Page 29 of Cruel Russian Pakhan (Safin Bratva #1)

“Safin…I want you to listen carefully, because this is the last time you’ll hear my voice without the sound of gunfire behind it. I’m done playing shadows with you.

“Congratulations, you’ve gone from being just an enemy to the target of war.

“After what you did, there’s no peace left. No truces. No more pretending. And the world knows it now; I made sure of that.

“Those new alliances you were trying to charm? I took them, right from under your nose. And I’ll make sure no one ever wants to align themselves with you again.

“Every man, every woman, every child who lives under your faction’s protection, inside or outside the Bratva, is now a target. If they stand behind your walls, they fall with you.

“I’m coming for everything you’ve built.

“Every deal. Every dollar. And every drop of blood spilled from this point forward…is on you.

“And Lev?

“Unlike you, I’m a man of my word.”

I pressed the stop button on the machine and looked up at my brothers. We sat in the downtown office conference room.

It had been a week since Katya was taken. A week since she started sleeping in my bed. A week of nightmares, every night, after hearing what those bastards said.

After the third night in a row, we saw a doctor. They prescribed mild sedatives just to help her sleep.

I was grateful she was in my bed. If she’d still been sleeping in her own room, I might never have known.

She’d been jumpy lately, zoning out a lot. And I fucking hated it.

Ninel or Mariya had been with her every day this week, since I didn't like leaving her alone right now.

“Did Katya hear it?” Avit asked through clenched teeth.

Ever since they found out she was pregnant, my brothers had become protective of her. And honestly? I was grateful. Knowing they had her back during all this chaos gave me some peace of mind.

“Thankfully, no. I figured Artyom left that message hoping she’d hear it, but the light was still blinking when I got home. She never played it.”

“I expected some fallout,” I continued. “But for now, he’s all smoke, no fire. The real problem is, someone else is out there. Someone we don’t know. Someone who wants both our factions to burn.”

“We got hits on the faces of the men we killed rescuing her,” Jaroslav added. “They were all mercenaries.”

“Fuck,” Marten muttered. “That means anyone could’ve sent them.”

Jaroslav nodded. “So we stick to what we know. Watch each other’s backs, keep security tight, keep our ears to the ground.”

I turned to him. “Did you talk to Yegor? Tell him what Katya overheard, about someone targeting their faction, too?”

“I did. He took it seriously. Thanked me for the heads-up…then hung up.”

I nodded, jaw tight.

My heart ached for Katya. First, I denied her seeing her family, and now Artyom was cutting what little ties she had left. They’d already lost so much time together.

But I wasn’t giving up. If it was the last thing I did, I’d find a way to reconnect her with her sisters.

Yegor and Zahkar, I still wasn’t sure about.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Pyotr, being closest, got up and opened it. Mariya stood on the other side, an uncertain expression on her face. She stepped in, followed by two women in ragged clothes, faces smudged with dirt, hats pulled low. Pyotr shut the door behind them, but none of the women moved.

I stood slowly, my eyes narrowing as they landed on my sisters.

“Mariya?” I asked, half question, half statement.

One of the disguised women stepped forward and spoke.

“Lev, we came to speak with you. Please…just hear us out.”

The fuck?

I stepped out from behind the conference table, storming toward them. Mariya quickly moved to block my path, shielding the women.

“They came to the Hearth begging me to come see you. Please hear them out.”

“Mariya. Move,” I ordered, gruffly.

She hesitated, then reluctantly stepped aside. I reached out and pulled the hats off both women.

Kira. Vera.

“Fucking hell. Do either of you realize Artyom has declared war on our faction? What the hell are you doing here?”

Vera spoke up. “Zahkar told us what happened when you rescued Katya. Even though they didn't agree with what he was trying to do, they couldn’t turn their backs on Artyom…but trying to hold him off has already cost them.”

“Vera,” I said, eyes locked on her, “what do you mean, it cost them?”

Vera shifted uncomfortably under my gaze.

