Page 67 of Bratva Boss's Secret Baby

“No, it’s not. But it’s the only promise I can make honestly.” Regret laces his tone, but it’s clear he won’t risk lying to me by making a promise he can’t keep.

I lean my forehead against his, trying to reconcile the man who just paid off my mother’s debt with the man who’s planning to kill his enemy. They’re the same person, and somehow, that makes perfect sense in a way I never would have understood before falling in love with him. He’s righting wrongs and restoring balance with both acts.

My stomach clenches with dread. “When?”

After a second, he frowns. “Soon. I’m still gathering intelligence and finalizing plans, but soon.”

“Will you tell me before you go?”

He doesn’t hesitate. “Yes. No more secrets between us, remember?”

I nod and settle back against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat while I process everything he’s shared. The knowledge that Vadim is still out there and still a threat should terrify me. Instead, I try to focus on what comes after—the life we’ll build together once this final obstacle is removed.

“I love you.” The words come easier each time I say them. “All of you. Even the parts that scare me.”

His smile is brief but warm. “I love you too, more than I thought I was capable of loving anyone.”

“When this is over, when Vadim is gone and we’re free, what then?”

His smile lingers longer this time. “We find out what normal looks like to us. We raise our daughter, we grow old together, and we never take a single day of peace for granted.”

I sniffle, fighting back another surge of tears. “That sounds perfect.”

He pats my belly gently. “It will be. I’ll make sure of it.”

As I sit in his arms, surrounded by the evidence of his careful planning for our future, I have no trouble believing him. We’ve found something worth fighting for and worth everything.

24

Nikandr

Aweek later, the call comes at four-thirty in the morning, jolting me from the most peaceful sleep I’ve had in months. Sabrina stirs beside me as I reach for the secure phone on my nightstand, but she doesn’t wake. The soft curve of her back rises and falls in the rhythm I’ve come to find more comforting than any prayer.

I keep my voice low as I slip out of bed and pad toward the hallway. “What is it?”

Maksim’s voice carries the electric tension of a hunter who’s finally cornered his prey. “We found him. Vadim, at a confirmed location with minimal security, and he’s not alone.”

I close the bedroom door silently behind me and make my way to my office. “Details.”

“He’s in a safehouse outside Fresno. It’s a rural property and isolated, with only two guards that we can identify from surveillance. He’s been there for three days.”

“Who’s with him?”

“Blonde woman, mid-thirties, who matches the physical description of Irina. It could be her, or another escort, but a woman is definitely there.”

My pulse accelerates as I settle behind my desk and open my laptop. In seconds, I’m studying dozens of surveillance photos taken from various angles of a modest ranch house surrounded by farmland, perfect for privacy and terrible for escape routes. “How reliable is this intelligence?”

“Rock solid. We’ve had eyes on the property for forty-eight hours. Vadim arrived Tuesday evening, and the woman came Wednesday morning. They follow the same routine every day, and guards rotate shifts at six and midnight. There are minimal foot patrols and no electronic surveillance we can detect.”

I study the images, looking for anything that feels wrong or too convenient. After fifteen years in this business, I’ve learned to trust my instincts about when something feels like a trap, but this appears genuine. Vadim looks comfortable, unaware, and completely vulnerable. I lean back in my chair, already planning the approach. “It’s perfect.”

Maksim’s voice sharpens with suspicion. “Too perfect?”

“No. Just perfect.” I continue examining the surveillance photos. “He’s gotten comfortable. Sloppy. He thinks he’s untouchable because he’s been playing games instead of engaging directly.”

“So we move?”

The question remains unanswered while I consider every angle. This is exactly the opportunity I’ve been waiting for, getting Vadim isolated, exposed, with minimal security, and nowhere torun. If Irina is really there, I can get answers about Yaraslov’s death while ensuring neither of them can ever threaten my family again.

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