39. Ruslan
39
RUSLAN
I stand in the main hall, waiting. Aurora's hand slips into mine, trembling slightly. She's worried about her friend, about bringing Hannah into this world. In this moment, I see the depth of the bond between them.
Uncommon in my world, where loyalty is bought or coerced, and rarely given freely.
The massive doors swing open, and Artyom enters with Hannah in tow. Her fiery red hair matches her temperament as she yanks her arm from his grip.
"I can walk perfectly fine on my own, thanks," she snaps, straightening her jacket with a huff.
Artyom's face, usually a stoic mask of efficiency, contorts into something between confusion and annoyance.
I shake my head slightly, fighting the urge to smile.
My oldest friend, who has intimidated hardened criminals into sobbing confessions, completely thrown by a petite redhead.
Aurora rushes forward. "Hannah!"
They embrace, Aurora's shoulders visibly relaxing as she holds her friend. Hannah pulls back, examining Aurora with critical eyes.
"You're okay? Like, really okay?" Hannah's gaze flickers to me, cold and suspicious.
"I'm fine," Aurora assures her. "Better than fine."
Hannah's eyebrow arches with skepticism.
I step forward, extending my hand. "Ms. Voight. Thank you for coming."
She takes it reluctantly, her grip firm but brief. "Didn't have much choice after your goon showed up at my door."
Artyom mutters something in Russian that makes my lips twitch. I dismiss him with a nod.
Hannah's sharp eyes take in the surroundings from the marble floors, to the security cameras discreetly mounted in corners, and at the men patrolling outside with barely concealed weapons.
"Funny." She gestures broadly at the opulence around us. "I always thought producers lived in Malibu or Bel Air, and not some fortress way outside the city with armed guards." Her head tilts. "Unless there's something you're not telling us."
Aurora tenses beside me. "Hannah?—"
"No, zarechka ," I say quietly. "She's here now, and she deserves the truth." I meet Hannah's unflinching gaze. "You're right, Ms. Voight. I'm not just a producer."
"No shit."
"I am the pakhan of the Dragunov bratva."
I watch Hannah's eyes widen, fear and confusion battling across her face as she processes what I've just told her. She steps back, bumping into one of the antique side tables as if trying to physically distance herself from the truth.
"You're serious?" Her voice rises an octave. She whips her head toward Aurora. "Tell me he's joking."
Aurora squeezes my hand once before releasing it to move closer to Hannah. "It's true, Hannah."
"Jesus Christ." Hannah presses her palm against her forehead. "You married a mobster? What the hell, Aurora?"
I remain still, allowing Aurora the space to explain to her friend. This conversation isn't mine to dominate.
Aurora hesitates, and I give her a small nod. She deserves to have someone who knows everything. Someone who isn't part of my world.
"We didn't just get married because we wanted to, or because he forced me." She guides Hannah to one of the plush chairs in the foyer. "Ruslan is in the middle of a succession crisis."
Hannah's brow furrows. "What does that even mean? Like, royal family drama but with guns?"
Despite the tension, I nearly smile. Her assessment isn't entirely wrong.
"Something like that," Aurora confirms. "After Ruslan's brother and nephew were murdered, there's a power struggle over who will control the bratva."
"And how do you fit into all this?" Hannah demands, her eyes darting between us.
"Ruslan's nieces—his brother's daughters—are in danger," Aurora explains. "Others want to use them as pawns through marriage. They're just children, Hannah."
Hannah's face softens slightly at the mention of the girls.
"Our marriage would protect them," I interject quietly. "With Aurora as my wife, I have the authority to bring my nieces under my protection. And now that they're here, no-one else can use them as bargaining chips."
Hannah stares at me, her initial fear giving way to calculation. She's smarter than she lets on, in spite of her ditzy exterior persona.
"So it's a marriage of convenience?" she asks, her eyes narrowing.
Aurora's gaze meets mine, something unspoken passing between us. We both know it's become much more than that.
"It started that way," Aurora admits. "But somewhere along the way, it turned into something more."
"Wait." Hannah holds up both hands. "Are you telling me you actually have feelings for each other now? Like, real feelings?"
Aurora blushes. "It sounds crazy, I know, but?—"
"It is not crazy," I interject. "Sometimes life brings two people together at exactly the right moment."
Hannah snorts. "Yeah, or trauma bonding."
"It's more than that." Aurora's voice grows stronger, more certain. "I feel safe with him, Hannah. Not just physically protected, but... seen."
