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Without Gregori posing as an unreachable, looming threat—physically located closer than we’d realized with those properties primarily on the West Coast—it was time to finish the chapter of his power.

So we can move on to something better.

I couldn’t speak for the others, but I was sick and tired of the past coming back to haunt us in the form of my delusional uncle still thinking he could steal the throne that he never deserved.

30

LOUISA

Everyone branched off into smaller conversations. It was almost too crowded in this huge office at the Volkov mansion, but we made it work.

Lev and Viktor began talking about how to plan on having men to watch all the properties. Maksim and Adrik argued with Alexei about Rico Johnson’s involvement. Wren and Elena seemed to debate something else. Mila joined Lev and Viktor, pitching in her two cents while Carina left to go check on Isabel.

It was a frenzy of reactions to all that I’d dumped on their laps.

Even though I sat here like a spectator, I was fully aware of how I’d been ushered in as one of them. As a true component of this machine that ran the Volkov empire.

Watching them as they strategized and analyzed the information I’d hustled to compile for them, I struggled with the need to seek approval from Nikolai. He sat next to me, watching me with a private smile on his face.

It was impossible to ignore him.

With just that expression on his face, and feeling what had to be a mirrored one on mine, we connected among the chaos.

“What?” I asked.

“No wonder you were so excited to start working today,” he commented.

I nodded. “I had a strong hunch that I was close to getting somewhere.”

He leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Good job.”

Pride swelled in my heart at his simple praise.

Good job.

It was such a basic phrase, but it was also one I hadn’t been on the receiving end of for a long time.

Good job.

Owen never complimented me on my work. None of my coworkers ever gave a shit about what I did on the shift or how often I helped out as a team player. Even Mrs. Richards walked all over me, never actually thanking me for babysitting her sons with the expectation that she’d abuse my time and be late.

Good job.

This was a good job, if an unconventional one and not traditionally recognized. The status of my income was up in the air, but after two months of not having to worry about food or bills, with Nikolai erasing my debts, and with him taking Brady shopping today and probably buying him a ton of things I never could have afforded, I wanted to be okay with this arrangement.

I felt a deep sense of ownership in delivering results to Adrik and the others. Contributing to taking down Gregori wasn’t a meaningless work order to cross out on a long list of busywork.

Proud to be able to do something worthwhile and to know that I was backing them up on removing their nemesis, I looked forward to continuing. To seeing what else I could sleuth my way through and assist them with.

“It feels good,” I admitted. “Knowing that my discoveries can help end a long-standing threat to the family…” I smiled at him. It felt a little weird to say the family when it was so easy to want to say my family.

“It’s going to feel even better when that long-standing threat is gone,” he whispered to me as he leaned in closer and kissed me.

“Oh, yeah? You got plans for something specific?”

He gazed at me, letting a slow, sexy smile take over his face. He personified mischief, the best kind. With that smoldering stare on me, he conveyed that he had plenty of plans—for me.

For us.