"The accountant is talking," I say before he can speak. "I'm handling it now."
"Good." He sounds satisfied. "And the shipments?"
"This afternoon. All three. On schedule."
"Excellent. You've been very reliable, Drogo." There's a pause, and I can hear the pride in his voice when he continues. "I'm proud of you. You've become exactly what I knew you could be."
My jaw tightens. "Anything else?"
"No. That's all. For now." He hangs up.
I stare at the phone in my hand. Exactly what I knew you could be. A monster. A killer. His perfect weapon. But not for much longer. Soon, Klaus. Very soon.
I pocket the phone and close my eyes. Behind my lids, I see Alena's face when I told her the truth last night—the fear, the understanding, the acceptance. She'll stand by me through this. She has to. Because I didn't do any of this for Klaus or the Bratva or the money. I did it for her. Always for her.
"Boss?" Alexei's voice breaks through my thoughts. "We're here."
I open my eyes, and the warehouse looms ahead—dark and ominous against the morning sky. Time to work. Time to be the monster they made me. Just a little while longer.
46
ALENA
The car pulls away with Drogo inside, and I stand in the doorway watching until it disappears around the corner. Marcus's arm is still around my shoulders, solid and grounding, and Lucy is beside us both, still crying softly. When the car is finally gone, Marcus gently guides us back inside and closes the door.
We return to the kitchen table in silence, our coffee cups still sitting where we left them, now cold. The morning light seems different somehow—harsher, more revealing. Everything feels raw and exposed after Drogo's confession.
Lucy is the first to break the silence. She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand and looks at Marcus with an expression I've never seen before—fierce and determined and slightly terrified all at once. "You meant it, didn't you? When you said you'd help him."
Marcus doesn't hesitate. "Yes."
"Even if it's dangerous? Even if Klaus finds out and comes after you?"
"Especially then." Marcus reaches across the table and takes her hand. "He's my brother, Luce. He did this for us. For you. I'm not letting him face this alone."
Lucy's face crumbles, and fresh tears spill down her cheeks. "I know. I know. I just—" Her voice breaks. "I can't lose you. Either of you. I can't."
"You won't," Marcus says firmly, squeezing her hand. "We're going to end this. Together. And we're all going to walk away from it."
I watch them, my heart aching with a strange mixture of fear and gratitude. Then Lucy turns to me, her eyes red but resolute. "I'm in too," she says. "Whatever you need. However we can help. I'm in."
"Lucy—" I start, but she cuts me off.
"No. He protected us, Alena. For two years he protected us while we thought he'd abandoned us. While we were angry at him. While you were—" She stops, swallows hard. "While you were breaking apart. He was out there becoming a monster so we could be safe. The least we can do is stand with him now."
Marcus nods. "She's right. Whatever it takes to get him free of Klaus, to end this—we're with you. Both of us. No matter what."
The words hit me like a physical force. They're pledging their lives—actually pledging their lives—for Drogo. For the man who disappeared, who joined the mafia, who became something dark and dangerous to keep them safe. And they're doing it without hesitation, without condition, with the same fierce loyalty Drogo has always shown them.
"You don't have to—" I begin, my voice shaking.
"Yes, we do," Marcus says simply. "He would do it for us. Hell, he already did do it for us. This is what family does."
There's a knock at the back door—firm and professional—and we all freeze. Marcus stands immediately, positioning himself between us and the door, his body tense and ready. "Stay here," he says quietly.
He walks to the door and opens it cautiously, and I see one of the suited guards standing there—tall, broad-shouldered,with dark hair and eyes that have seen too much. The man inclines his head respectfully. "Ma'am," he says, looking past Marcus to me. "I'm Konstantin. Mr. Drogo asked me to check in, make sure you have everything you need."
Oh fuck. The mafia. I'd almost forgotten about the armed guards posted around my house like I'm some kind of—what? Princess? Prisoner? Both?
