Page 63 of Forced Bratva Bride

“He isn’t like his brothers, I know, but he is still a Dubrov.”

“It doesn’t matter. He will do this for me.”

My father sits with his head in his hands, trying to find another solution, but I know he won’t. This is his best chance to stop his business from falling apart while Stefano is out of the picture.

He sighs.

“Do you trust him? Maxim?”

“I do. He can handle it without his brothers even knowing.”

“I don’t really have a choice,” he grumbles. “The deals are already arranged, and I can’t lose them.”

The truth is that I do trust Maxim. But last night I realized something else.

I am in love with him.

He is everything I have ever wanted, without knowing that I wanted it.

I can’t lose him, and I can’t have my father talking to our allies, destroying his reputation.

“He won’t let you down, Dad. Everything is going to be okay.”

I sit with my dad for another hour, just letting him know that I am here for him and trying to be as supportive as I can. I'm determined to sort everything out for him. He has always solved my problems, helped me financially, and encouraged me when I wanted to go and study. Now I want to help him.

When he walks me to my car, he pulls me into a tight hug.

“Thank you, sweetheart, I can’t tell you what it means to me that you're here for me. I wish you'd get on the plane and leave, but you are a grown woman now, and I can’t force you to do that.”

I chuckle. “I don’t need to, Dad. You'll see. Maxim is going to fix everything.”

***

Sitting at the dining room table in Maxim’s house, we've been discussing different options for over an hour.

“I can set up the meeting with our allies, the clients your father has waiting, and let that information out. But then, a few hours before the meeting, I give them a different venue, redirecting them to another location,” Maxim suggests.

“That’s not a bad idea. That way, we can distract whoever is behind this with the false location and keep everyone safe, but Maxim can still meet with the clients. Do we have an empty warehouse available?” Paval asks.

“Yes, and we can ensure it stays empty. No workers, no one in harm’s way.”

Around the table everyone nods, and mutters of agreement fill the air. This plan just might work.

“We need to keep the second meeting venue secret, right up until we tell the client. No one outside of our two families can know anything. And Maxim has to go alone.”

Again, everyone agrees.

Beneath the table, my leg begins to bounce as nervous energy fills my body.

So many things can go wrong, and with the amount of explosives used in the past attacks, I'm terrified that something is going to happen to Maxim, his family, or my father. What if the people who are behind this start adjusting their tactics? What if they up their level of aggression? I bite my lip, and my leg continues to bounce.

I feel Maxim’s hand run over my thigh beneath the table. He glances over at me, his brows slightly knotted, his warm blue eyes questioning.

“Chiara, will you help me in the kitchen? I think everyone needs a drink.”

“I’d love one,” Kiril responds.

“Me too,” Paval says.

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