Page 95 of Mafia King's Ruthless Obsession

There’s a heavy pause.

Then Nikolai, quieter now, says, “I get it. I do. But this might be our best shot at ending this.”

“There are other ways,” I snap. “I’m not trading her safety for a shot in the dark.”

“You’re letting her cloud your judgment,” Nikolai bites. “This is the same woman who tried to kill our sister. Don’t act like she’s innocent.”

I stop cold. The heat in my blood spikes.

“Watch your mouth,” I say, low and lethal.

“Or what?” he sneers. “You’ll throw away your loyalty for her?”

“I’m choosing my child,” I snap, but the words don’t land clean. Because the truth is, I chose her long before there was a child. Somewhere between that night in Moscow and now, shestopped being a distraction and became my line in the sand. The one thing I won’t live without. “Find another way.”

“There might not be one,” Igor warns. “Yakov’s return complicates everything.”

I freeze.

“You think he’s involved?”

“The timing lines up too well to be a coincidence,” Igor says. “Vladimir’s men watching the club. Yakov buying up the buildings next door. Someone’s making a move.”

“They’re working together,” Nikolai adds grimly. “Vladimir wants the club. Yakov wants revenge. This isn’t about territory anymore; it’s about dismantling everything we’ve built.”

The weight of it lands hard. Yakov’s reappearance. Vladimir’s boldness. The sudden escalation of Rong’s investigation. None of this is random.

It’s a war.

And we’re already in it.

“If you’re right,” I say slowly, “then putting Galina in harm’s way is even more dangerous. Yakov’s not like Vladimir. He doesn’t have a family connection to her. If it comes to it, he won’t hesitate to kill her.”

“Which is exactly why we need to end this now,” Igor argues. “Before they get any stronger. Before they can really hurt us.”

“By sacrificing my child?” Rage burns through my veins. “My woman?”

“Your woman?” Igor’s laugh is ugly. “Listen to yourself. She’s an Olenko. And now you’re letting her manipulate you with this pregnancy?—”

“Enough.” The word cracks like a gunshot in the quiet office. Galina flinches at the sound, but her gaze remains steady on mine. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Then enlighten us, brother,” Nikolai says, his tone carefully neutral. “What exactly is she to you?”

Images flash through my mind: Galina dancing on that stage, fierce and beautiful. Her body curved protectively around our unborn child as she fought off Matvei. The way she looked at me last night in the bath, love shining in her eyes. Each memory fills me with a possessive heat that has nothing to do with control and everything to do with something deeper. Something I never thought I’d feel.

“She’s mine,” I say finally. “She carries my child. And I will burn this city to the ground before I let anyone hurt her.”

“Then you’re a fool,” Igor spits. “And when this blows up in your face, don’t come crying to us for help.”

“Careful, Sokolov.” I let a hint of darkness creep into my voice. “You’re forgetting your place. You might be our brother-in-law now, but I won’t spare you if you cross me. You don’t want to see what I’m capable of.”

“Neither do you,” Igor snarls. “But you’ll find out soon enough. Don’t say we didn’t warn you, Vasiliy. You shouldn’t allow that woman to weaken you.”

“She doesn’t make me weak.” I meet Galina’s eyes across the room. “She makes me want to be better.”

The silence that follows is heavy with judgment. Finally, Nikolai sighs. “Just...be careful, Vasiliy. Yakov’s hatred runs deep. He blames Igor and I for what happened to his sister. If he’s really working with Vladimir?—”

“I know the risks.” I move to stand behind my desk, beside Galina’s chair. She reaches for my hand, intertwining our fingers. “But I won’t sacrifice my family no matter what.”

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