Chapter 32

Grigori

T he light’s too bright and everything’s hazy. My head is swimming in that half-dream state that makes me wonder if I’m in the afterlife. A face looms over me, examining me closely. The man’s about fifty, solidly built, with graying hair and the practiced, no-nonsense look of someone who’s been stitching up broken soldiers for a long time.

My voice comes out as a croak. “Am I dead?”

“Nope,” Alexei calls from across the room, his mouth half-full. “Unless they have Chick-fil-A in the underworld.”

I turn my head slowly and see Alexei and Yuri sitting there with lunch spread out between them, looking like they’re settling in for a picnic.

“You want some waffle fries?” Yuri holds out the bag and shakes it a little.

The doctor clicks his tongue. “I wouldn’t if I were you. Go easy—your body’s been through hell.” He lists my injuries as if they’re minor inconveniences: broken ribs, two cracked vertebrae, torn shoulder ligaments, a concussion, and a near-miss on internal bleeding, not to mention multiple contusions and cuts.

I scoff, letting my gaze settle on them. “You two stayed? How heartwarming.” I manage a weak smile. “Guess you really do like me.”

Alexei grins. “You’re charmed, Grigori. You shouldn’t even be able to sit up, yet here you are, cracking jokes. Miracles happen every day, my friend.

“But,” he goes on, exchanging a look with Yuri, “it’s not just our kind-hearted nature keeping us here.”

I squint at him, confused. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Yuri and Alexei exchange another glance, and there’s a weight to it that puts me on high alert. Whatever’s coming, it’s nothing good.

“Look, the rest of the Bratva leadership,” Alexei begins, choosing his words carefully, “they’re not exactly thrilled with how things went down.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.

Yuri sighs. “Your lone wolf shit, Grigori. It’s one thing when it’s your job, another when it’s an all-out war with the cartel. They’re questioning your reliability.”

“Questioning my—” I stop, incredulous. “I saved them at that damn warehouse. It was rigged to blow; Molina had every intention of taking us all out. You’re telling me they’re calling my reliability into question now ?”

Alexei raises a hand. “Hey, we’re not saying it’s fair. Lucky for you, though, I learned how to keep tabs on you. As soon as you left, Elena helped hack into a government satellite system and tracked you right to that lake. And she did it on her goddamn phone, believe it or not. Without that, you’d have died out there.”

I feel a twinge at the mention of Elena. “And Elena?” I ask, the question slipping out before I can stop myself.

“She’s fine,” Yuri assures me with a half-smile. “The doctor here decided against letting her sit vigil by your bedside. His call.”

The doctor snorts. “You’d have been out of that bed in seconds if she were here. And right now, rest is what you need.”

I let out a low laugh. “So everyone knows, I take it.”

“Everyone knows,” Alexei confirms, smirking. “No more secrets, my friend.”

I want to stay awake, to press for more answers about what’s coming next and where this leaves me with the Bratva leadership, but fatigue pulls at me like an anchor. The edges of the room blur, and my eyelids get heavier.

“Just rest for now,” Alexei says, patting my good shoulder. “We’ll fill you in later. You’ve earned it.”

The last thing I see is Alexei’s smirk fading and Yuri’s steady gaze watching over me as the world slips away into darkness once again.

I’ve been in the hospital for a few days, and the doc’s finally cleared me to leave.

My arm’s in a sling, ribs bruised as hell, and there’s still a sharp, pulsing pain in my head every time I take a step. The doc smirks as he gives me his final instructions. “Take it easy, no international gang fights for a bit, yeah?”

I snort, wincing at the ache in my side. “In my line of work, that’s not exactly guaranteed, Doc.”

He shakes his head, muttering something about stubborn idiots, but I thank him anyway. If not for him and his work, I wouldn’t be walking out of here at all.

Alexei and Yuri stand by the doorway, arms crossed, eyes assessing.

“Alright, let’s get you out of here,” Yuri says, clapping me on the back—carefully, for once.

The drive back is quiet, too quiet, save for Alexei finally breaking the silence as we head into the city. “How’s the body? Ready for another round?”

I shift in the seat, feeling the pull on my shoulder. “I’m ready to get this meeting over with,” I say, avoiding a real answer.

