Semua Bab Blood And Vows : Bab 31 - Bab 40

MikhailI woke before dawn, as I always did. The habit had been beaten into me since childhood. Never let your guard down, never sleep too deeply, never trust that morning would come without blood.But for the first time in years, I slept peacefully.Liliana was curled against my side, her dark hair spilled across my chest like silk. In sleep, she looked innocent again, soft and vulnerable. But I knew better now. I'd seen the steel beneath her beauty last night.My phone buzzed on the nightstand. A text from Viktor appeared on the screen. “Emergency meeting. One hour.”I slipped out of bed carefully, not wanting to wake her. She stirred slightly but didn't open her eyes. I put on my clothes and headed downstairs to my office.Viktor was already there, along with Alex and two other lieutenants. Their faces were grim.“What is it?” I asked, pouring myself coffee from the service that had been set up.“Retaliation,” Viktor said simply. “The Petrovs hit three of our drug shipments overnig

MikhailThree weeks had passed since the meeting with the family heads, and surprisingly, Moscow had grown quieter. Too quiet. Although some of our operations were being interrupted, they were minute and harmless. Probably just a useless group of bandits were trying to make a name for themselves.I watched Liliana from my office window as she walked through the manor's garden below. She moved with a grace that made my chest tighten, her dark hair catching the afternoon sunlight. When had I become so completely consumed by one woman? How on earth did it happen?All I wanted was a pawn. A weak and pathetic vessel to carry my heir. But this woman has gradually found her way under my skin.The realization should have terrified me. But instead, it felt like coming home.“Boss,” Dmitri knocked on my door. “The shipment from Belarus arrived safely. No interference from the remaining Petrov soldiers.”My gaze narrowed suspiciously. “Good.” I turned from the window, but my eyes kept drifting b

MikhailThe wine burned as it slid down my throat, but not nearly as much as the betrayal that burned in my chest. I'd retreated to my private study, the one room in the manor where I could think without interruption, where the weight of being Mikhail Volkov, head of the most feared family in Moscow, could temporarily lift from my shoulders.But tonight, even this sanctuary offered no peace.I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the estate grounds, my chest bare, the cool air from the slightly open window doing nothing to calm the fire raging inside me. My hair had grown longer than I usually kept it, dark strands falling past my shoulders in waves that caught the dim lamplight. The crystal glass in my hand held the finest Georgian wine money could buy, but it might as well have been poison for all the satisfaction it brought me.Liliana.Even her name in my thoughts was like a blade twisting in my gut.I'd given her everything. My trust, my protection, my heart, th

MikhailThe sun filtered through the heavy curtains of my study, casting long shadows across the floor where broken glass was still scattered. I hadn't slept. I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face. I saw the way she had looked when she said she had rather die as a Volkov than live as an Orlov.My chest felt hollow.I stood before the mirror in my private bathroom with a razor in my hand, preparing for what was coming, not because I feared Nikolas, but because I feared what the outcome would be. The face staring back at me looked older than my thirty-two years.“Boss?” Dmitri's voice came from the doorway. “The men are ready for the final briefing.”I dragged the razor across my jaw with practiced precision. “Give me ten minutes.”“About the woman…” “Her name is Liliana.” My voice cut through the air like a blade. “Use it.”Dmitri shifted uncomfortably. “About Liliana. Some of the men are... concerned. About bringing her tonight.”I met his eyes in the mirror.

MikhailThe sound of Liliana's gun hitting the concrete floor echoed through the basement like a gunshot. I closed my eyes for a split second, cursing silently. Our element of surprise was gone.“Well, well,” Anton's voice drifted down from above, filled with smug satisfaction. “Sounds like our guests have arrived early.”I grabbed Liliana's hand and pulled her behind a stack of wooden crates just as heavy footsteps thundered down the basement stairs. My heart pounded against my ribs, but my mind was crystal clear. I have been trained my entire life for this kind of situation.“Stay low,” I whispered against her ear. “When I move, you follow. Don't think, just move.”She nodded, her green eyes wide with terror. Even scared out of her mind, she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.Three men appeared at the bottom of the stairs, assault rifles raised. They moved like professionals, covering each other's angles, sweeping the basement methodically. But they made one crucial mistake