Hannah's skepticism softens as she studies Aurora's face. Despite her bravado, I can see she's frightened. The slight tremble in her hands and the darting glances at the armed men visible through the windows.
She's trying to be strong for Aurora, but this world terrifies her as much as it initially terrified my wife.
"Fine." Hannah sighs. "But what are you going to do about Kristofer Psycho? You're a pakhan, right? Can't you just..." She draws her finger across her throat.
Behind them, Artyom rolls his eyes and scoffs audibly.
Hannah whirls around. "Something funny about my friend being stalked by a murderous cop?"
"No." Artyom crosses his arms. "What's funny is your American movie understanding of what we do."
The air between them crackles with tension. Hannah's chin juts forward defiantly, while Artyom's usual collected demeanor turns combative. Interesting.
"Artyom believes it would be unwise to kill a police officer outside California," I explain.
"Why?" Hannah's brow furrows in confusion.
Artyom steps forward. "Because Ruslan may be powerful in California, but Kristofer isn't a California problem. We don't have the same connections that far east. We'd be going somewhere where we don't control the authorities."
"But I've made it clear I intend to treat it as my problem," I add firmly.
Hannah's eyes widen. "Wait, you're actually planning to kill him?" She turns to Aurora. "Did you know about this?"
Aurora's face pales. "No. We never discussed that." She looks up at me. "Ruslan?"
"I would eliminate anyone who threatens you," I say simply. It's not a boast or a threat. Just a fact.
Hannah studies Aurora's face. "And how do you feel about that?"
She looks down at our joined hands as she processes Hannah's question. The resolve I've come to admire in her, that quiet strength that drew me to her from the first moment, flickers and dims ever so slightly.
"I feel..." Aurora's voice wavers. "I feel conflicted."
The room grows silent.
"Part of me wants him dead," she continues, her voice hardening. "After what he did to my family."
She looks up at me, her hazel eyes searching mine.
"But another part of me hates the idea that I would be okaying an official hit. Like I'm sanctioning murder."
I want to comfort her, to tell her that this is what I do to protect what's mine. But something in her expression stops me.
"I didn't think..." She swallows hard. "I guess I never really believed I would step fully into being a pakhan's wife. I thought there was always going to be a way out."
My chest tightens. The guilt that I've been pushing down rises like bile in my throat.
"But it feels like with every day that passes." Her voice drops to a whisper. "I'm only stepping deeper into it."
I made it seem like there would always be a way for her to return to her old life. But the truth is, the moment she married me, that door closed.
I've trapped her here as surely as if I'd locked her in a cell. The difference is that she walked in willingly, believing my promises that she could walk out just as easily.
Hannah's accusatory stare burns into me. She sees what I've done, even if Aurora hasn't fully admitted it to herself yet.
"Aurora," I begin, but what can I possibly say?
That I'm sorry for making her believe she had choices when she never truly did?
I watch Hannah's eyes narrow with suspicion as she studies Aurora's face. The question hangs heavy between them, loaded with implications.
"Let me ask you something," Hannah says, leaning forward. "Do you actually want to stay here? With him?" She jerks her chin in my direction without looking at me.
My heart skips. I've been so focused on keeping Aurora safe, on protecting what's mine, that I hadn't truly considered whether she wants this life. Not really. Not beyond the immediate crisis.
Aurora's fingers tighten around mine, her palm warm against my skin. She doesn't answer immediately, and the silence stretches thin between us.
"Yes," she finally whispers, then clears her throat. "Yes, I do."
Hannah blinks in surprise. "Even knowing what he is? What he does?"
Aurora nods, her shoulders straightening. "He's protective, yes, but he's also gentle when it matters. He listens to me— really listens—not just to what I say, but what I need." Her voice grows stronger with each word. "He respects my opinions, even when they contradict his own. He cares deeply for his family."
My chest tightens with something that feels dangerously close to pride.
"But more than any of that," Aurora continues, "when I'm with him, I feel... complete. Like I don't have to hide parts of myself anymore." She looks up at me, those hazel eyes reflecting something I never thought I'd see directed at me—acceptance. "For seven years, I've been a ghost. With Ruslan, I'm solid again."
Hannah's expression softens, but skepticism still lurks in her eyes.
"And there's something else," Aurora adds, almost to herself. "Being with him... it means I can protect others." Her voice drops. "I feel like I'm finally able to make a difference for someone else."
The weight of her words settles over me. All this time, I thought I was the one doing the protecting. I never considered that Aurora might see our arrangement as giving her the power to protect others as well.
