He swore he'd never love again. She never expected to be loved at all. Viktor Volkov buried his heart twenty-four years ago when his wife died. Now, at fifty-eight, he's the Pakhan—feared, respected, alone. Love is weakness. Family is liability. That's how he's survived. Until Irina. She needs protection from the brutal men hunting her. He needs strategic alliances. Their marriage solves both problems. It should be simple. Transactional. Safe. But Irina refuses to be the quiet, grateful wife he expected. She's sharp, fearless, and challenges him at every turn. And her daughter Mira? She looks at him like he hung the moon, calling him Papa and making him read fairy tales until his voice goes hoarse. Viktor tells himself he's being practical. That this arrangement is purely business. But when Mira asks him to make a pinky promise, when Irina smiles at him over breakfast, when his sons tease him about going soft—he realizes the terrifying truth. He's not just protecting them. He's falling for them. And when enemies come for his family, Viktor will become the monster he's kept buried for decades. Because some things are worth any cost. Any violence. Any sacrifice. Even his carefully guarded heart. BOUND TO THE PAKHAN: Where a grumpy crime lord discovers that the most dangerous thing isn't his enemies—it's learning to love again.
Used availability for Cora J Riley's Bound to the Pakhan