"Then we don't give him what he expects." She looks up at me, and I see the same steel I witnessed when she pulled a gun on me in the guest room. "We negotiate. I call him, tell him I want to make a deal."
"Absolutely not." The words come out harsher than I intend. "You're not going anywhere near that compound."
"She's my sister, Dimitri." Her voice is steady, but I hear the edge underneath. "I'm not going to sit here safe while she's in danger because of me."
Alexei clears his throat. "It's not a bad idea, Pakhan. If Alina calls Viktor, claims she wants to negotiate Katya's release, we could use the meeting as cover. Position our men, create a distraction, extract the girl while Viktor's attention is divided."
I want to refuse. Every protective instinct I have is screaming at me to lock Alina in this house and handle this myself. But I look at her face, at the determination there, and I know she won't back down. She'll find a way to help her sister, with or without my permission.
And she's right. A negotiation gives us options that a direct assault doesn't.
"We do this my way," I finally say. "Every detail, every contingency. You don't make a move without my approval."
Alina nods. "Agreed."
I gesture toward my study. "Then let's plan."
We spend the next two hours in my study, surrounded by maps and blueprints and tactical assessments. Alexei coordinates with our tech specialist to get real-time surveillance of the compound.I call in my best men, the ones I trust with my life, and brief them on the operation.
The thought makes my chest tight, but I force the emotion down. This is strategy. This is what I do. I can't let my feelings for her cloud my judgment.
"The meeting needs to be somewhere public," Alexei suggests. "Neutral ground where Viktor can't control all the variables."
"He won't agree to that," Alina says. She's sitting in the chair across from my desk, her hands wrapped around a mug of coffee that's gone cold. "He'll want the advantage. He'll insist on meeting at the compound or somewhere he controls."
"Then we make him think he has the advantage while we position our pieces." I lean back in my chair, thinking through the angles. "You call him, tell him you want to negotiate for Katya's release. You're willing to come back to him, to leave me, if he lets her go."
Alina's eyes widen. "He'll never believe that."
"He'llwantto believe it. That's enough." I stand and move around the desk to her. "Viktor's ego is his weakness. He thinks he's smarter than everyone else, that he can manipulate any situation. We use that against him."
She looks up at me, and I see the fear she's trying to hide. "What if something goes wrong? What if he hurts Katya before we can get to her?"
I kneel in front of her chair, taking her cold hands in mine. "Then we adapt. But I promise you, Alina, we will get your sister out. Whatever it takes."
She searches my face, looking for reassurance, for certainty. I wish I could give her guarantees, but in my world, nothing is certain except violence and death.
"Okay," she whispers. "When do I call him?"
I check my watch. It's nearly dawn, the sky outside my study windows turning from black to gray. "Now. Before he has time to move her or reinforce his position."
Alexei hands me an untraceable burner phone. I dial Viktor's number from memory and put it on speaker, setting it on the desk between us. My hand finds Alina's, squeezing gently.
The phone rings once. Twice.
Then Viktor's voice fills the study, cold and controlled. "I was wondering when you'd call."
Alina's hand tightens in mine, but her voice is steady when she speaks. "Papa. I want to talk about Katya."
"Do you?" There's amusement in his tone, cruel and mocking. "And what makes you think I'm interested in talking to you? You chose that monster over your own family."
"I chose survival." Alina's voice hardens. "You drugged me. You handed me over to theKozlovs. You tried to have mekilled."
"I did what was necessary to protect our family's interests." No remorse, no apology, just cold calculation. "You were always too soft, Alina. Too emotional. Like your mother."
I see her flinch at the comparison, but she pushes forward. "I want Katya released. She's innocent in all of this. Let her go, and we can discuss terms."
Viktor laughs, a harsh sound that makes my jaw clench. "Terms? You're in no position to negotiate terms. You're Morozov's whore now. You have nothing I want."