Kira cut in. “Lev, that doesn’t matter right now, what’s done is done. We know you have no reason to trust us. But Katya’s our sister. We love her. And we came here because it’s the right thing to do, to speak to her husband, to show respect.”

She looked me in the eyes, with the same spark of defiance that Katya sometimes carries.

“We’re not asking to be in her life every day. We just…don’t want to live the rest of ours without her.”

I was looking for a way to reconnect her with her sisters, and an opportunity had just presented itself. I’d be a damn fool not to take it.

“Ladies, please, have a seat. Let’s figure out a safe way to get you to and from Katya, shall we?”

Suddenly, Kira stepped forward and threw her arms around me.

I stiffened, caught off guard. She pulled back almost immediately, flustered.

“I…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” she stammered.

I let out a soft chuckle. “It’s okay.”

Over the next thirty minutes, everyone at the table discussed the safest route for Kira and Vera, how they’d get to my house and back to their trusted driver and guards without Artyom catching on.

When we wrapped up, I sent Marten with them to ensure they reached their car without any trouble.

And then I went home to see Katya.

When I entered the house, I went straight to the bedroom. Sure enough, Katya was curled up in bed, fast asleep, a romance novel slipping from her fingers and hanging off the side.

I gently removed the book, set it aside, and headed for a quick shower. After pulling on a pair of boxers, I climbed into bed beside her. What struck me was how naturally she gravitated toward me, even though I hadn’t touched her yet.

The first time I tried getting into bed with her after they took her and hugged her, she fought me like her life depended on it. I’d held her gently, calmed her down until the tears subsided. She thought they had come back to finish the job.

But now, she wiggled her way over to me on her own.

Once she was close enough, I pulled her into my arms. She murmured something half-asleep before her eyes fluttered open.

“Hi.”

“Hey,” I whispered. “I’ve got some good news for you.”

A flicker of hope passed through her eyes. “What is it?”

“Vera and Kira showed up at the office today,” I said softly.

She instantly tensed in my arms.

“For security reasons, instead of you going to meet them, they’ll be coming here twice a month to spend a few hours with you. They want to be a part of your life.”

Tears welled up in her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. I kissed the top of her head.

“When will their first visit be?” she asked, her voice cracking.

“Tomorrow.”

She pulled back to look at me, eyes wide. “Tomorrow? You’re not pranking me, right?”

I raised a brow. “Do I look like a prankster to you?”

She threw her arms around me, and whispered into my neck, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” I stroked her side. “Have you eaten?”

She nodded.

“Do you need anything?”

She shook her head. “You being here is all I need.”

I shifted us into a more comfortable position, lying down with her tucked into my side. Her arms tightened around me, and it wasn’t long before she drifted off again.

The next day, I watched Katya pace the lounge like a nervous wreck as she waited for Jaroslav to bring her sisters. She’d been up since the ass crack of dawn, and despite my best efforts to keep her occupied, her anxiety had only grown.

She had snacks and drinks laid out already, determined to make her sisters feel welcome.

I let her pace since it helped burn off some of the nervous energy. When we finally heard Jaroslav’s voice in the hallway announcing their arrival, Katya bolted.

I stepped into the hall just in time to see her shove poor Jaroslav aside like a linebacker, rushing straight into the arms of her sisters.

I walked up to the cluster of crying women.

“Vera. Kira. Welcome to my home.”

They pulled away from Katya just enough to face me.

“Lev,” Vera said, wiping at her eyes. “Thank you for this.”

“You’re welcome.”

Katya disentangled herself just long enough to throw her arms around me and press a kiss to my lips. Then she turned back to her sisters, linking arms with them and guiding them toward the lounge.

“I can’t believe Katya pushed me aside like that,” Jaroslav muttered in mock offense.

I chuckled. “Next time, walk behind the ladies, not in front of them.”

Jaroslav shook his head as I clapped him on the shoulder.

“Come on,” I said. “Let’s head to the office. We’ve got deals to discuss, and a few men to break for information.”

***

Two months passed in the blink of an eye. Vera and Kira had visited four times, but they stayed in constant touch with Katya through text messages, video calls, voice notes. Every time her phone lit up with one of their names, so did her face.

