I turn fully now, my eyes narrowing. “Say it.”
Demyan’s jaw ticks once before he delivers it. “Lev retraced Anton’s money trails. He found a shell corporation moving funds in and out. The trail leads back to Kirill Seinoff.”
The name slams into me like a punch to the ribs. My spine goes rigid, every muscle locking. Kirill.
Demyan presses on, careful, deliberate. “Lev also intercepted chatter. Anton is planning to hijack an upcoming shipment. It’s heavy with weapons, and if he gets his hands on them…he’ll have enough firepower to tear into Rusnak strongholds.”
The air in the room goes sharp, electric. My fists clench at my sides. Kirill—an ally, or so I thought. One of mine. Feeding Anton? Funding him? The betrayal tastes like ash in my mouth.
My pulse hammers, rage a steady drumbeat in my skull. Kirill. Weapons. Betrayal. It all snarls together until the only clear thing is the promise of blood.
“I’ll handle this,” I say finally, my voice low, even. Too even. The kind of tone that makes men step back without thinking. “Every thread, every shadow. Anton, the shipment, Kirill—mine.”
Demyan nods once, sharp, but I catch the flicker in his eyes—relief, maybe even fear. He knows what it means when I say I’ll deal with something personally.
“Leave us,” I add, cutting off whatever thought he’s holding onto.
“Understood.” He dips his head, then turns and exits, the door clicking shut behind him.
Silence swells in the space he leaves. Noelle’s eyes are on me, wide, unsettled, searching for answers I don’t have yet.I drag a hand down my face, then turn toward the wardrobe. My jacket comes off, tossed aside, and I start pulling on darker clothes—clothes I wear when I’m not coming home clean.
Behind me, I hear her footsteps. Soft. Hesitant.
“Where are you going?” Her voice is quiet, but it cuts through me sharper than any blade.
I don’t look at her right away. I button the shirt, slide my gun holster into place. “You heard Demyan,” I say evenly. “Anton wants the shipment. I won’t sit here while he arms himself to burn us down.”
There’s a pause. Then her voice, thinner, breaking at the edges. “Niko…don’t go. Please.”
That makes me stop. My hands freeze at my cuffs, and I finally turn. She’s standing there, barefoot in the oversized shirt she slept in, eyes wet and shining. Fragile in a way that makes my chest ache.
Her plea isn’t just fear of Anton—it’s fear of losing me. And God help me, it almost makes me want to stay.
“I have to go.” My voice is final, but she doesn’t move, doesn’t back down.
“No, you don’t,” she insists, stepping closer. Her fingers clutch at my arm, desperate. “Let someone else handle it, Niko. You’ve got Demyan, Lev, Adrian—you don’t have to throw yourself into every fire Anton lights!”
Her words hit something raw in me, but I force steel into my tone. “This isn’t up for debate, Noelle.”
Her grip tightens, her voice rising. “I’m begging you—don’t walk out that door. Not this time. If he’s trying to bait you, you’re giving him exactly what he wants.”
Something in me snaps, sharp and hot. I spin on her, my words cutting harsher than I intend.
“I’m doing this for you!”
The silence that follows is brutal.
Her face crumples, lips parting in shock, eyes shimmering like I’ve just gutted her. My chest heaves, regret flooding fast, but it’s too late—the damage is done.
Her hands slip from my arm, falling uselessly at her sides. And for the first time, I see her retreat from me—not with her feet, but with her heart.
“No,” I growl, moving before she can step away. I catch her wrist, tugging her back, and press her to the wall. My chest crushes against hers, my palms flat beside her head. Her breath shudders, eyes wide and wet, but I don’t let her look away.
“Listen to me,” I rasp, my voice raw. “I will come back. Alive. For you.”
Her chin trembles, but I cage her tighter, forcing her to hear me. “This is what I do, Noelle. I kill people. I kill the ones who think they can touch what’s mine. And if Anton or anyone else dares lay a hand on my wife—on the woman I love—” my voice breaks into a growl, “—I’ll bury them all.”
Her breath hitches, tears spilling down her cheeks, but I see the flicker in her eyes—the way my words cut through her fear even as they shatter her. I lean down, pressing my forehead to hers, holding her like she’s the only anchor keeping me sane.
