Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Isabella

It isn't just about revenge. It isn't just about establishing myself as the head of the Los Sangre Dorada. It runs so much deeper than that.

I stand and take our dishes to the sink. "I've got them," he says. "Sit."

"I'm supposed to walk on this, aren't I?" I ask, uncertain.

"No, you're supposed to rest it. Let the swelling go down. You're strong and healthy. You'll be fine tomorrow. But for now, let me handle this."

"All right, if you insist." For now, I'll let him have this.

"When do you think they're coming to get us?" I ask.

"In two days," he tells me. "I'm needed back in New York."

"What's happened?"

He shakes his head. "It's not so much what happened; it's what might happen next that's the trouble. You said it best—your brother isn't going to let this slide."

I swallow hard. "Definitely not. Has Javier done anything?"

"Not yet, but the threat is imminent, and we all know it."

"If you'd let me see the communication and what you found, I can decipher it for you."

He doesn't trust me yet. I can tell by the look in his eyes. He wants to. I want him to. But he still suspects that my allegiance to Colombia and Los Sangre Dorada runs deep. I need to convince him that trusting me is the right thing to do.

"Lev, this is what we need to do. By being together, we have the potential to unify our families."

"But not with your brother in power."

"He will see me as a threat, and he will try to kill me. He's going to assume that I'm telling you his family secrets. And I fully intend to do that. He is not wrong."

"Mikhail told me to find out everything I can from you."

"You won't have to try hard," I tell him, my heart pounding with what I'm about to reveal. "But I will only tell you under the condition that we do this together. I want you to know my plan."

He picks me up, and we move to the bedroom. The space is luxurious, with high ceilings, silk sheets, and a stunning view of the ocean. We strip, lying naked in comfortable silence. He entwines his fingers with mine before I continue.

"This is what I'd like to do. First, we solidify our alliance." He nods, tracing his finger over my shoulder, down the length of my body. I shiver, relishing the feel of his touch.

"How do you propose to do that? Be specific."

"I will tell you everything I know."

If I didn't have a plan in place, if I didn't know that everything would be okay, I would feel as if I were betraying my family. But I am not the one who betrayed my family. My brother learned from the best, and he does not have the people of my country in mind.

"Once we solidify our alliance, we take down Javier. I know exactly how to do it, but this is one thing I will admit I cannot do alone."

He nods. "Yes. But so far, it sounds like your brother is going to make this easy."

I give him a smile. "That's what he would have you believe. But it isn't true. He probably has many more people hiding around you than you think. Have you been in touch with your mole?"

"I can't talk to you about that."

I blow out an angry breath. "You expect me to tell you everything, and you can't tell me anything? How is that going to work?"

He considers this, thinking it over. I know the problem is that this is not his decision alone. He runs the risk of disloyalty to his family, and unlike me, that means something to him.

"Suffice to say that we have. And he says there are quite a few of your brother's men in our city, which is why we need to get back."

I slide up next to him, lean over and cradle his cock in my hand. I stroke him lazily until his length stiffens in my palm.

"Yes, so this is the plan. I will tell you everything I know. I have a few methods of infiltrating that my brother doesn't know about. Friends on the inside. I'll have to be discreet." I swallow. "Carlos's sister will be one of them. But her life is in grave danger, and I cannot use her intel until I know she is safe."

He reaches over and thumbs my hardened nipple. Arousal surges through me.

"Yes. Of course."

"Your brother Ollie. He's in charge of international relations. Has he spent time in Colombia?" I bend down and lick the tip of his flat nipple. He hisses in a breath and nods.

I bite. "You'll have to send him back."

He catches his breath. "Tell me the entire plan first." He lifts me to straddle him. I love the feel of his warm, strong legs beneath my body. He rests his hands on my hips.

I swallow hard. "I will tell you everything I know about my family, but you must promise me. The first thing we do is end the trafficking. Lev, I'll give you the keys to the kingdom. Once Javier is gone, I know exactly how to make the rest of them follow me. I'm confident I can do this." I slide my hot, wet pussy across his flank.

He nods, his body melting into mine. "Go on."

"After we have solidified our alliance and taken down Javier, we will dismantle the trafficking operation. I will make grand promises to the rest of the men in the cartel. You have to understand they are not loyal to you. They are cutthroats. I will only keep those who will be loyal to me."

He stares at me, understanding dawning in his eyes. I slide his cock into me.

"And then…" My heart beats faster, like the relentless beating of a drum.He thrusts. I gasp, "…our families become one."

