The minutes stretch like hours. I force myself to smile, to nod at Arina’s story, but my appetite is gone. Every movement near the entrance makes my skin crawl. I keep my eyes on the table, terrified that if I look up, I’ll see Fadir himself walking toward us.
Two minutes later, Katya’s phone buzzes. “Car’s here. Back entrance. Tikhon sent two teams. We leave now.”
Arina stands first, casual as anything, looping her arm through mine like we’re just three friends heading out for a stroll. Katya follows close behind. We slip through the kitchen as the staff parts to let us through without question, clearly used to this kind of exit. We emerge into the alley where a black SUV waits with its engine running.
The ride to Alexey’s main house at the compound is tense and silent. Arina keeps her arm around my shoulders. Katya watches the mirrors, phone still in hand. I press both palms to my stomach, feeling the faint flitter of the baby growing within me, which has only recently become noticeable, and try not to spiral.
When we pull up to the main house, Alexey and Tikhon are already waiting on the wide stone steps.
The moment I step out of the car, Alexey is there. His hands come to my shoulders, steady and warm, brown eyes scanning my face with that fierce protectiveness that always makes something inside me both melt and ache.
“You’re safe,” he says immediately, voice low. “They didn’t get close.”
“I missed them. I was laughing, enjoying myself, and I didn’t even see them. What if they had…” I nod, but my voice shakes
“You didn’t miss anything,” he cuts in gently, pulling me against his chest. One large hand strokes down my back in slow, soothing strokes. “Katya caught it. You were relaxing for once. That’s not a failure. That’s progress.”
Tikhon stands a few feet away, speaking in low tones with Arina and Katya, but his eyes keep flicking toward us. He looks ready to tear someone apart.
I stay in Alexey’s arms for a long moment, breathing in the clean scent of his cologne mixed with the faint trace of gun oil that always seems to cling to him. His heartbeat is steady under my cheek. I can feel it, strong and reassuring.
But when I pull back slightly to look at his face, I see it.
The anger.
It’s rising in him like a slow tide. His jaw tight, his eyes enigmatic, and his commanding enforcer mask slipping just enough for me to see the fury beneath. Not at me. Never at me. But at Fadir. At the men who dared show their faces near me. At the constant threat that refuses to die.
“I hate that he can still do this,” I whisper. “That even when I’m trying to have one normal morning, he finds a way to ruin it. I missed them, Alexey. What kind of mother am I going to be if I can’t even spot danger when it’s right in front of me?”
“You are going to be an incredible mother. And you won’t have to spot the danger alone. That’s my job. Yours is to grow our child and let yourself breathe when you can.” His hand comes up to cup my cheek, thumb brushing away a tear I didn’t realize was falling.
The anger is still there, simmering just under the surface, but he reins it in for me. His touch stays gentle, his voice steady. He pulls me close again, resting his chin on top of my head.
“Tikhon’s already handling the men who were at the café,” he murmurs. “They won’t bother you again. And Fadir… his time is running out faster than he realizes.”
I nod against his chest, letting his strength hold me up for a little while longer. The pregnancy has made every emotion feel bigger, but so has this. The quiet way Alexey keeps showing up,choosing me even when the world tries to remind me how fragile I am.
Arina and Katya come over, their presence warm and solid. Katya squeezes my hand. “Brunch next time at the compound. Safer, and I make better mimosas anyway.”
I manage a watery laugh.
Alexey doesn’t let go of me as we walk inside. His hand stays at the small of my back, and for the first time all morning, the fear recedes just enough for me to breathe.
The revenge against Fadir is still burning.
But standing here, surrounded by these people who have folded me into their family without question, I feel something else growing stronger.
Hope.
Plus the terrifying, wonderful realization that maybe I don’t have to carry everything alone anymore.
Chapter 20 - Alexey
The heavy oak door of my home office at the family compound clicks shut behind Tikhon, sealing us inside the one room where strategy turns into action.
Late afternoon light filters through the tall, arched windows overlooking the east gardens, casting long golden beams across the walnut floors. The office is built for a purpose: masculine, restrained, and utterly secure.
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves line two walls, filled with leather-bound volumes on military history, finance, and coded ledgers that only a handful of people can decipher. A massive antique desk dominates the center of the room, its surface currently covered with surveillance photos, financial reports, and a half-empty bottle of premium vodka.