And every time they left, my once-quiet house felt too damn quiet.

The last time they visited, Katya invited Ninel and Mariya, too. The house was filled with chatter and laughter, with energy I didn’t even realize it needed. It had been chaotic, but beautiful.

Now, Katya lay beside me, tracing slow, lazy patterns across my chest with her fingertips. We’d just made love, and this, this right here, was my favorite part of the day; the quiet after the chaos.

“Hey,” she said softly. “What are you thinking about?”

“You,” I replied honestly.

I’d meant to tell her I loved her two months ago, but then everything happened—her abduction, the fallout, Artyom’s threats. The timing had never been right. And now?

Now she was glowing. Happy. Safe. But the thought of Artyom discovering Vera and Kira’s visits twisted my gut. It wasn’t just about us anymore. It was about them. About the life growing inside her.

Yes, I loved Katya. I loved her in my bed, in my house, with my ring on her finger and my child in her belly.

But maybe…just maybe…I wasn’t all she needed.

She shifted beside me, propping herself up and clutching the sheet to her chest. “Lev,” she said gently. “Talk to me.”

I stared at the ceiling for a long moment before turning to her.

“I see how happy you are with your sisters. And it’s made me realize something…

I’ve been selfish. Every time they visit, they risk their lives.

It’s not fair. They make you smile in a way that…

” I hesitated, forcing the words past the lump in my throat.

“Maybe it’s better…easier…for you to live with them.

To be with your family in their space. They love you. They miss you.”

I swallowed again.

And I love you, too.

Katya looked up at me with those oceanic eyes that always seemed to drown out everything else around me. She leaned forward, slowly, and placed her palm against the side of my face. I leaned into her touch instinctively.

“Lev,” she whispered, her voice laced with emotion, “you are my family.”

Then she took my hand, threading her fingers through mine, and placed it gently on her belly. I felt the soft curve beneath my palm.

“Our baby is my family.”

She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, then opened them again, shimmering with unshed tears. “I love you, Lev Safin. I know we haven’t really talked about what our future holds or how this marriage will really work, because of everything that’s happened. But this…this is my home. I am happy here.”

I wanted to speak, to tell her to stop before I fell apart, but I couldn’t. My throat had closed, and my heart was pounding wildly in my chest.

“My sisters know the risk,” she continued, her voice steadier now. “And I love them even more for taking it. And you…” she smiled faintly, a bittersweet curve of her lips, “you’re risking everything for them, for me, and for that, I’m grateful.”

Then, her expression shifted, softened with fear. She let go of my face, her hand falling to her lap as her shoulders drew inward, like she was bracing for impact.

“But…if you really want me to go, I will.”

And fuck, that shattered me.

She looked at me like she was preparing to be torn apart by my answer. And I realized that for all her strength, all her fire, Katya was trusting me with the most vulnerable parts of herself. That kind of trust? It was sacred.

I exhaled sharply, emotion ripping through me as I cupped her cheek this time, tilting her face toward mine.

“If I really want you here?” I gave a hollow laugh and shook my head. “Fuck, beautiful…I’ve never wanted anything more than you, here, being my wife, naked in my bed.”

Her lips parted, breath catching, but I kept going. The truth had been clawing at my chest for weeks, and now it tore free.

“I love you, Katya. You’re the first woman I’ve ever truly loved. And because of that, it took me longer to even recognize what I was feeling. But I want you here. No, scratch that, I need you here.”

I slipped my hand from her cheek to her belly again and held it there.

“I want to make more babies with you, if that’s what you want. I want to know your dreams—if you want to study, work, stay home, whatever. I want us to start building something, Katya. Planning our future together. Not just surviving, living.”

Her eyes welled up again, but this time it wasn’t fear or sorrow. It was hope.

“I’d like that too,” she whispered.

And just like that, the ache in my chest eased.

Because now I knew we weren’t just a married couple bound by circumstance.

We had become something deeper. We were two people in love, choosing each other every day.

And in that moment, I vowed to give Katya everything beautiful this world had to offer.