Chapter 18
Kane
One month later.
The city sprawls beneath us like a glittering kingdom, visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the exclusive restaurant on the top floor of the Sterling Tower.
Crystal chandeliers cast warm golden light over white tablecloths and expensive silverware. The air smells of aged whiskey, seared steak, and truffle oil. Around the circular table sit the three men who have become something I never expected to find again.
Brothers.
Viktor Volkov raises his glass of vodka, his expression solemn yet proud. Ivan Zorin and Kirill Antonov mirror the gesture. I lift mine as well, the crystal catching the light.
“To the Pakhan Daddies,” Viktor says, voice carrying across the table with quiet authority.
“It is an honor to officially welcome Kane Kamedov into this circle. With him comes the full legacy of the Kamedov family, their strength, their ruthlessness, and their unbreakable will. Kane, your brothers would be proud of the man you have become. While they can never be replaced, know this: you have brothers again. You have us.”
The words hit me harder than I anticipated.
I feel the weight of them settle in my chest—not heavy like grief, but solid. Anchoring.
I meet Viktor’s eyes, then Ivan’s, then Kirill’s. “Thank you,” I say, voice low but steady. “I am honored by your words. More than you know.”
We drink. The vodka burns clean down my throat.
Across the room, on the small dance floor bathed in soft blue and gold lighting, our boys are lost in their own world.
William moves with graceful energy in a sleek black t-shirt and trousers combo that hugs his body in all the right places.
Eddie spins beside him in a shimmering silver t-shirt, Landon and Teddy laughing as they dance together.
The four Littles are radiant: carefree, joyful, safe.
My eyes stay locked on William.
The way his blonde hair catches the light, the bright smile he flashes when he catches me watching. He is everything soft and good in a life built on hard edges.
Viktor sets his empty glass down. “With the Presko threat fully wiped out, we should move to confirm our status as an untouchable unit in this city. The Mudruk family has been making quiet moves. Testing boundaries. We cannot let that slide.”
Kirill nods, his expression cold. “They are dangerous in the extreme. Cartel connections south of the border. Heavy artillery. If we give them time to organize, it will cost us.”
I lean forward, elbows on the table. “That is exactly why we should strike now. Waiting plays into their hands. The last thing they expect is us coming at them hard and fast while they are still positioning themselves. We hit them before they’re ready.”
Ivan’s eyes gleam with approval. “Bold. But calculated. I like it.”
Viktor studies me for a long moment, then nods. “Agreed. We plan it carefully. But first—” he raises a fresh glass the waiter has quietly refilled, “—tonight we celebrate. Even if it is only for one night. We have earned it.”
We drink again.
The vodka warms my blood as I watch William laugh on the dance floor, spinning under Eddie’s arm. Pride swells in my chest.
This is the future I am building, not just power, but balance.
Strength wrapped around something worth protecting.
We finish our drinks and rise as one. The four of us cross the room toward our boys. William’s eyes light up the moment he sees me. He steps into my arms without hesitation, pressing his body against mine as the music shifts to something slower.
“You look beautiful tonight,” I murmur against his ear, my hand settling possessively on his lower back.
He smiles up at me, cheeks flushed from dancing. “You don’t look so bad yourself, Daddy.”
I pull him closer, swaying with him to the music while Viktor spins Eddie, Ivan holds Landon, and Kirill draws Teddy in. For a few precious minutes there is no war, no blood, no looming threats. Just four powerful men and the young men who make the violence worth enduring.
As the song ends, I tilt William’s chin up and kiss him deeply, not caring who sees. He melts against me, his fingers curling into my shirt. When we finally pull apart, his eyes are shining.
“I love you,” William whispers.
“I love you too,” I reply, meaning it with every dark corner of my soul. “More than you will ever know.”
Later, as the night winds down and the boys say their goodbyes with hugs and promises of another playdate soon, I stand at the window overlooking the city. Viktor joins me, glass in hand.
“We start planning tomorrow,” Viktor says quietly.
I nod. “The Mudruks won’t know what hit them.”
He claps a hand on my shoulder. “Welcome to the family, brother.”
The word settles warmly. Brother.
I look across the room at William, who is laughing with Eddie and the others. He catches my eye and blows me a kiss.
This life will never be easy. There will be more blood, more hard choices, more nights where I come home covered in someone else’s violence.
But with William waiting for me, with these men standing beside me, I finally feel ready for the rest of my life.
The Young Menace has become something greater.
A Pakhan.
A Daddy.
A man with something real to fight for.
And the city had better be ready.
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