“Surprise,” she says quietly. “Pavel invited me too.”
I cross the room and hug her, breathing in her sweet scent. “This is certainly a surprise, but a good one.”
She pulls back and there’s vulnerability in her expression I rarely see. “I wasn’t sure if I should, but he insisted.”
“I’m glad you’re here.” And I mean it.
Over the past year, Marina and I have gotten close in ways I never expected. Working together to dismantle trafficking rings has forced us to communicate constantly, to trust each other, to build something that goes beyond mother and daughter. We’re partners now. Allies. Friends.
And maybe, slowly, we’re becoming family.
Dinner is loud and chaotic. We gather around Pavel’s dining table—me and Kirill, Pavel and Hope, Kin chattering nonstop about school, Yarik at the head of the table with Marina to his right.
At one point, Kin announces that he’s going to be an astronaut when he grows up, and Pavel looks genuinely panicked.
“Space?” he mutters to Hope. “He wants to go to space?”
“It’s a phase,” she assures him. “Last month he wanted to be a professional dinosaur hunter.”
“At least he dreams big,” I quip.
“So when are you two going to give us a baby?” Hope asks, grinning wickedly.
I nearly choke on my wine. “Excuse me?”
“You’ve been married a year. Seems like the next logical step.”
“We’re taking our time,” Kirill says smoothly. “Enjoying being newlyweds.”
“Plus, Dinara’s busy destroying criminal networks,” Marina adds with obvious pride. “Can’t exactly do that with morning sickness.”
Papa raises his glass. “To my daughter. The most fearless woman I know.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Pavel agrees, and everyone raises a glass.
The truth is, I’m only fearless because Kirill’s by my side. None of the work matters, none of the victories mean anything, unless he’s there beside me. He’s my anchor. My home. The reason I can walk into the darkness and know I’ll find my way back.
KIRILL
I find Dinara on Pavel’s balcony, wrapped in one of my jackets, staring out at the stars and the softly falling snow.
“Hey,” I say, sliding my arms around her from behind.
She leans back against me. “Hey yourself.”
“You okay?”
“More than okay.” She turns in my arms, and looks up at me. Those beautiful hazel eyes connecting with mine. “This has been perfect. Exactly what I needed.”
My hands find her waist. “Your dad’s happy.”
“Yeah. He is.” She pauses. “Thank you for coming here with me. I know it’s not easy being away from New York.”
“Matvey and Dem can handle things.” I brush snow from her hair and lean in for a soft kiss. “Besides, I’d follow you to the ends of the earth. You know that.”
“Even to Moscow in the dead of winter. You’re a brave man.”
“Into the depths of hell if that’s what it required for us to stay together.”
