Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Milana
The moment the plane touches down in New York, some of the tension that’s been sitting on my chest begins to ease.
We’re home. The familiar skyline in the distance, the busy airport bustle, it’s grounding in a way I didn’t realize I needed.
But as we pass through the gate, I’m still looking around, heart beating faster than I’d like. What if Michael is waiting for us here? What if he tries to strike again? The thought makes my stomach twist.
As if Kirill can read my mind, he reaches over and takes my hand, squeezing it gently. He leans in, lips brushing my ear. “Michael won’t be stupid enough to try something at an airport full of people. Relax.”
I let out a shaky breath and nod, trying to let his words sink in. “Have you heard from my brothers?”
He nods. “Yes. While you were napping. They said they’d send someone to pick us up from the airport and take us to the house.”
Just as we step out into the arrivals area, I hear someone calling our names. I turn, and there’s Maxim. Calina’s husband, standing near a black Escalade, looking as formidable as ever.
I rush over to him. “Is Calina okay? Where is she? How is everyone?”
Maxim smiles. “Firstly, welcome. Yes, Calina is fine. She’s at home and excited to see you.
I’m here to take you both to our place. Your brothers are mobilizing men right now.
We need to be careful who we trust these days with everything that’s happening.
That’s why I decided to come get you myself. ”
We all climb into the Escalade. Maxim sits in the back with us while one of his men drives. I turn to him again. “Is Calina really okay?”
He nods, giving me a reassuring smile. “Yes. She’s home, safe, and can’t wait to see you.”
I lean back in my seat, letting out a long breath as the car pulls away from the airport.
When we finally pull up to Maxim’s mansion, my brothers are arriving at the same time. The moment I see them step out of their cars, I feel a wave of relief wash over me.
I rush forward, throwing my arms around Mikhail first, hugging him tight. “I’m so glad you’re all okay,” I whisper.
Mikhail pulls back, looking me up and down, a small smirk on his face. “Good choice of dress.”
I roll my eyes and hit his arm. “When I was picking up the dress, the last thing on my mind was whether it looked good on me or not. I just wanted to change out of the clothes I was wearing when the plane got bombed.”
The moment the words leave my mouth, both my brothers’ expressions turn grim. The lightness disappears instantly, replaced by that familiar protective anger I know so well.
“How are you feeling?” Artyom asks.
I give them a reassuring smile. “I'm okay.”
Just then, the front door bursts open and Calina rushes out. I run to her, and we collide in a tight hug, holding each other like we’re afraid to let go.
“I’m so happy you’re okay,” she says, voice thick with emotion, tears in her eyes. “I was terrified when I heard the plane got bombed.”
“I’m fine,” I tell her, hugging her even tighter. “I’m very much okay. I was so scared for you too.”
We pull back, both of us with wet eyes, then hug again. We finally pull apart and all head inside together.
The living room feels both familiar and heavy with tension. I sit beside Calina on the couch, while Kirill and the men take seats across from us.
Artyom speaks first, voice serious. “We are glad you both made it back in one piece. The bombing of the plane is a declaration of open war. We’ve been trying to curtail the matter and launch a coordinated attack on Michael that doesn’t involve innocent lives.
“But right now, as it is, Michael has declared war on us, and we can no longer wait for him to strike first. We have to strike and eliminate him.”
This is the first time my brothers have ever discussed matters like this in front of me and Calina. The fact that they’re including us now shows how serious the situation has become.
Probably because I almost got bombed. Probably because they’ve realized there’s no point hiding what’s actually going on from us anymore.
I glance at Kirill. He’s watching everything quietly, but I can see the tension in his jaw. He’s the next to speak.
“Michael has more than money behind him.”
Everyone’s attention shifts to him.
“He still has access to people who were loyal to his father. Ivan Volkov spent years building connections in places most people can’t reach. Politicians. Businessmen. Law enforcement. People willing to look the other way if the price is right.”
Maxim nods slowly. “That’s true.”
He leans back in his chair. “Adrian was one of the most influential men in Pantheon before he died.”
Silence settles over the room. Then Maxim looks at my brothers. “I can reach out to Ivan.”
Artyom frowns. “The president?”
Maxim nods. “You remember after Adrian tried to have me killed, Ivan offered me Adrian’s seat in Pantheon.”
“Yes, of course,” my brothers concur.
I'm aware of it too. Calina had told me about it, and how Maxim had turned down the offer because he wasn't interested.
“You think he’ll help us?” Artyom asks.
Maxim nods. “He owes me one. He told me if I ever needed a favor, all I had to do was ask. Ivan has never liked Michael, so I'm sure he'd be willing to help. And he has access to more men than Michael does. We're going to need as many men as possible.”
The room falls quiet as everyone considers it.
Finally, Artyom nods. “It’s worth trying.”
“I’ll contact him tonight,” Maxim says.
“Regardless of what he says, we're going against Michael with the men we currently have.”
The conversation moves on. Maps are pulled up on the television.
The men begin discussing routes, trusted allies, safe houses, businesses tied to Michael, and coordinated strikes.
I recognize very little of what they’re talking about. Only that every decision they make could mean the difference between life and death.
Beside me, Calina gently nudges my arm. I look over, and she gives me a small, sympathetic smile. “You look exhausted.”
I let out a tired laugh. “I feel exhausted.”
She reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Come on.”
I glance toward the men. None of them even notice us anymore. They’re too deep into planning whatever comes next.
“You should change,” Calina says softly. “Take a hot shower. Get some rest.”
“I’d love that.”
