Semua Bab The Mafia King's Collateral : Bab 121 - Bab 130

Nikolai’s POV The water had cooled slightly around us, but Liora was warm and pliant in my arms, her breathing slow and content as she rested against my chest. I pressed one more soft kiss to the top of her damp hair before carefully shifting us. “Let’s get you out, baby,” I murmured gently. I lifted her from the tub with ease, water dripping from both of us onto the tiled floor. She made a soft, sleepy sound and snuggled closer, her face tucked into the crook of my neck. I grabbed a large, fluffy towel and wrapped it around her first, drying her gently before drying myself quickly. She looked so small and peaceful like this—completely trusting, completely mine. I carried her back into the bedroom, still wrapped in the towel. From the closet, I pulled one of my oversized black shirts, the softest one I owned. I helped her into it, sliding it over her head and letting it fall loosely around her body. It swallowed her up, the hem reaching mid-thigh, sleeves long enough to cover

Liora’s POV I stayed curled against Nikolai’s chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart under my ear. His arms were wrapped around me like he never wanted to let go, one hand still stroking slow, soothing circles on my back. Every now and then he’d press a lazy kiss to the top of my head or my temple, and I’d sigh happily, melting further into him. The morning light had grown brighter, but neither of us seemed eager to move from our warm little bubble. My stomach, however, had other ideas. A quiet rumble broke the peaceful silence, and heat rushed to my face. I was suddenly, embarrassingly hungry. Last night’s activities had taken a lot out of me, and the bath had only made me realize how empty my stomach felt. But telling him felt… shy. After all the intense, passionate moments we’d shared, admitting something as simple as “I’m hungry” made my cheeks burn. I snuggled closer instead, burying my face deeper into his neck and hiding there. My arms tightened around him

Liora’s POV The bedroom felt too quiet after Nikolai left. I stayed curled up in bed for a while, hugging his pillow tightly to my chest, breathing in his scent that still lingered on the sheets. It hadn’t even been thirty minutes, but I already missed him terribly. The warmth of his body, the way he’d been feeding me so gently, the soft kisses and lazy touches — it all felt like a dream that ended too soon. I sighed and rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling. “Just a meeting,” I whispered to myself. “He’ll be back soon.” Trying to distract myself, I reached for the book on the bedside table, one of the romance novels I’d been meaning to finish. I opened it to where I’d left off and attempted to read. The words blurred together. No matter how hard I tried to focus on the story, my mind kept drifting back to Nikolai. His intense eyes when he was on top of me last night. The way he’d apologized in the bath this morning. The gentle way he’d fed me breakfast. I read

Nikolai’s POV The meeting dragged on longer than I wanted. We kept delegating tasks, going over every possible scenario like we always did when something threatened to destabilize our control. Viktor leaned over the map again, tracing a route with his finger. “If we send the main team here,” he said, “we can cut off their river escape. But we’ll need a second unit to block the northern roads. They’re slippery — they’ve already moved twice in the last forty-eight hours.” Dmitri nodded, adding more details. “We have confirmed sightings in Krasnodar. Three safe houses. If we hit the wrong one first, the others will scatter. We need coordinated strikes.” I listened, jaw tight, asking sharp questions as we broke down logistics. “How many men do they have guarding the main location?” “Fifteen, possibly more,” Sergei replied. “Well-armed. They’re expecting retaliation.” We kept going, assigning roles, backup plans, communication protocols. Every detail was picked apart and rebuilt.

Liora’s POV The afternoon light felt heavier somehow, like it knew Nikolai was leaving. We had spent a little more time together after our emotional talk, visiting Alora briefly so he could kiss her forehead and promise to bring her a special gift when he returned. Our daughter had hugged him tightly, not fully understanding why Daddy had to go, but sensing the sadness in the air. Watching them together made my chest ache even more. Now we were back in our bedroom. The suitcases were packed. His men were waiting downstairs. The jet was ready. And I was trying so hard to be strong. I stood in the middle of the room, still wearing his oversized shirt, arms wrapped around myself as I watched him double-check his things. Every movement he made felt like it was pulling him further away from me. My heart was already hurting, a deep, yearning ache that made it hard to breathe normally. He turned to me, and the look in his eyes nearly broke me. Those stormy gray eyes that had been