between his legs.

His arms wrapped gently around me, hands resting just beneath my breasts as he softly massaged slow circles into my skin.

Lev’s left arm was wrapped in a bandage.

The steady rise and fall of his chest against my back soothed me, and I closed my eyes.

After making slow, tender love to me in his bed for the first time, he had filled the tub and lifted me in with care, then climbed in behind me.

"I'm so damn proud of you, Katya," he murmured into my ear.

"Why? What did I do?" I asked, distracted by his hands and the way he was planting soft kisses along my neck.

"You used what you were taught, and you were able to escape.”

I smiled and tilted my head slightly to catch a glimpse of him. “That’s because I had an amazing teacher.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah,” I teased. “He’s kind of a hard-ass, though. And super annoying.”

Lev chuckled, then tickled my side. I squealed, splashing water over the edge of the tub, and he pulled me close again, resting both hands gently over my stomach. I laced my fingers through his.

“Thank you for coming back to me,” he whispered.

“I’ll always come back to you,” I said, yawning as sleep began to crawl through my exhausted body.

He kissed the side of my head. “Alright, sleeping beauty, let’s get you to bed.”

“I like your bed,” I yawned again.

He chuckled. “And I like you in my bed.”

Lev carefully stepped out of the tub first, then helped me out. He dried me off with a soft towel, then quickly dried himself before lifting me into his arms. Back in bed, he tucked me beneath the covers and climbed in beside me, pulling me close.

As I curled into his chest, his arms around me and his hand resting protectively over our baby, my eyes fluttered shut. For the first time in a long time, I let myself believe tomorrow would be better.

For me.

For Lev.

For the little life growing inside me.

And with that hope in my heart, I drifted into sleep.