Page 106 of The Pakhan's Dangerous Secret
Sophia's eyes widen. "Politicians."
"Powerful ones." I point to the decoded list I've compiled. "Senators, congressmen, and judges. People with influence over law enforcement, border security, and federal investigations. All of them under Bratva control."
Matvey curses under his breath, his hand going to the back of his neck. "Fuck."
"When you add it all together," I continue, my voice hard, "the safehouse locations, the politicians under Bratva control, and the list of the dead in the crypt, it shows exactly how deep this plot went. It wasn't just about eliminating rival families. It was about consolidating power across both criminal and political spheres."
Mariya stands abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. She moves to the window, her arms wrapped around herself. I want to go to her, pull her against me, and tell her it'll be okay. But I can't lie to her like that.
"My father testified againstsomeof those families," she says quietly, staring out at the gardens. "But not all of them."
"No." I move to stand beside her, close enough that I can smell the faint scent of her shampoo. "There are still others in control today. Families that were part of the original conspiracy. Families that benefited from the massacre and the power vacuum it created."
She turns to face me, and I see the fear in her dark eyes. "That's why he hid all this information. Why he scattered the clues instead of keeping them together."
"He couldn't risk it ending up in the wrong hands." I reach out and tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, my fingers lingering against her cheek. "If the families he testified against had found this evidence, they would have used it to destroy him and everyone connected to him."
"And if the families he didn't testify against found it," Matvey adds from across the room, "they would have killed him to keep their involvement secret."
Sophia stands and moves to the table, her fingers tracing the edge of the scroll photograph. "So Yegor created a puzzle that only someone he trusted could solve. Someone who knew him well enough to understand the clues."
"Someone like Mariya," I say quietly.
Mariya's hand finds mine, her fingers threading through mine in a gesture that grounds me. "He wanted me to know the truth. But he also wanted to make sure I could protect myself with it."
I pull her closer, my other hand settling on her hip. The curve of her waist fits perfectly against my palm, and I feel the tension radiating through her body. "He succeeded. We have everything now. The locations, names, and proof of what happened twelve years ago and who's still profiting from it today."
"Which brings us to the real question," Matvey says, his voice cutting through the moment. "What the fuck do we do with this information?"
I turn to face him, keeping Mariya tucked against my side. "That's what we need to decide."
Sophia moves closer to the table, her expression serious. "If we expose this, we'll be declaring war on some of the most powerful Bratva families in America. Families with political connections that reach into the highest levels of government."
"And if we don't expose it," Mariya says, her voice stronger now, "we're sitting on a bomb that could explode at any moment. The families involved will eventually figure out that my fatherleft evidence behind. If they haven't already, and they'll come looking for it."
"They're already looking," I point out. "That's probably why Yegor went silent. He knows they're closing in."
Matvey pushes away from the bookshelf and moves to the table, his dark eyes scanning the documents spread across the surface. "We could use this as leverage. Threaten to expose everything unless they back off."
"That only works if they believe we'll actually do it," Sophia counters. "And if they think we're bluffing, they'll just kill us and take the evidence."
I look down at Mariya, seeing my own conflict reflected in her eyes. We could destroy powerful families with this information. We could bring justice for the people murdered twelve years ago. But we could also paint targets on our backs that would never disappear.
"There's another option," I say slowly, the idea forming even as I speak. "We could use this to build alliances. Approach the families who were victims of the massacre, the ones who lost people in the crypt. Show them we have proof of who was responsible."
Mariya's eyes widen. "Turn them against the families who orchestrated it."
"Exactly." I release her hand and move back to the table, my mind racing through possibilities. "We don't expose everything publicly. We use it strategically, creating divisions among the families involved. Let them tear each other apart while we stay protected."
"That's dangerous as fuck," Matvey says, but there's respect in his voice. "One wrong move and we're caught in the crossfire."
"Everything about this is dangerous." I meet his gaze. "But doing nothing is just as deadly. If not more. The moment these families realize Yegor left evidence behind, they'll come for anyone connected to him. That includes Mariya."
The words hang in the air, heavy with implication. I watch Mariya's face, see the moment she accepts the truth. There's no safe option here. There's only choosing which risk we're willing to take.
Sophia moves to stand beside Matvey. "We need time to think this through. To plan carefully before we make any moves."
"Agreed." I look at each of them in turn. "But we also need to be ready to act fast if the situation changes. If Yegor makes contact, or if we get word that the families are moving against us."
