Page 71 of Auctioned to the Russian Pakhan
“Of course we came,” Irina said, squeezing her sister-in-law’s fingers. “We’re family.”
The word hung between them, simple but profound. Family. Not just by marriage or obligation, but by choice and loyalty and love.
“How are you feeling?” she asked gently.
“Like I want to dig up Kozlov’s corpse and kill him again,” Raya said with characteristic fire. “But other than that, I’m fine. A few bruises, nothing serious.”
Matvei appeared at Irina’s shoulder, his face haggard with relief and residual fear. “Raya, Jesus Christ, when I saw you were gone...”
“I’m okay, big brother.” Raya’s voice gentled. “Thanks to your wife’s brilliant plan. She played that psychopath like a violin.”
As the ambulance pulled away to take Raya to the hospital for a thorough check-up, Irina found herself surrounded by both families. The Volkovs and Nikolais stood together in the harsh glare of the floodlights, no longer divided by suspicion and rivalry. They had bled together tonight, fought together, won together.
“I think,” Ilya said slowly, his dark eyes moving between Matvei and Viktor, “it’s time we had a serious conversation about the future.”
Viktor nodded, understanding immediately what his cousin meant. “The war between our families ends tonight.”
“More than that,” Ilya continued. “I know about your plan, the cooperation you’ve been building. Maybe it’s time to make it official.”
Matvei’s hand found Irina’s, threading their fingers together. “An alliance.”
“A real one,” Ilya agreed. “No more territory disputes, no more competition for dominance. We’re stronger together than apart. Tonight proved that.”
As the two family leaders shook hands, sealing a peace that would reshape the criminal landscape of the city, Irina felt Matvei’s arm slide around her waist, pulling her against his side.
“We should get you home,” he murmured in her ear. “You’ve been through enough stress for one night.”
The ride back to their mansion was quiet, both of them processing everything that had happened. It wasn’t until they were safely inside, the door locked behind them, that the reality of their victory truly sank in.
“Are you okay?” Matvei asked, his hands gentle as they roamed over her body, checking for injuries she didn’t have. “The baby...”
“We’re fine,” Irina assured him, touched by his concern even as she rolled her eyes. “I was behind cover the entire time. The most dangerous thing I did was coordinate radio communications.”
“You could have been hurt. If Kozlov had more men than we thought, if they’d broken through our perimeter...”
“But they didn’t.” She reached up to cup his face, forcing him to meet her eyes. “We won, Matvei. It’s over. Kozlov is dead, our families are working together, and everyone we love is safe.”
“I almost lost you tonight,” he said hoarsely. “When I realized what you’d done at the gala, how you’d put yourself at risk to get that confession...”
“You would have done the same thing.”
“That’s different.”
“No, it’s not.” Her voice was firm, brooking no argument. “We’re partners in this, remember? Equal partners. That means we protect each other, we trust each other, and we face danger together when necessary.
He was quiet for a long moment, studying her face in the dim light of their foyer. “I love you,” he said finally, the words carrying the weight of everything they’d been through together. “I love your courage and your stubbornness and the way you refuse to be protected from the world. I love that you’re carryingour child and that you’re going to be an amazing mother. I love that you saw something worth saving in me when I couldn’t see it myself.”
Tears pricked at her eyes, the emotional weight of the night finally catching up with her. “I love you too,” she whispered. “All of you. The good and the bad and everything in between. We’re going to build something beautiful together, aren’t we?”
“The most beautiful thing in the world,” he agreed, pulling her into his arms. “Our family. Our future. Our love.”
As he carried her upstairs to their bedroom, Irina thought about how far they’d come from that terrible night at the auction. From enemies to lovers, from strangers to partners, from two broken families to one united force. They had conquered their past, secured their future, and found something precious in the process.
They had found each other.
Epilogue - Irina
One Month Later