I lean over, trailing my finger down the length of his chest. We make love, our bodies moving together in a dance of passion and power, sealing our alliance with each touch, each kiss.

He thrusts so hard my head falls back on a scream. My voice is choked when I practically beg him, "And we will rule together?"

"Together," he says, and I throw my head back, feeling his strength, his commitment. This is where it begins.

"Together, we'll rule." My climax overpowers me as he spills inside me. He groans, holding my gaze in his. Our bodies ignite. I watch his mouth fall open as my own ecstasy washes through me.

"Together, we'll rule," he whispers back. It feels more powerful than when we took our vows.

But I'm too jaded to believe it's that simple.

Who and what will get in our way?

"I'm going to miss this place,"I say. "It's so beautiful here."

The pilot reaches for my hand to help me board the plane but quickly retracts it when Lev glares. No one touches his wife.

I love that.

We leave the island reluctantly but fired up with the knowledge that we have work to do.

"Me too. It's beautiful at home, though, too." He kisses my cheek.

Upon our return, we dive right into it. Every day, we fall into a new normal. Work out, sweat, shower, and have breakfast.

Work.

He gives me two days to find out everything I can about Javier's plans. Everything I told him corroborated what his brothers had said. I'm grateful for my family's decided lack of loyalty, or I couldn't live with myself.

I have to do this, though.

On our way to headquarters in The Cove, I sip my iced coffee, made how I always make it—dark, no sugar, heavy on the ice, a splash of oat milk. I tap my fingers on the dashboard, reflecting on what I found out about Javier.

"Hey, I have a question for you," I tell him. I've been thinking about this. It's time. "I've told you many things about my family. Now I need to know more about yours."

"I thought you knew everything about my family?"

"I don't mean your brothers, Lev. I mean your future family. What do you want? What are your dreams? I've told you mine in detail. You know exactly what I want. I don't know the first thing about what you do."

He frowns. "It's the first time anybody has actually ever asked me. It's definitely not the first time I've ever asked myself."

"Oh? Let's hear it." I sip my coffee.

"I've always wanted a family. I always wanted to settle down. It's why I bought a home right here in The Cove. You know my family means everything to me."

I nod. "I do."

"I want peace. I want to go to bed at night knowing that my wife is safe and that my children are happy. I want to go to bed every night knowing that I did the best I could."

I squeeze his hand.

"Despite what happened in the past. None of that matters anymore," I say.

He is not someone who opens up easily. We spent days on the island, talking about my hopes and dreams, my past, and the ordeals I've been through. But I had to drag his story out of him. And now that I know… I want to give him what he desires.

"Lev, you know I'm not the kind of woman to sit around home and raise kids. I am going to be the head of LSD."

"I know that," he says quietly. "But you're not going to rule alone."

Understanding dawns on me. My hopes and dreams, when meshed with his, could actually work. This just might work.

Asking him about his hopes and dreams is the first time I've allowed myself to think ahead like this. All my life, ever since I knew I was going to take over from my brother, I knew I was going to end him and bring freedom to my people. But I never thought beyond that. I imagined myself as the leader, the one everyone else had to obey. I imagined the end of Javier's reign of terror. But I never allowed myself the luxury of seeing anything beyond that moment. And then I knew…

"What is it?" he asks. "You get all quiet and serious when you're deep in thought. What are you thinking about?"

I shake my head, not trusting myself to speak. There is a lump in my throat the size of a boulder. If I talk…

"Isabella, what is it?" he asks sharply.

And then I need to tell him. For some reason, I need to tell Lev exactly what I'm realizing for the first time.

"I've always been prepared to die for my people. I never imagined myself getting any further than that. I never imagined I'd be… here. Not dead."

It's not that I don't want children ever . It's not that I don't want to be a mother and raise my kids with a man I could love. And I do wonder if I could fall in love with a man like Lev. I know it's already happening.

But I've never allowed myself to dream beyond the immediate goal. I've never allowed myself to think beyond survival. And now that I can…

"That's the truest sign of loyalty," he says quietly. "You told me your family wasn't loyal."

"Until me, it hasn't been." I think about Carlos's sister, about the little girl with braids skipping rocks in the creek by my home, looking for a bit of freedom. I think about my cousin Rosella, taken from her home. Javier wouldn't rescue her, even though he had the means to do so, because he hated her brother. Allowing her to die was his greatest act of vengeance.

I think about my mother. I don't even know if she loved me, but I know now that her lack of love was a protection mechanism.