She stands and holds out her hand. I take it. Together, we quietly slip out of the living room.
After my shower, I change into one of Calina ’s dresses. It feels good to be clean, to wash away the grime and fear from the day. I feel a little fresher, a little more like myself.
Calina has one of the maids bring food up to us, and we sit curled up in bed together. It’s comforting, just the two of us, like old times.
She looks at me, as she puts down her glass of juice. “So… what’s the deal with your hot bodyguard? I noticed how he was looking at you downstairs. Is there really something going on? And why are you calling him Kirill? I thought his name was Ilya?”
I hesitate for a second, then decide I can’t keep it from her anymore. Our brothers already know anyway. “Yeah. A lot, actually.”
I tell her everything. How Kirill isn’t the real Ilya. How he kidnapped the real one and kept him chained in the basement. How we got arrested. How I’ve been sleeping with him.
By the time I’m done, Calina ’s mouth is open in shock. “So you’ve been sleeping with him this whole time? How did that happen?"
I nod, cheeks heating. “Well… it just kind of happened.”
She lightly punches my arm. “And you’ve been holding it back from me? I thought we didn’t keep secrets from each other.”
“I didn’t know how you’d react,” I say. “Besides, I didn’t want to put the burden of keeping that secret from our brothers on you.”
She studies me for a moment, then smiles. “You like him, don’t you? You’re blushing.”
I let out a small laugh. “A lot. I like him a lot. It even scares me sometimes.”
Calina squeezes my hand. “The feeling is mutual. The way he was looking at you downstairs… he didn’t take his eyes off you. There was real adoration there.”
“I don't know what the future holds for our relationship.”
“How do you mean?”
I sigh, leaning my head against her shoulder. “All of this started because he was “supposedly” assigned to come get me from Manchester and keep me safe from Michael. But that has all changed and when all of this is over… I don’t know what the future holds for us.
“Will he still want to be with me? Or will he move on? Where does that leave me? Where does that leave us? I’m scared this might end when Michael is dealt with.”
Calina pulls me into a hug. “You’re doing it again, worrying too much and trying to sabotage it before it even has a chance.
If the feeling is mutual, if Kirill really cares about you, then after all of this, you’ll be free to pursue your relationship without anything hanging over your heads. Without Michael. Look at it that way.”
I bite my lip. “Will our brothers allow me to date him when all of this is over?”
She smiles. “You keep forgetting our brothers are nothing like our father. Of course, they’ll allow it. They found out about it and still let you stay with him, didn’t they? They could have separated you and found someone else to keep you safe.”
I let out a breath, the weight on my chest easing a little. “You’re right.”
Calina kisses the top of my head. “Don’t worry. Everything is going to work out.”
I hope she’s right.
Kirill
Milana’s laughter drifts in from the pool, causing me to look up instinctively.
She’s sitting on the edge with Calina, their feet dangling in the water as they laugh about something I can’t hear. The afternoon sun catches her smile, and for the first time since the explosion, she looks at peace.
Something inside me loosens. Until now, all I could see in her eyes was fear and uncertainty. Every time she looked over her shoulder at the airport, every time her hand trembled in mine, it felt like someone was tightening a fist around my chest.
I hated it. I hated seeing her scared. Now she’s smiling again. And somehow, hearing her laugh does more for me than any victory ever has.
We’d paused the meeting a few minutes ago so Artyom and Mikhail could call their wives and make sure they were safe and well.
A glass appears in front of me. I look up. Maxim stands beside me, holding out a tumbler of whiskey.
I take it with a nod. “Thanks.”
He follows my gaze toward the pool. “I’d like to think the look on your face isn’t because you’re admiring my wife.”
A corner of my mouth lifts. “It isn’t.”
“I figured.” He takes a sip of his drink. “So that only leaves one person.”
My eyes drift back to Milana. She throws her head back, laughing at something Calina says. I can’t help smiling.
“You really love her, don’t you?”
The question hangs between us. A few months ago, I would’ve laughed in his face. Now… I let out a quiet breath.
“Yeah.” The word surprises even me. “I do.” I swirl the whiskey in my glass. “It’s… strange.”
“How so?”
“I’ve never felt anything like this before.” I shake my head. “I don’t know what the hell she’s done to me.”
Maxim chuckles under his breath. “I do.”
I glance at him. He isn’t looking at me anymore. His eyes are on Calina. The way he watches her, there’s no mistaking it. It’s the same way I look at Milana.
Like the rest of the world fades into the background whenever she’s around.
“I used to think I wasn’t capable of loving anyone,” Maxim says quietly. “Men like us usually think that.”
I don’t argue. Because he’s right.
“We spend our lives convincing ourselves we’re different.
Too damaged. Too dangerous.” He smiles faintly.
“Then one day, someone walks into your life and proves you wrong.” His gaze never leaves his wife.
“You stop making decisions for yourself, and you start making them with another person in mind.”
I look back at Milana. She’s brushing water toward Calina, laughing when her sister splashes her back. My chest feels… full.
Maxim finally turns to me. “So, here’s my advice. Don’t run from it.” He takes another sip of his whiskey. “We’re afraid of what it means. Afraid it’ll make us weak.”
He shakes his head. “It doesn’t. It makes you human. If you spend all your time fighting what you feel, you’ll lose her.”
He gives me a small smile. “Let yourself love her. It’s one of the few things in this life that’s actually worth having.”
Maxim pats my shoulder once before finishing the last of his whiskey, before walking away.
My eyes find Milana again, and I let myself imagine a future where that smile belongs in my life for good.