Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Alexander
Five in the morning. I sat in my study, files and reports scattered across the desk. Dawn was breaking outside, but I'd been here all night. The whiskey bottle sat within arm's reach, half empty. The alcohol should have relaxed me, but for me it was just fuel to stay sharp.
Cigar smoke and bitter coffee filled the air. The wall clock ticked away, each second a reminder that time was running out. Every minute could mean new threats closing in.
Ivan knocked and entered, his face grim as he set down the latest intel. "Pakhan, Marcus Warren's buried deep. We've been tracking him for three days. Every time we get close, he vanishes—like someone's tipping him off."
I dropped the file I was reading and rubbed my throbbing temples. Days of non-stop work had my head ready to split open.
"Details."
"Last night we tracked him to a warehouse in Brooklyn. When our guys got there, they found warm coffee cups and scattered papers. That's it." Ivan dropped into the chair across from me. "Plus, surveillance equipment had been deliberately destroyed. Someone warned him."
My fists clenched involuntarily. A mole. We had a fucking mole in our organization.
"What about the Kolov family?" I forced down the rage.
"Worse." Ivan's expression darkened further. "They're using your distraction to grab two of our dock operations. Last night their guys started shit on Third Street, put three of our brothers in the hospital. They're testing us."
He pulled photos from his briefcase—hospital reports for our wounded men. Seeing those familiar faces laid up in hospital beds sent cold fury through my veins.
"They think we've gone soft?" My voice was quiet, but Ivan knew what that calm meant.
"Sergey Kolov showed up personally," Ivan continued. "At a party last night, he said publicly that the Volkov family has lost its edge. Said we hide behind women's skirts now."
I shot to my feet. The whiskey glass crashed to the floor, amber liquid spreading across the desk. Under siege from all sides. That's where I stood now. Protecting Anna and Sofia meant splitting my focus, and enemies were circling like hyenas around a wounded lion.
"Get all core members together," I ordered coldly. "Eight tonight, conference room. Time to remind certain people what the Volkov name means."
Three straight days, barely any sleep. Days handling Kolov's growing provocations, dealing with their attacks on our territory. Nights personally coordinating the hunt for whoever was threatening Anna, only to come up empty every time.
Three different encrypted phones sat on my desk, each connected to different networks. Political, business, underworld. They never stopped ringing. Every call brought new problems, new threats, new crises to manage.
Anna didn't know I'd raised the manor's security to wartime levels. Beyond the visible bodyguards, we had round-the-clock snipers, electronic surveillance specialists, and rapid response teams on standby. Every inch around the manor was monitored. Any anomaly triggered immediate alerts.
But this level of protection ate through massive manpower and resources—resources that should have been used against the Romanov family and other enemies. I was fighting a multi-front war, every battlefield draining my strength.
I could feel my body and mind nearing their limits, but I couldn't stop. The moment I showed any weakness, every enemy would swarm like sharks smelling blood.
The third evening, after handling an emergency meeting about Kolov trying to buy off one of our key partners, Sofia appeared in my doorway.
"Alex, why don't you play with me anymore?" Sofia tugged my hand, her brown eyes—so much like mine—filled with hurt. "You're always in your study. You don't even read me bedtime stories."
Seeing my daughter's disappointment cut like a knife. I knelt and hugged her, forcing my voice to sound gentle. "I'm sorry, little princess. Work's been busy, but it'll be over soon."
"Really?" Hope flickered back in her eyes. "When can you come see the baby horses? Ivan says there are lots of new foals in the manor's pasture!"
"Really," I forced a smile. "Once I finish these things, we'll see the foals and go to the amusement park, okay?"
"Yay!" She threw her arms around my neck. "You're the best!"
But after she left, I knew I'd made another promise I might not be able to keep.
Anna appeared in the doorway, worry in her eyes as she took in my bloodshot gaze. She said nothing, just walked over and gently smoothed my furrowed brow.
"Alexander, you'll collapse if you keep this up. Maybe you should rest—"
"I'm fine," I cut her off, catching her hand. "This has to be resolved quickly. I won't let anyone hurt you two."
She sat in the chair beside me, her familiar warmth easing some tension in my rigid nerves.
"But if you collapse, who'll protect us?" she said quietly. "Alexander, I need you alive and healthy, not dead at this desk."
I knew she was right, but I also knew this wasn't the time to rest. Enemies don't pause their attacks because I'm tired.
That afternoon, while studying Kolov's latest moves in my study, Ivan knocked and entered. His expression was tense—unusual for Ivan, who was always steady.
"Sir, Miss Tatyana Romanova is here. Says she has important intel about that underground organization leader."
I wanted to refuse—now wasn't the time to get tangled up with her, and Anna was home. I didn't want them meeting and creating unnecessary misunderstandings. But the intel Tatyana mentioned made me hesitate.
"Where is she?"
"Waiting in the front hall. She says if you won't see her, she can leave the information and go."
That made me more suspicious. Tatyana never gave up easily.
"Bring her in," I finally decided. "But only ten minutes." Then I paused and added, "Keep her away from Anna."
Minutes later, Tatyana entered the study. She wore a simple black suit today, none of her usual jewelry, looking more like she was here for business than socializing.
