Page 18 of His Forced Bride
Inside, Dominic's cufflinks rest against black velvet—platinum inlaid with onyx, purchased for the wedding as a gift from me to him.
He'll never wear them now, and I can't bring myself to even take them out, let alone put them on.
Dominic was reckless.
Impulsive.
He made decisions without thinking through consequences, and those decisions would've caught up with him eventually.
But he was mine, the only person in this world who carried my blood and my name.
The loss tears through me with claws and teeth, but I swallow it down because grief is weakness and weakness gets you killed.
The office door opens and Oleg steps inside, one of the only men in my ranks who can walk right into my office without knocking, and he knows when to use caution.
He carries a manila folder under one arm.
"The reports from tonight's meetings."
I close the velvet box and set it back in the drawer.
Oleg's eyes follow the movement, but he says nothing.
He understands the weight of loss better than most, having buried two sons of his own in this business.
"What did you learn?"
"The Kozlov family is mobilizing. They're calling in debts, consolidating resources."
He sets the folder on my desk and opens it to reveal photographs and typed reports.
"They think Dominic's death makes us vulnerable."
I study the images—men in expensive suits meeting in dark restaurants, money changing hands, alliances being forged in shadowed corners.
The Kozlovs have always been ambitious, but they've never had the strength to challenge us directly.
Now they see opportunity in our grief.
"How many soldiers do they have?"
"Forty, maybe fifty. But they're recruiting."
I close the folder and lean back in my chair.
The leather creaks under my weight as I consider our options.
We could strike first, eliminate the Kozlov leadership before they gain momentum.
But that would mean war, and war brings attention from authorities we've spent years avoiding.
"The marriage will stabilize things."
Oleg nods slowly. "The girl agreed?"
"She will."
"And if she doesn't?"
