"What do you know about the Bratva?" Lara asks, her tone deceptively casual.
Aria glances at me briefly, and the heat in her gaze makes my body tighten with want despite the circumstances. "I know what the internet tells me. Organized crime. Territory disputes. Violence." She pauses. "I know Nikolai is Pakhan, which means he's in charge. And I know that makes me a target now."
"Good." Lara nods approvingly. "At least you're not completely naive. Do you understand what it means to carry the Pakhan’s child?"
The question hangs in the air like smoke. Aria's hand moves unconsciously to her stomach, protective and possessive, and I have to force myself to remain still instead of crossing the room to pull her against me.
"I'm beginning to," Aria says quietly.
"Are you?" Lara steps closer, invading Aria's personal space in a way that makes my muscles coil with the instinct to intervene. "Do you understand that every enemy Nikolai has made in twenty years will see you as leverage? That your child will be born into a world where trust is currency and betrayal is commonplace? That you'll spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder, wondering if the person smiling at you is friend or foe?"
"Lara." My voice cuts through the tension like a blade. "Enough."
She turns to me with one eyebrow raised, amusement dancing in her pale eyes. "I'm simply ensuring she understands the realityof her situation, Nikolai. Better she hears it from me now than learns it the hard way later."
"She understands." I push off the wall, unable to maintain the distance any longer. "Don't you, Aria?"
Aria's gaze meets mine, and I see fear warring with determination in those dark depths. "I'm learning."
"Learning isn't enough." Lara's voice softens slightly. "You need to know. To truly comprehend what you've stepped into. The Bratva isn't just Nikolai's business. It's a way of life. A code. A family bound by blood and loyalty in equal measure."
"I didn't ask for this," Aria says, her voice trembling slightly. "I didn't ask to be pulled into this world."
"No." Lara's fingers trace the edge of her Romanov pendant, that tell I've learned to recognize over years of working with her. "But you jumped into the ocean anyway. You saved his life. And now you're carrying his child. Whether you asked for it or not, you're part of this world now. The question is whether you'll survive it."
The blunt assessment makes Aria flinch, and rage builds in my chest at seeing her hurt. But I force myself to remain silent because Lara is right. Better Aria understands the stakes now than discovers them when it's too late.
"I've survived worse," Aria says, her voice gaining strength. "I raised my sister after our mother died. Built a business from nothing. Survived three weeks on a deserted island. I'm stronger than I look."
"I can see that." Lara's expression shifts to something that might be approval. "You have steel in your spine. Good. You'll need it."She turns to me, her pale eyes holding mine with uncomfortable intensity. "She's not what I expected."
"What did you expect?" I ask, moving to stand beside Aria. My hand finds the small of her back, and I feel her body tense at the contact before gradually relaxing into my touch.
"Someone softer. More malleable." Lara's gaze moves between us, assessing the dynamic with practiced precision. "Someone who would bend to your will without question. But she's not that, is she?"
"No." The word comes out rougher than I intend, thick with emotions I'm not ready to examine. "She's not."
"Interesting." Lara's fingers continue their unconscious dance along the pendant's edge. "The other wives will want to meet her. Assess her themselves. Some will welcome her. Others…" She trails off meaningfully.
"Others will see her as a threat," I finish. "An outsider who doesn't understand our ways."
"Precisely." Lara turns back to Aria. "I can help you navigate those waters, if you'll let me. Teach you the unspoken rules. Introduce you to the women who matter. Show you how to wield influence without appearing to seek it."
"Why would you help me?"
"Because Nikolai asked me to." Lara's voice is matter-of-fact. "And because I've spent forty years watching women destroy themselves in this world through ignorance or pride. You seem like you might actually have a chance at survival, and I'd hate to see that potential wasted."
"That's not exactly a ringing endorsement," Aria says dryly.
Lara's lips curve into something that might be a smile. "I don't deal in false comfort, dear. Only truth. And the truth is that you're going to need allies. Women who understand what it means to be with a man who operates outside the law. Who can teach you how to protect yourself and your child when violence comes calling. Because it will come calling, Aria. That's not a possibility. It's a certainty."
The words settle over us like a shroud. I feel Aria's body tremble slightly against mine, and I pull her closer, needing to offer what comfort I can even as Lara strips away any illusions about the life we're building together.
"When?" Aria asks quietly. "When do I meet the others?"
"Soon." Lara moves toward the door with that same unhurried grace. "I'll arrange a gathering. Somewhere neutral. Give them a chance to assess you without the pressure of Nikolai's presence." She pauses at the threshold, looking back at us. "Wear something elegant but not ostentatious. Answer their questions honestly, but don't volunteer information they don't ask for. And whatever you do, don't show fear. They'll smell it like sharks scenting blood."
"Comforting," Aria mutters.
