He looks at me like I’m saying things he’s wanted to hear but never thought he would.
“And now,” I continue, “seeing how you are with her, how you are with me, I just know you’re going to be the best father in the world. You’re so much more than the Bratva and its rules. You’re a good man, Luka, even if you can’t see it yet.”
He fixes his gaze on me, searching my face as if looking for something.
“Look, Sophia,” he starts, locking eyes with me. “Life with me won’t be easy. I have enemies, so many that I’ve lost count. I can’t promise that it’s always going to be sunshine and peace.”
It’s as if he’s painting a canvas of our future with a mix of dark and bright colors, but I hang on to every word.
“But I will protect you and our family with everything I have,” he continues. “I may not be able to walk away from the Bratva entirely – it’s the life I was born into, the life that made me. But I can step back. Start focusing on legitimate businesses, try to move away from that world.”
He holds my hands and guides them to his chest, right where his heart beats strong and steady.
The feel of his heartbeat against my palms is both electrifying and reassuring. As if realizing the gravity of what he’s about to say, he lifts my hands to his lips, pressing a tender kiss on each one. A silent promise that speaks louder than words.
“Will you marry me,moya koroleva?” His voice is so earnest, as if these are vows he’s making before we even reach the altar.
What? What is happening?
I lose it. I’m sobbing, wailing, laughing – emotions spilling over in a chaotic blend that leaves me breathless.
“Are you saying yes, or is this hormone overload?” he quips, grinning even as his eyes beg for confirmation.
I compose myself just long enough to choke out, “Yes, yes, yes! A million times yes. But we’ll need to get me a waterproof wedding dress at this rate.”
He starts laughing. Real laughter. It fills the room, warming it with a sound that I’ve rarely heard but have come to treasure. It’s a sound that hints at a future, at a life beyond the reach of past demons and old sins.
Chapter23
Luka
“What did you say?” Dimitri leaps to his feet, his eyes wide, his face flushed.
“I said I’m getting married tomorrow, and I’m stepping back from the Bratva business,” I declare, locking eyes with him, daring him to challenge me.
The room, usually a pristine space reserved for calculated strategy and icy deliberations, feels like a live wire, every surface charged with tension. Dimitri and Erik had converted this meeting room into something resembling a war room over the past few months – maps on the walls, high-tech screens showing live feeds from our operations, stacks of untraceable burner phones, and, of course, a top-notch liquor cabinet.
Erik, standing off to the side, takes a deep breath, like he’s preparing to dive into treacherous waters. “Okay.”
“Okay? Okay?!” Dimitri nearly explodes, pacing the room like a caged animal. “How the fuck is this okay? What’s gonna happen to the Bratva, huh? You think these vultures won’t rip us apart the moment they sense weakness? What, you gonna start a bakery or something, Luka?”
“I’m not saying I’m stepping down immediately, D. Don’t be an idiot,” I snap, my patience thinning. “You and Erik are more than capable. You’ll be taking over most of the business.”
“Blyat, you think it’s that easy? Just pass the torch and ride into the sunset?” Dimitri seethes, his fists clenched.
“It’s time for a new chapter, D. You two have been in this life long enough to know what it takes. Besides, I’m not completely out. I’ll still have a say, but I need to focus on building legal enterprises, growing a family. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Dimitri scowls, pausing to weigh my words. “Tak, I get it. But right now—“
Before he can finish his sentence, I cut in. “Right now, Aleks is gone, his men are scattered like rats from a sinking ship, and the whole damned underworld is scrambling to fill that void. I know all of that. But I won’t be the main guy pulling the strings anymore. I can’t.”
Erik nods, finally breaking his monk-like silence. “I understand,” he mutters, his eyes meeting mine. “We’ll handle the Bratva business. You focus on what’s important to you now.”
Dimitri looks like he’s been slapped. He runs his fingers through his hair, yanking a little harder than necessary. “Suka,you’re really doing this, aren’t you? You’re really walking away from what we’ve built?”
I lock eyes with him, my gaze steady. “I’m not walking away, D. I’m expanding – expanding into a life where Yulia and my kid don’t have to look over their shoulders every damn minute. Isn’t that what we’ve been fighting for all along? A better life?”
Dimitri’s eyes soften for a split second, but he recovers quickly, masking it with a harsh scoff. “A better life, built on blood money and gunpowder.”
