Page 18 of The Bratva's Hostage

My dad was fighting for his life in the hospital, I’d spent three days in captivity, and I was about to marry the most ruthless, most dangerous man I’d ever met in my entire life.

It felt like I’d aged a decade. There was no time to mourn or reminisce. The engine churned endlessly, and the wheels never stopped turning. I had two options, swim, or sink. I’d not come this far to give up now, but I couldn’t deny the overwhelming weariness I felt in my bones.

I blinked and looked out the window. I’d been lost in thought and disconnected from the world. I had no idea how long I’d been out for, and I didn’t care.

When the car stopped, I frowned and turned to Maksim. “Where are we? You didn’t tell me we were making a detour.”

He smiled. “This one is kinda important. Come on. We’re at the hospital. It was unplanned, but we had to come. We won’t be here for long.”

I shrugged, thinking he was going to visit Peter. “Sure. Can I wait in the car, though? I’m not feeling up to it right now, I’m sorry.”

He shook his head and stepped out. “I’m sorry to hear that, Elena, but I’d rather if you came with me, please. It would only be a moment.” His voice was surprisingly calm, and kind, and it raised my hackles. I didn’t trust this version of him, whatever it was.

I obliged and stepped out of the car, falling into step with him. Only one man came with us this time, the one who had passed me my phone, Fyodor, I guessed that was his main lieutenant.

We got into the hospital and waited by the elevators while Maksim’s man went to make inquiries at the massive nurse station. He returned and pushed the button on the elevator.

We got off on the fifth floor and Fyodor led the way briskly down the hall. The floor was quiet, and private rooms stood across from each other down a carpeted hallway.He had words with the nurse at the front desk and then handed her a piece of paper. The nurse studied it briefly and then led us towards a room at the end of the hall.

She stepped into the room and Maksim made way for me to enter, only to shut the door behind me. I was about to turn and ask why he was acting so strangely when I saw the patient in the bed. I hadn’t realized that this was the same hospital where my father was.

“You’re his daughter?” the nurse asked quietly. Without waiting for a reply, she continued. “You can speak to him, though I can’t say how much he will hear. He’s fine now, stable, but still in a coma. And no loud sounds. Speak softly and turn off your phone if possible.” She turned and left the room.

I barely heard a word she said. When she shut the door, I walked slowly forward to my dad and the sight of his frail, unconscious body broke my heart.

I sank into the nearest chair and felt tears well up in my eyes. I picked up his hand and kissed it gently. He was the strongest person I knew in the world, my source of inspiration. Seeing him lie lifeless was the worst thing I’d ever witnessed in the world.

“Ciao Papa,” I said, sniffling. Fat drops of tears fell from my eyes, soaking into the sheets. “What happened to you? I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. I should have been there.”

I cried without holding back, the tears ripping painfully out of me. This was all too much for me, seeing him so weak. Without him, the job of protecting the family fell on my shoulders, and I’d never felt more inadequate in all my life.

“I need you,” I said. “I lost Marco, I can’t lose you too, papa. There’s so much going on and I wish you were here. You always did know how to take care of things. I can’t do it as well as you do.”

I kissed his hand again, brushing his frail fingers on my damp cheeks. “I promise you this, I will find Marco’s killer. I don’t know how, but I will. Ti amo [love you], papa.” I wiped the tears from my eyes and kissed his hand once again.

Chapter 9 - Maksim

The view of the church hall from the top of the stairs was nothing if not comical. It was like a battle scene. The only thing left was the actual weapons… weapons I was sure were hidden under clothes.

On one side sat the Russian host, glaring at the crowd of Italians who filled the pews on the other side. All the room needed was one tiny spark, and the whole thing was bound to go up in flames.

It would be a surprise to me if the day ended without violence. I’d spent the last week putting out fires in my camp, while Elena did the same with the Italians. Combined with the stress of planning a wedding, it had been a horrible week.

As I waited for her, all I could think of was the end of this entire debacle. On multiple occasions, I had considered walking away from the entire arrangement.

Nikolai remained the voice of reason, reminding me how important it was for us to end our enmity with the Italians. I was hard-pressed to agree with him, but it didn’t make it an easy decision.

Where was she anyway? Her tardiness was infuriating, and she showed no remorse for messing up appointments. She was always late, it seemed. Even on the day of her fucking wedding, I thought angrily.

Finally, a melodic hymn sprung up from the massive organ in the corner of the room. I turned to see Elena walking through the arched doorway, escorted by Lucas. The intricate lace of her white gown trailed behind her, a delicate veil draped over her face.My anger melted away, as did the threat in the air.

One thing both sides of the pews could agree on was that Elena was the most gorgeous thing I had set eyes on all day. I could see the looks of awe on all the faces of the attending guests. Her beauty could not be hidden, despite the thin veil that covered her face.

She held a bouquet of lilies, walking past the two feuding families with her head held high in quiet determination. She took my breath away, and I couldn’t help but wonder what she saw when she looked at me, waiting at the altar for her.

An older man in a spectacularly tailored suit? The enemy? There was no way to know. I’d never really considered getting married before. It was a thing I knew would happen eventually, but I didn’t think about it. She was too perfect for an arrangement like this. I felt strangely lucky that she had even agreed to this circus act in the first place.

I felt the full weight of responsibility as I watched Elena approach. The silence in the church only magnified the tension in the air as the congregation held their collective breath, acutely aware of the significance of this union in the context of our age-old hatred for one another.

---