I've had it with women being seen as less than. The Romanov family is far from perfect, but the Romanovs are the only ones even close to our circles who value women. Yes, they are no charity, but here, in the Romanov family, they rule with their talents and intelligence. Aria is the best hacker in the world. Aleks's wife, Harper, can out-shoot anyone. I don't know Lydia's sister Vera, but Lydia is a force to be reckoned with.

Here, the Romanov family is the only one that can help me realize my dreams.

I'm not alone anymore. That is both a blessing and a curse.

"Let me ask you a question," Lev says, reaching for my hand. His hand is so much stronger than mine. "My family is yours now. Are you still willing to die for your family?"

"I will die defending what matters most to me. I took my vows to you, not out of love but duty. And duty trumps everything."

"That's a good answer, Isabella. It is an honest one, and that is all I ask for. I will do my best to give you everything. That is my duty to you. My obligation."

Lev is stoic and reserved. But beneath that surface, he has so much more to offer. Others might see the youngest in the family as somehow less than, but I know better. He hasn't been handed anything. He has had to fight for all of it—honor, courage, respect.

We pull up to his family home, and just like my time with him, it feels as if another year has passed. Weren't we just married?

"Today, you will meet Kolya."

"Your mentor. What is his story?"

"My father saved his life in the war, and out of duty and obligation, he came home with us. You could say he helped raise us, though he's more like an older brother than a father figure. He taught us discipline and how to fight."

"He's strong, then."

Lev laughs. "You could say that."

For some reason, I feel a little uncertain. I never feel this way, but I suppose I thought I knew my place in the Romanov family. Every time I meet another of them, I question it all over again.

"What does he think about me?" I try to keep my tone nonchalant, but I fail. My voice wobbles a little.

"What does it matter?"

I don't care what people think about me. So why did I ask that question? "I want to know where I stand."

"You're my wife, and that's all that matters."

Lev's warm hand covers mine again. We park outside the home, and no one is outside. It's a beautiful, uncharacteristically warm fall day. The leaves are burnt orange and crunchy, a dark, vivid reminder of the change of seasons. Lev and I are on the brink of something monumental, and we both know it.

"I want to know what to expect. Is he antagonistic? Angry?"

"None of those things," he says. "He is as steady as a rock. Nothing fazes him. His mastery of stoicism made me who I am today. But it's much more important that you know the truth, Isabella."

I look over at him. I didn't realize how emotional all of this made me until now.

"What's that?" I ask. The adrenaline of my duty fueled me to get to where I am now, but now that I am actually about to betray my family, I am gripped with fear.

"You're my wife. I took vows to you. I have never been more serious about anything in my life. I love my brothers and Kolya and my family with all my heart. But you are the one I took vows with. No one will hurt you. No one will disrespect you. Is that clear?"

My voice is little more than a whisper when I respond, "Crystal clear, mi querido jefe . Let's go inside." I blow out a breath. "I have a few things to tell you guys."

The dimly lit room buzzes with tension as Lev and I walk in, hand in hand. Lev's brothers sit around the large oak table, their expressions a mix of curiosity and skepticism. Kolya leans against the wall, arms crossed and eyes narrowed, his silver-lined hair giving him a look of maturity, though his eyes make him look younger.

I take a deep breath, meeting each pair of eyes steadily.

"Isabella, meet Kolya," Lev introduces. "Kolya, my wife, Isabella."

He nods silently.

"Thank you for meeting with us," I begin, my voice steady. "I have crucial information for you that can help us take down Javier's human trafficking ring and secure his drug operation for us."

Aleks arches an eyebrow. "And why should we trust anything you say?"

Lev's grip on my hand tightens, a silent warning. I nod, acknowledging the skepticism. "I understand your doubts, but please withhold judgement until you year what I have to say first. Like all cartels, Javier's operation relies on specific routes and schedules. For instance, the next shipment is due next week through the northern port. His safe houses are located here, here, and here," I say, pointing to spots on the map spread across the table.

Nikko leans forward, his interest piqued despite his wariness. "How do you know this?"

"I've spent years collecting information on his network," I reply. "I also have knowledge of his financials. He uses these banks to launder money, and these accountants are complicit." I slide a list across the table. "With this information, we can hit him where it hurts."

Kolya steps away from the wall, his expression hardening. "That's a lot of detailed information. Almost too detailed. How do we know you're not leading us into a trap?"

Lev's jaw tightens. "Kolya, she's with us now. Her interests align with ours."

But he wasn't done. "Or she's playing the long game, Lev, and setting us up to fall right into Javier's hands... or hers."

Mikhail nods. "He's right, Lev. How can we trust her? She's been on the other side for far too long."

