Page 38 of Forced Bratva Bride

Chiara handles herself with poise and grace during the meeting, adding valuable comments here and there and capturing the very close attention of one of the men, which causes me to pull her close against my side, making a very clear statement that she belongs to me. He takes note, and becomes more professional after that, which I appreciate. If he had continued to eye my wife in that way, I would have had to ask them both to leave.

The meeting goes incredibly well, and they place a large order. We are busy going over the details when a faint smell of smoke hits the air.

I look up, wondering where it's coming from.

A shattering explosion ruptures the air as a bomb goes off in the far corner of the warehouse. Immediately, I grab Chiara and wrap my body around hers. Four more explosions boom through the warehouse as different sections burst into flames.

I hear screaming, and the bombs hit with earthshaking force. We all drop to the floor.

My ears are ringing when I look up.

As I pull Chiara to her feet, her eyes are alert and sharp, darting across the warehouse.

I turn to see the destruction, my entire body filled with dread.

“Not the workers' quarters,” I murmur, turning and running toward the back of the warehouse. I see men grabbing fire extinguishers to suffocate the flames that are devouring our products, and I yell at them to get to the back and help the people first.

I run past the shredded body of a young man, his arm no longer attached and the skin of his face a mess of torn flesh, leaving him unrecognizable.

My stomach lurches, and my head spins. I feel so dizzy I can barely take another step.

Chiara grabs my face in her hands. “Look at me.”

I can barely hear her.

“Look at me, Maxim.” I try and focus on her voice.

“Your eyes on mine. Do it,” she shouts.

I lift my eyes to meet hers. Deep, dark pools of chocolate. “That's good, focus on me,” she says gently. “Just keep focusing on me. And listen to my voice, okay?”

I nod.

“Your men need you. You can do this. You have to ignore the blood. You have to help them.” I can feel her hands shaking against my face.

Her voice breaks a little. “Maxim, I need you.”

A certain clarity shifts inside me. Chiara needs me right now; I can’t leave her alone in this.

I take a deep breath and focus even harder on her gaze. Her eyes brim with tears, but she is still managing to hold herself together.

Something inside me snaps. I will do anything for her.

I wrap my hand around the back of her neck and squeeze my fingers into her soft skin.

“I’ve got you, babygirl. I'm here.”

“Good. Now let’s go and see who needs help.”

Then she grabs my hand and pulls me towards the workers' housing.

As soon as we step through the doors the devastation becomes heartbreakingly obvious.

Her hand drops out of mine, and we begin searching for survivors. The place has been brought down to the bare bones. Shards of metal and shattered brick lay everywhere. Bodies are trapped between the rubble, broken and torn.

Every single person who was in here is dead.

Every single one of them.

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