Page 79 of Marked By the Mob

I set down my fork with more force than necessary. The clatter breaks the silence.

“I think Volkov is setting the families against you,” I blurt out.

All three men go still. Rurik’s hand pauses halfway to his mouth. Eduard straightens in his chair. Artur’s crooked grin vanishes.

“Explain,” Rurik says quietly.

I take a breath and tell them everything Krystal said during our meeting. How Volkov wanted me as an asset because of my FBI training and access. How he’d been tracking my investigation for months, waiting for the right moment to capture me. How the three of them buying me for ten million dollars fucked up his entire plan.

“He’s not going to let it go,” I say, my voice tight. “Krystal told me he’s been pushing the other bosses to demand access to me. He’s using them to apply pressure, hoping you’ll give in or make a mistake.”

Eduard’s jaw tightens. “And Krystal told you this willingly?”

“She’s scared,” I admit. “Volkov is testing her loyalty. He wants her to gather intelligence on the three of you.”

Artur laughs, sharp and bitter. “Of course he does.”

Rurik sets down his coffee cup with deliberate care. “What did you tell her?”

“Nothing.” I meet his pale eyes without flinching. “But she’s going to keep asking. And if I don’t give her something, Volkov will know she’s not really trying.”

The silence that follows is heavy with calculation. I watch the three of them exchange glances, that silent communication I’ve come to recognize. They’re weighing options, considering strategies, and deciding how much they trust me.

That hurts. They should know by now that I don’t lie—well, I haven’t lied for a while, ever since they started helping me find the mole and see Krystal. I could have escaped the other day. I could have met with Krystal and kept on going. But I didn’t. I came back. And that should fucking count for something!

Finally, Eduard speaks. “We feed her specific information. Things that sound valuable but won’t actually compromise our operations.”

“Disinformation,” I say, nodding. “Make Volkov think he’s getting what he wants while we control the narrative.”

Rurik’s lips curve slightly. “Exactly.”

The tension in the room shifts. Not gone, but different. We’re working together again instead of circling each other like wary animals.

“I’m sorry,” I say quietly. “For leaving without telling you where I was going. And for making you worry.”

Artur’s dark eyes soften. “We know, sweetheart.”

I don’t correct him this time.

The rest of breakfast passes with easier conversation. We discuss what information to feed Krystal, how to make it convincing without being dangerous. By the time we finish eating, the weight that’s been pressing down on my chest for two days has lifted slightly.

That night, I’m in the bedroom we share, standing near the window and looking out over the estate grounds. The moon is full, casting silver light across the gardens and making the stone walls glow pale in the darkness.

I hear them enter before I see them. Three sets of footsteps, deliberate and unhurried. I turn to find Rurik, Eduard, and Artur watching me from across the room.

The air between us shifts immediately, charged with sexual tension. It’s so thick, my core automatically tightens and my breath catches. Just looking at them, three gorgeous men with well-toned bodies, all looking at me with such heat and want in their eyes makes me want to strip off my clothes, jump on the bed, spread my legs and tell them to take me. I suppress a delicious shudder.

“Come here,” Rurik says quietly.

I cross the room slowly, my pulse quickening with each step. When I reach them, Eduard’s hand finds my waist, pulling me close. His mouth brushes against my ear.

“We’re done being angry,” he murmurs. “But you need to understand something.”

“What?” My voice comes out a bit shaky. It’s hard to focus when they are so near me, touching me.

Artur moves behind me, his chest pressing against my back. “You’re ours, Emma. Not Volkov’s. Not the FBI’s. Ours.”

Rurik’s hand slides into my hair, tilting my head back so I have to meet his pale blue eyes. “And we protect what belongs to us.”