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Armed men stood along the building and near the water, watching my arrival without making any attempt to hide themselves. Trevor and several O’Connor men remained behind me, but I walked forward alone. Sokolov stood beneath a broken security light, his coat buttoned against the cold. He looked almost relaxed.

“You came quickly,” he said.

“You should expect that. You tried to take what’s mine and keep it for yourself.”

A faint smile touched his mouth. “That’s exactly why I asked you to come.”

I stopped several feet away. “You know what happens if you touch Sofia again.”

“I know exactly what happens,” Sokolov replied. “That’s why she’s useful. You spent years making sure nobody could find a weakness in you, Ronan. Then Sofia appears, and boom, everyone can see where to place the knife.”

I kept my expression controlled.

Sokolov continued, “She’s investigating the old fire, isn’t she? She’s already uncovered information that should remain in the dark. If she keeps digging and the authorities reopen those cases, it won’t only be the O’Connors who suffer. Men on both sides have spent years protecting the same secrets.”

“You’re not concerned about the authorities.”

Sokolov stepped closer. “Of course not. Damn the authorities! I’m more concerned about…er…opportunity. Sofia, you see, has information. She has an audience. More importantly, she has you. If federal investigators discover how closely the old crimes connect the O’Connors to the other people involved, your family’s position becomes vulnerable. You know that.”

“Get to the point. You’re wasting my time.”

“Then let me make this simple. Give me Sofia, and this ends.”

I didn’t hesitate. “No.”

Sokolov studied me. “You didn’t even consider it. She’s one woman. One woman, and this is settled. Let’s do the deal, and no one will hunt you in the night.”

“She’s not one woman; she’s my wife.” I took another step toward him. “And you will not have her.”

Sokolov’s smile disappeared. “Then perhaps we should discuss something you can afford to lose.” I remained silent. “The shipping routes through the eastern port,” he said. “The waterfront properties controlled by the O’Connors. Several of your family’s most profitable operations depend on them. Give me control of them, and I will leave Sofia alone.”

I almost laughed. “You came here demanding my wife, and when I refused, you decided to demand my territory instead? How stupid are you?”

Sokolov’s eyes narrowed. “I’m offering you peace. Call it whatever you want. You have to make a choice. You can protect Sofia and keep your people alive, or you can protect your pride and start a war.”

I looked past him at the men surrounding the warehouse. Every one of them was waiting for a signal. “You think this is about pride?” My voice remained calm. “You’re mistaken about what I’m willing to lose.”

Sokolov watched me for a long moment. “I think every man has something he refuses to lose. You would risk everything for her?”

I held his gaze. “Yes.”

For several seconds, nobody moved. Sokolov finally nodded, but there was no acceptance in his expression.

“Then you’ve made your choice.”

“No,” I said quietly. “You made yours when you went after her.”

He studied me for a moment before giving a quiet laugh. “Then you still don’t understand what I’m offering. Those ports aren’t simply pieces of land. They’re access, money, and influence. Give them to me, and you keep your wife. Refuse, and every organization watching this dispute will see an O’Connor weakness. They will see that you chose a woman over your territory.”

“They’ll see that I refused to surrender to you. That I chose my family instead.”

Sokolov’s men remained motionless around us, but the tension had changed. There was no longer any pretense that we were negotiating. We were measuring how close we were to violence.

“You think your people will accept this?” he asked. “You think the other families will watch you refuse to make a deal and simply respect you for it? You’ll need more than confidence when the shooting starts.”

“Then let it start.”

For the first time, Sokolov’s amusement disappeared completely. He stared at me as though he’d expected hesitation, and found none.