Sofia
I’m sitting across from two of Yuri’s lieutenants in the Baranov business conference room. I’m trying very hard to look like a woman who’s given up.
It’s not difficult. I’m exhausted. I haven’t been sleeping well. The nausea comes and goes in waves that have nothing to do with nerves and everything to do with the tiny life growing inside me.
The life I’m protecting.
That’s what this is about. Not just me anymore. Not just survival. I’m protecting my baby.
“Thank you for meeting with me,” I say, keeping my voice soft. Defeated. “I know this is...unexpected.”
One leans back in his chair. “Your message was very clear, Mrs. Sokolov. You wish to discuss terms.”
Mrs. Sokolov. Not Baranova. The title tastes like ash, but I don’t correct him. It’s a power move. I let him get away with it because it’s part of the story I’m trying to sell.
“I want to speak with Yuri,” I say. “Directly. I’m ready to hand over the business, but I have terms.”
The younger man’s eyes narrow slightly. “Why the change of heart?”
I look down at my hands, at the platinum band on my finger.
“My husband is powerful. Very powerful. He doesn’t need the Baranov operations.
He has his own empire.” I meet the man’s eyes.
“I’m tired of fighting. Tired of looking over my shoulder.
I just want to be his wife. Stand by his side.
Let someone else deal with the headaches. ”
It’s a good story. Believable. The kind of thing these men expect from a twenty-one-year-old woman who married for protection. They see me as weak and naive.
He nods slowly. “And what exactly are you proposing?”
I slide the folder across the table. “I’ve had documents drawn up. Everything signed over to Yuri. The legitimate businesses, the distribution networks, the real estate holdings. All of it.”
The younger man reaches for the folder first. He opens it, scanning the pages. I watch his face carefully. I don’t think he knows what any of it is.
There’s nothing to find. The documents are perfect forgeries. Sergei had them prepared by the best document specialist in the city. They look completely legitimate.
“That’s why I want to meet with Yuri in person,” I say after the younger guy slides them to the other. “He and I both need to sign to make it official.”
“You just decided to do this now?” The older one looks rightfully skeptical.
“I don’t want any trouble,” I say. “I just want this to be over.”
I can tell they’re not buying it. Under the table, I pinch the inside of my thigh. Tears burn. I lean into the pain, forcing myself to think of my mother’s death. Sergei holding her beaten body.
A single tear slides down my cheek. “My husband wants me out of the business,” I whisper. “If I don’t do what he has ordered, he’ll…”
Another tear squeezes out.
The younger man is watching me. Something in his expression makes my skin crawl. That prickly sensation at the base of my spine comes to life.
“Why now?” he asks. “Your father just signed power of attorney over to you. You finally have everything you wanted. Why give it up four days later?”
I was prepared for this question. Sergei and I rehearsed it last night.
“Because Yuri is going to kill me,” I say bluntly.
“I’m not stupid. I know he wants me dead.
I know he’s not going to stop coming after me until he succeeds.
” I lean forward slightly. “So I’m giving him what he wants.
In exchange, he leaves me alone. I get to live.
He gets to run the Baranov empire. Everyone wins. ”
It’s logical. It makes sense. A woman choosing survival over pride.
But the younger man is still watching me with those calculating eyes.
“We’ll need to take these to Yuri,” he says finally. “Have them reviewed.”
My stomach drops. That’s not the plan. The plan was for them to set up a meeting. To give us a location where we can find Yuri.
But Sergei suspected this might happen. We’re ready. I don’t like Plan B. It’s less controlled.
“Of course,” I say smoothly, like this doesn’t change anything. “But I’d prefer to be there when he reviews them. I want to answer any questions he might have directly.”
“That’s not how this works,” the older one says. “We take the documents. Yuri reviews them. If he’s satisfied, we’ll arrange a meeting.”
The younger man closes the folder and tucks it under his arm. “We’ll be in touch.”
"Yuri says Sokolov has had eyes on you for years." He looks at me. "Did you know that before you married him? Or after?"
He stands.
I stand as well, forcing myself to move slowly. Gracefully. Like a woman who’s accepted defeat and is just trying to end this with minimal bloodshed.
“Thank you for your time,” I say.
The younger man says nothing. They walk out of the conference room, taking my carefully prepared documents with them.
I wait a full minute after they’re gone before I move.
Nelson appears in the doorway.
I know he was listening to the conversation. Sergei as well. He thought of everything.
Nelson and I walk to the elevator. He falls into step beside me. Two more guards materialize from somewhere, flanking us as we walk through the lobby.
The moment we’re outside, I feel like I can breathe again. The SUV is waiting at the curb, engine running.
I climb into the back seat. Nelson slides in beside me. The door closes with a heavy thunk that makes me feel marginally safer.
“They took the documents,” I say immediately.
Nelson is already on his phone, texting rapidly. “I know. We saw them leave. They’ve got eyes.”
I lean back against the seat and press my hand against my stomach. The nausea is back, but I can’t tell if it’s pregnancy or nerves.
Probably both.
“The younger one knew something was off,” I say. “I could see it in his face.”
Nelson glances at me. “You handled it well.”
“Thanks.”
“They’re heading east,” he says, reading his screen. “Toward Brighton Beach.”
My heart rate picks up. Brighton Beach is the territory Yuri has carved out for himself.
Kirill and Sergei are following the two men. He assured me they could follow without being spotted. I believe him, but it doesn’t mean I’m not worried.
“You okay?” Nelson asks quietly.
“No.” I open my eyes and look at him. “But I will be. Once this is over.”
“It will be over soon,” he says. “One way or another.”
That’s what I’m afraid of.
My phone buzzes. I pull it out and see a text from Sergei.
We have them. Stay put. I’ll call when it’s done.
I hate this. I want to demand he lets his men handle things. But that’s not how he does things. He wants to be the one who kills Yuri.
I didn’t tell him about the baby. I chose to hold that information because I didn’t want him distracted. But now I’m wondering if it could have been incentive.
“Your husband is very good at this.”
I know he is. That’s what scares me.
Because Yuri is good at this too. And the Ghost—wherever he is—is the best. When Sergei told me that’s who was coming for me, I understood just how dire the situation was. I knew about the Ghost. Everyone in our world does. He is only used for the most high-value targets.
The drive back to the brownstone feels like it takes forever. It’s taking longer than usual because the driver is making sure we’re not being followed.
By the time we pull up to the house, my nerves are frayed to the breaking point.
Nelson escorts me inside.
I feel lost. I’ve been here alone without Sergei before, but this time it feels wrong.
I sink into his desk chair and feel his presence. It’s too quiet. It feels like the calm before the storm.
“Please come home,” I whisper to the empty room. “Please.”
My phone stays silent.
The minutes tick by.
I should eat something. The nausea is worse when my stomach is empty. But the thought of food makes me want to throw up.
Nelson appears in the doorway with a bottle of water and a pack of crackers. He sets them on the desk without a word and disappears again.
I force myself to eat two crackers. Drink half the water. It helps, marginally.
I know Nelson knows. He doesn’t say it, but he’s with me enough to notice things. And I know there’s no way he didn’t see me buying the tests, though I lied to myself that he hadn’t.
I appreciate him keeping my secret, but I know it won’t last. He’s giving me the chance to tell Sergei, but if I don’t, he will. It’s understood.
An hour passes. Then two.
My phone buzzes.
I snatch it up so fast I almost drop it.
Sergei: This is going to take a while.
I text back immediately. Be safe.
I set the phone down and rest my head in my hands. The exhaustion is overwhelming.
But I can’t sleep. Not until I know Sergei is safe. Not until I know this is over.