Page 92 of Savage Reign

“You’re on speaker with me and Vadim,” I say, before detailing the attack from start to finish. My chest tightens as I speak, knowing how close of a call it was. If Sofiya had been hurt, I’d never forgive myself.

Vadim mutters a curse, dragging his palm down his face. “That wasn’t random. Someone was following you. They knew where you’d be. This was deliberate—meant to send a message.”

“Did you catch the guy on the bike?” Eva asks.

“Dima tried, but the motorcycle was long gone before he could close the distance.”

Vadim rolls his shoulders. “You think it’s the Syndicate?”

“No. They’d never put Sofiya’s life in danger like that.”

“We didn’t leave things on good terms with the Azerbaijanis,” Eva reminds me.

Fuck. She’s right. “Tural?”

“My contacts tell me he’s furious we dropped them,” Eva continues. “He’s stupid and reckless enough to seek revenge.”

That motherfucker. My fists clench with the urge to smash something. The bastard knows Sofiya is my weakness—I did a shitty job hiding it during our last meeting.

“We need eyes on Tural and his cartel—businesses, safe houses, contacts—everything. Let’s find out what he’s up to before we retaliate.”

“Let me run point on this,” Eva says. “I’m in the region.”

“Fine. But be careful. We don’t know what else he’s planning.”

“Always.”

I release a tense breath. “I need to tell you both something. I’ve made a decision that will change everything.” I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “I’m pulling out of the casino deal.”

Vadim’s eyebrows hit his hairline. “That’s a hell of a pivot.”

Eva lets out a low whistle, but I can sense her smile from the other end of the line. “Any particular reason?”

“I think you can guess it’s about Sofiya. This is the first step toward fixing things with the Syndicate—and proving I’m serious about her.”

Today’s attack was a reminder I can’t put off making peace with the Syndicate. Sofiya is too important to risk, and the longer I keep them on ice, the more tense this situation becomes.

Vadim scowls. “Roman Vasiliev is not known to be a forgiving man.”

“Maybe not, but he’s a practical man, and peace makes more sense. If I show him I’m willing to sacrifice the deal to avoid war and protect Sofiya, he’ll see reason.”

“You’re optimistic,” Eva quips. “But love makes people do crazy things.”

Love? I never said anything about love, but… Fuck. Is that what this is?

Vadim coughs to hide a smile. “When did we start using the L-word?”

“We didn’t,” I snap. Not yet, at least.

“For now, this stays between us. I haven’t told Igor yet, but we need to be ready for the fallout. He’s going to be livid.”

Losing Igor’s political support will hurt, but I’d be lying if I said I trusted him fully. Every instinct tells me to keep him away from Sofiya, no matter the cost.

Vadim gives me a pointed look. “This is everything we’ve spent the last year working for. Are you sure this is the right move?”

“Never been more sure of anything in my life.”

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