I watch as Hannah's tension gradually melts away. Her eyes still hold suspicion, but Aurora's earnest confession has clearly caught her off guard. She slumps back in her chair, running a hand through her fiery hair.
"I guess if you're happy..." Hannah sighs, her voice softening. "That's what matters."
Relief washes over Aurora's face, and I feel her lean into me slightly. I hadn't realized how much her friend's approval meant to her until this moment.
"I am," Aurora confirms. "But I'm worried about you now."
Hannah's brow furrows. "Me? Why?"
"Because sooner or later, Kristofer is going to connect Aurora Castellanos to Jamie Fields," Aurora explains, her voice dropping. "And when he does, he'll look into everyone close to me."
Aurora's right. Hannah is a loose end that Kristofer could easily exploit to get to Aurora.
"You should stay here," Aurora says. "At least until we figure things out."
Hannah barks out a laugh. "Yeah, no. Sorry, honey, but I'm not about to move here and commute three hours to work every day." She glances around the mansion with an exaggerated shudder. "No offense."
"None taken," I respond dryly. "But I do write your paycheck, so if you're worried about commute…"
"I'm more concerned with explaining to my Hinge matches why they can't come back to my place because, y'know." She gestures broadly at everything. "This."
"I can't believe you can still think about dating right now," Aurora says, shaking her head at Hannah. "With everything that's happening."
"Not all of us took ourselves off the market." Hannah rolls her eyes dramatically. "Some of us still have to keep swiping until we find the right flavor of boy toy. Unless Mr. Pakhan over here has any eligible bachelors he'd be willing to recommend?"
"Somehow, I get the feeling that they wouldn't know what to do with you, Ms. Voight."
Hannah laughs before she turns back to Aurora, and her voice softens slightly.
"I can take care of myself," Hannah insists. "I'll be fine."
Aurora shakes her head. "I'm just worried, that's all."
"What if we arrange protection for you instead?" I interject, seeing a potential compromise. "One of my men could keep watch over your apartment, follow you to work discreetly."
Hannah opens her mouth to protest, but pauses, considering. "Like a bodyguard?"
I nod. "Someone trained, discreet. You'd hardly notice their presence."
"Would they be standing outside my apartment all night, vetting every guy that I come home with? Yeah, that's not totally unhinged at all."
"They wouldn't be intrusive," I assure her. "But they would be close enough to intervene if needed."
Aurora reaches for Hannah's hand. "Please. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you because of me."
Hannah looks between us, her resistance visibly weakening. She sighs deeply. "Fine. But they stay outside."
"I can agree to that." I turn to Artyom, who has been silently observing our conversation. "Artyom will handle the arrangements."
Hannah turns to Artyom, her eyebrows lifting playfully. "I thought he was going to be the arrangement."
I bite back a smile as Artyom shifts his weight, his usual stoic demeanor briefly interrupted by a tightening of his jaw.
In all our years, I've rarely seen anyone get under Artyom's skin so quickly. Hannah Voight with her fiery hair and equally fiery tongue has accomplished that in just a few minutes.
"I have other things to do than play babysitter," Artyom mutters, but there's something in his voice.
A roughness that betrays him.
Hannah's eyes gleam with mischief as the smirk widens on her face. "Sure you do."
She turns back to Aurora, her expression softening. "Take care of yourself, okay? And keep your phone charged." Her voice drops. "I'm just a call away. Always."
"I know," Aurora whispers, and the affection between them is palpable.
Hannah straightens and turns to me, her playfulness vanishing. "And you, Mr. Pakhan." She steps closer, tilting her head back to meet my eyes directly. "If anything happens to her because of you, it won't matter what you are. I will come for you."
A laugh escapes me before I can stop it at this tiny woman issuing threats to me.
"I'm serious," Hannah says, her voice hardening. "Aurora's my best friend, and I'm all she's got. You might have guns and money and whatever else, but I'll burn your world down if you can't live up to your end of the bargain."
My amusement fades as I recognize a familiar fierce protectiveness in her eyes. For all her theatrics, Hannah Voight would indeed burn the world down for Aurora.
"I know," I say solemnly. "And I will."
Hannah nods once before pulling Aurora into a fierce hug. They cling to each other for a long moment, murmuring words meant only for them.
When they part, Hannah dabs at her eye and turns toward the door.
As she passes Artyom, she trails one finger along the sharp line of his jaw.
"Let's go, big guy. You dragged me out of bed tonight, the least you can do is be a gentleman and tuck me back in."