Lev explodes, slamming his fist on the table. "She's risking everything to help us! She's my wife and part of this family now. Show some respect."

Mikhail stands up, his face inches from Lev's. "And what if you're wrong, little brother? What if she's lying to all of us?"

The room crackles with tension as Lev and Mikhail glare at each other, ready to fight. Nikko rises, ready to intervene, but Mikhail's voice cuts through the chaos.

"Enough!" His command is sharp, brooking no argument. "We will consider this information carefully. But Lev, you must understand our caution in this matter. We cannot afford to be blindsided."

Lev's chest heaves with anger, but he steps back, taking a deep breath. I place a calming hand on his arm.

Mikhail continues, "There's one more thing." He signals to a screen. It flashes on. "This is Dmitri, the man whose life is in jeopardy because of her. He's our mole in Javier's operation. He will corroborate or refute Isabella's claims."

He nods and glances nervously at the camera. He shoots furtive looks over his shoulder. "Everything she's said… It's true, all of it. It appears she knows Javier's operation inside and out."

The room falls silent as Lev's brothers digest the ramifications. Kolya is the first to speak, his tone grudging. "Alright, Isabella. You've convinced us for now. But I solemnly warn you, if anything goes wrong, it's on you... and Lev."

Lev growls. "Are you threatening her?"

Kolya stands silent, looking at Mikhail grimly.

I nod, my resolve firm. "I understand. But believe me, I want Javier destroyed just as much as you do."

Lev's grip on my hand eases slightly, a silent show of support. "Then we move forward with her plan," he declares, looking each of his brothers in the eye. "We hit Javier where it hurts, and we take control of his operations."

Kolya eyes me, his suspicion still evident but now tempered with contemplation. "If you're telling the truth, then you're more valuable than we thought."

Mikhail's gaze softens, but his wariness doesn't entirely dissipate. "Fine. We'll take this information and act on it. But if this goes south, I agree with Koyla, you will suffer the consequences Lev."

Lev nods curtly, his protective stance unwavering. "Understood, pakhan. But know this, all of you: Isabella is under my protection. Any threat to her is a threat to me, I will defend her no matter who tries to hurt her."

Mikhail turns to the screen. "Fine. Tell us more about Javier's weaknesses. What else is there to exploit?"

Dmitri clears his throat, glancing nervously at me before speaking. "Javier's organization currently is crumbling from the inside. Morale is at an all-time low. There's constant dissent and in-fighting among his lieutenants about what parts of the business are more important, particularly between Carlos and Mateo. They're both vying for greater positions of power in LSD, and that division is something we can use to our advantage."

I nod, my expression resolute. "Carlos is more interested in expanding the drug operations, while Mateo is all about growing the human trafficking business... he's also more loyal to Javier but lacks his ruthlessness. If we can turn Carlos against Mateo, it would wreak chaos within Javier's ranks."

Aleks strokes his chin thoughtfully. "A power struggle could work nicely in our favor. But what could we do to ignite a conflict like that?"

"I know how we can do it," I say firmly. "There's a shipment coming next week. If we intercept it, I can help you make it look like an inside job. Carlos will blame Mateo, and vice versa."

Kolya interjects, still cautious. "And what's your role in all this?"

"I'll help coordinate the attack and ensure that the right evidence points to Carlos," I explain. "I have the skills and the knowledge to circumvent their security. As I said before, I want Javier's downfall as much as you do."

Lev looks around the room, his brothers' expressions a mix of skepticism and reluctant agreement. "Trust her. I do."

As they prepare to leave the room, Aleks approaches Lev, his voice low. "I hope you know what you're doing, little brother. Our family's future depends on it."

Lev meets his gaze, determination blazing in his eyes. "I know exactly what I'm doing. And I believe in Isabella. She's proven herself to me."

The room begins to empty, but Kolya lingers, casting one last glance at me. "We'll see if your loyalty is true. Don't give us any reason to doubt you."

I stand tall, my chin raised defiantly. "I won't."

With the tension still hanging in the air, Lev and I are left alone in the room. He pulls me into his arms, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "You did great. They'll come around."

I lean into him, my heart racing from the confrontation. "I hope so. We have to take down Javier. Not just for us, but for everyone he's hurt."

Lev nods, his expression fierce. "We will. Together."

I look up at him, feeling both determined and vulnerable. "We must succeed, Lev. It's not just about us. It's about all the lives Javier has destroyed and will destroy if we don't."

He nods, understanding the weight of my words. "We will succeed. Together ."

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the days ahead. The battle has begun.

There is no turning back now.