I watched her coldly, didn't stand, didn't offer her a seat. Our last conversation two years ago during our breakup was still fresh—her angry words that I'd never truly love anyone because revenge had filled my heart.
"What intel?" I cut straight to business.
She caught my coldness, a flash of bitterness in her eyes, then pulled a thick file from her handbag and placed it on my desk. "About Marcus Warren."
I opened the file. Scattered but valuable leads—possible hideouts, records of secret meetings between him and Director Black, some financial trails. Not detailed enough, but far more than we currently had.
The value of this information exceeded my expectations. With this, I could almost map out his entire organization's operations.
"Where did you get this?" I looked at her suspiciously.
Tatyana sat in the chair across from me, her expression serious. "Marcus Warren is also a thorn in my father's side. No, more accurately, he's a common enemy to all East Coast underground powers."
She paused, organizing her thoughts. "Two years ago, Warren started cooperating with the federal government, providing intel on other families in exchange for his own safety. His existence threatens all our... arrangements within the government."
That explained why he always got advance warning. Warren wasn't just a criminal—he was an informant.
"So the Romanov family is tracking him too?"
"Not just us," Tatyana shook her head. "This is a joint operation between five families. We share intel, coordinate actions. Your enemy is our enemy too."
Her words made me reassess the entire situation. If this was true, I wasn't facing a simple threat, but part of a larger game.
"What do you want?" I asked directly.
"Maintain our current business relationship," she said. "Don't let personal grudges cut off cooperation. We can use the entire alliance's intelligence network to help you, but we hope you won't treat us as enemies."
Tatyana stood and walked to the window. "Alexander, I admit I still have feelings for you.
What I said during our breakup two years ago.
.. maybe I was too emotional. But now I'm more of a businesswoman, representing the Romanova family.
If something happens to you, not only will our cooperation suffer, but the entire East Coast power balance will shatter. "
She turned to face me. "Kolov's recent provocations are because they think you've shown weakness at a critical moment. But I know a man fighting to protect his family is more dangerous than ever."
This was a deal, not charity. I was clear on that. But her mention of an "alliance" made me realize I might have been handling this wrong all along.
I weighed it for a long time. The file sat there on my desk, its information possibly key to resolving the current crisis. But accepting Tatyana's help also meant re-entering that complex political game.
Kolov pressure was mounting, Marcus Warren was still on the run, my personnel and resources were rapidly depleting. From a pure strategic standpoint, I did need help.
But I didn't fully trust Tatyana either. Two years of separation had changed us both. I wasn't sure of her real motives now.
Finally, my gaze fell on the photo of Anna and Sofia on my desk. Taken last week in the manor's garden, Sofia sitting on Anna's lap, both laughing happily. That pure joy reminded me why I endured all this.
For their safety, I had to resolve this threat quickly. Even if it meant making a deal with the devil.
"We can cooperate," I nodded. "But I'm warning you, Tatyana. If you try anything, or harass Anna again, I'll bury your entire family. That's not a threat—it's a promise."
She smiled bitterly and nodded. "I'm just a businesswoman, Alexander. I know what to do and what not to do."
But as she headed for the door, she turned back. "Also, Alexander... your Anna really is special. I observed her at the charity gala. She's not just beautiful—she has a kind of... innocence. Treasure her."
After she left, I sat alone in the study for a long time. Accepting this alliance's help was the right strategic choice, but I knew it also meant stepping back into that world of betrayal and calculation.
Using Tatyana's leads, I crafted a detailed action plan. Instead of blindly hunting Marcus Warren, I'd destroy his organizational foundation first, cut off his funding and intelligence networks.
I personally led this operation, sending elite teams to hit several locations. Though Marcus Warren himself escaped again, we destroyed two of his key strongholds and seized substantial evidence and funds.
The operation crippled them temporarily—they wouldn't dare move rashly for a while.
But the cost was heavy. I lost five capable men, including Tony, who'd followed me for ten years.
I stood over his body, looking at that face that would never call me "Pakhan" again, my expression growing darker.
"Did Tony have family?" I asked Ivan.
"A daughter, just started college."
"Set up an education fund for her, make sure she can finish school," I said. "And the other families—take care of them all."
This blood debt would be repaid.
Three AM, I returned to the manor reeking of blood. The study light was still on, files piled on the desk. Kolov was still watching, Marcus Warren still running. I couldn't let up.
The coffee on my desk had long gone cold. I drank it mechanically, planning the next move. Blood mixed with bitter coffee, reminding me of tonight's price.
Near dawn, I quietly returned to the bedroom. Anna drowsily woke, smelling the blood on me in the darkness.
"Alexander?" She sat up worriedly. "Are you hurt?"
Her hands searched my body, checking for wounds. I caught her hands and pulled her into my arms.
"I'm fine. Not my blood," I whispered in her ear. "Everything's handled. You're safe."
At least for now.
Anna didn't ask more questions, just held me tight. She knew my world was full of danger, knew some things couldn't be questioned.
Feeling her warmth and trust, my exhausted body and mind finally found some comfort. She stroked my back like soothing a wounded beast.
"Sleep," she whispered. "I'm here."
In her arms, I finally closed my eyes for the first time in three days with real peace. But even in dreams, my hand stayed protective at her waist, always ready to guard what I treasured most.