Truth is, I’d take on another fight right now if it got me one minute with Elena. Even the thought of her is enough to pull me through the pain and soreness. Knowing she’s safe—that I get to see her soon—hell, I’m practically giddy, though I’d never admit it.

But there’s a darker thought lurking at the back of my mind, one that tightens my gut as we close in on the mansion. If the Bratva’s leadership has a beef with me, they’re almost guaranteed to take issue about my relationship with Elena. They’re family after all.

As we hit the familiar streets of downtown Chicago, I finally let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. I grip the door handle as we drive, knuckles tight. I know I’m in for a hell of a fight.

A few minutes later, we’re pulling up in front of the mansion, its imposing gates and stone walls never looked better.

Once inside, Alexei and Yuri lead me straight to the den, where Luk and Lev are already waiting. I glance around, half-expecting Elena to be there, too, but no such luck.

“Where’s Elena?” I ask, not even bothering with a greeting.

Luk raises an eyebrow. “You’ll see her soon,” he replies. “But first, there are a few matters we need to discuss.”

I know exactly what that means.

I gingerly lower myself into one of the chairs, my shoulder screaming at the movement. Once I’m seated, Luk wastes no time, launching right into a rundown.

“Molina’s dead,” he starts, his tone all business. “And thanks to Alexei, and Elena, for that matter, so is Claudio.” Luk nods at Alexei, who gives a little mock bow, a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Don’t mention it,” Alexei says, glancing my way. “Just taking care of the heavy lifting.”

I smirk, rolling my eyes.

Lev takes over, arms crossed, his tone hard as he continues. “Chicago’s Molina Cartel operations have been taken down and cleaned out. Every contact, every stash, wiped. Their plan to gut the Ivanov Bratva has been effectively foiled.”

I nod, but I’m not exactly looking to celebrate. I don’t need them to tell me how close it was.

“And New York?” I ask, cutting to the point. “What’s left?”

Yuri, still leaning against the wall, steps forward. “Without leadership, it’s a mess. We’ve got word they’re licking their wounds out there, but manpower’s still something they’ve got plenty of. No sign of a regrouping… yet. But if they do, they’ll be hurting for a long time.”

Silence hangs for a beat, then Alexei speaks up. “Looks like mission accomplished.”

He grins, but we all know there’s more at stake than what’s left of the cartel.

Luk clears his throat.

“Now, about your actions,” he starts, looking at me hard. “You took matters into your own hands and put yourself and our people at risk. That’s not how we operate, and you know it.”

I nod, feeling every word like a gut punch. “I know. I messed up. Thought I could handle it on my own, but I see now that was a mistake.” I’m not a man who apologizes often, but I owe it to them. “I’m sorry for going off like that, for making you all think I was unreliable.”

Lev and Yuri exchange glances then Lev steps forward. “We don’t doubt your loyalty, Grigori. But next time, trust us. That’s what family’s for.”

There’s a beat of quiet as his words sink in, then Luk’s expression softens as he says, “Which brings us to our sister. You saved her life. We all saw it, and we know what it meant for you to put her safety above your own. So for that, thank you.”

I nod, but before I can say anything, Alexei breaks in, grinning. “And don’t think we haven’t noticed how you look at her.”

I half-smile, feeling a bit of a blush creeping up despite myself. Luk nods, resolute. “Look, Grigori, you’re practically family. The fact of the matter is, if you and Elena love each other, then you belong together. Period.”

Relief swells in my chest, and it’s all I can do to keep a straight face. With the Molina threat behind us, I’m free to resume my place among them, and finally, to be with her.

Yuri nods to the doorway. “Go on then. She’s waiting.”

They call her name, and the door creaks open. Elena steps in and my heart clenches.

She steps toward me, her eyes shining with tears. I stand and lift my good arm, and she steps into me, wrapping herself around me tightly as I hold her.

“I love you,” I say, pressing my lips to her hair. “More than anything, Elena.”

She leans back just enough to look up at me, her gaze warm yet fierce. “I love you, too, Grigori. More than you’ll ever know.”

For the first time in a long while, I feel complete.