Page 54 of Lobanov Bratva Obsession
“Are you all right?” I asked, holstering my sidearm and moving to check her for injuries.
“I’m fine. He talked more than he fought.” She caught my hands, stilling their assessment. “Damian. Thank you. For letting me face him. For not trying to protect me from the truth.”
“You deserved answers. Even if they were painful.” I pulled her against me, needing the reassurance of her physical presence. “But please, never do anything this tactically insane again. My heart can’t take it.”
She laughed—soft and slightly hysterical. “No promises. I seem to specialize in tactical insanity.”
“I’ve noticed.”
We stood there for a long moment, surrounded by death and the debris of a fallen empire, holding each other in the wreckage. Then tactical reality reasserted itself.
“Status,” I said into the comm unit.
“Building secure,” Konstantin reported. “Eight hostiles neutralized, four in custody. No casualties on our side. Anya’s been located safe at Isabella’s apartment—apparently, she decided to stay in the city when her husband’s flight was delayed and didn’t think to inform anyone. Alexei’s currently explaining the concept of communication protocols.”
Relief flooded through me. “Confirmed. Begin cleanup protocols. I want this site sanitized before federal teams arrive.”
“Already in progress.”
I looked down at Sergei’s body, feeling nothing. No triumph. No regret. Just the hollow satisfaction of a necessary task completed.
“We should go,” Elena said quietly. “Before the reality of what I just authorized fully hits me.”
“You didn’t authorize this. I pulled the trigger.”
“I told you to. Made you the instrument of my revenge while pretending it was justice.” She stepped back, looking at mewith something approaching fear. “Doesn’t that concern you? That I can manipulate you into killing for me?”
“No. Because you’re not manipulating me. You’re trusting me to handle the violent necessities you can’t.” I cupped her face, forcing her to meet my eyes. “That’s not manipulation, Elena. That’s partnership. You dismantle them legally. I eliminate them physically. Together, we’re unstoppable.”
“Together,” she repeated, like testing the word’s weight. “Yes. I think I’m starting to believe that.”
We left the office hand in hand, stepping over Sergei’s corpse without ceremony. The old guard was dead. The reformation could begin.
*****
The drive back to the estate was silent, both of us processing the night’s events in our own ways. Elena’s hand stayed locked in mine the entire time, her grip tight enough to hurt.
The family was gathered in the main hall—brothers and wives, waiting for confirmation that the operation had succeeded.
Viktor took one look at us and nodded once.
“It’s done,” I confirmed. “Sergei’s dead. His organization is completely dismantled. The legal documents are already propagating through federal systems. By noon, every implicated party will be in custody or fleeing the country.”
“And the cost?” Roman asked, his eyes sharp and assessing.
“Eight hostile casualties. Four prisoners. Zero losses on our side.” I looked at Elena, who’d gone pale and quiet. “And one successful extraction of a lawyer who has absolutely no sense of tactical self-preservation.”
That got weak laughs from the assembled family. Isabella moved forward and pulled Elena into a fierce hug, whisperingsomething I couldn’t hear. Liza, Alina, and Mila followed, surrounding her in feminine solidarity.
The brothers approached me with various expressions of relief, respect, and exhausted satisfaction.
“Well,” Alexei said, clapping my shoulder. “That was dramatic. Though next time, maybe we could handle the final boss without giving everyone heart attacks?”
“I’ll take it under advisement.”
Viktor studied me with those cold eyes that saw everything. “You good?”
“I will be.” I looked at Elena, still surrounded by the women who’d become her sisters through marriage and shared trauma. “We both will be.”
