Page 71 of Hunter

“Can we talk inside?”

I sigh, stepping aside, holding the door open for him. We move in silence toward the living room, where he sits on thecouch, gesturing for me to sit. I refuse. My body is too wired to relax right now, especially with him here. The tension in the air has me on edge.

“Well?” I ask after a few long minutes of silence. Andrei offered me one of the coffees, but I was already jittery enough. I’ve had three cups already. The alarm on my phone went off this morning at six, alerting me to movement outside. I foolishly checked the feed and saw Maxim’s car parked in my driveway. When I reviewed the footage, I realized he hadn’t left. He stayed in his car all night, watching the house. The fact he’d rather do that than trust the men he pays to keep watch—it’s clear he’s losing control. It made me so angry. I couldn’t go back to sleep.

I spent the next few hours in the gym, trying to work off some of the frustration.

“I came by to make sure you’re doing alright,” Andrei says.

I blink, taken aback. “What did you say?”

Andrei has never supported my relationship with Maxim. He never outright said it, but the way he looks at me—like I’m an inconvenience—speaks volumes. He might be grateful for what I did for Elena, but his glares when he thinks no one is looking say otherwise.

Andrei mirrors Maxim’s movements—tilting his head and running his fingers through his hair with a nervous exhale. I can feel my heart drop. “Maxim really didn’t send me, Sophia. I genuinely came to check on you.”

“Why now?” I ask, crossing my arms. “Why do you suddenly care how I’m doing?” Not once did he visit me after the kidnapping, even though he was there, talking to Maxim outside my room. I know he got updates from Luca and Maxim, but he never took the time to check on me. Why does he care now? What does he want?

He shifts uncomfortably, his gaze darting away from mine. He flicks an invisible piece of lint off his shirt, and I roll myeyes. It’s a move Maxim makes when he’s uncomfortable, trying to seem composed while still looking intimidating. I’ve never noticed how similar they are. Of course, I’ve never been alone with Andrei long enough to pick up on these subtle gestures.

“I understand your hesitation about me being here,” Andrei says, finally meeting my gaze. “I’m sure Maxim told you I was against your relationship from the start.”

“No, he didn’t,” I respond, “because Maxim loves you, and he wouldn’t break your trust by sharing something that’s not his to say. But I’m very observant, Andrei. I figured it out on my own.”

He shifts in the chair, his expression softening. “It wasn’t about you as a person, Sophia. It was about this side of him you brought out. He lost focus on everything. All he wanted was to follow you around like a lost dog, talk about you, be with you.” He exhales, tightening his hand into a fist, holding it for a few seconds before releasing it, as if he’s reliving something painful and letting it go.

“Never in my life had I seen Maxim care about anyone like he cares about you, and you were pushing him away every chance you got. It made me angry. I couldn’t get past it. All I saw was the conflict inside him—the brother I knew was disappearing, and I couldn’t do anything. I blamed you for it.”

He leans back, his gaze falling to the floor. “What I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry. I acted like an asshole when I should have tried to understand you instead. It wasn’t until the wedding that I saw who you really are. You’re the person who’s healing him. You’re his chance at happiness.” He chuckles bitterly. “Who am I kidding? You’re his only chance.”

He pauses then adds more quietly, “It’s not until recently I realized—us Volkov men don’t open ourselves to love easily, but when we do, we give everything. Our body, our soul. Nothing else matters.”

I’m glad he isn’t looking at me right now as tears begin to fall, each one sharp and relentless. “Why are you telling me this now, Andrei?” My voice breaks, and I struggle to keep myself together.

“Because of the ‘ex-girlfriend bullshit’ comment you made yesterday,” his tone deepens, anger bubbling beneath the surface. I step back, inching closer to the gun I keep hidden behind the couch, just in case. I don’t think he’ll hurt me, but I’d rather be close to it if he snaps. “You’re not over. Whatever stupid fight you had yesterday—it’s just that. A stupid fight.”

“Please, stop,” I manage, my voice trembling with sobs. “Just stop talking.” I take a shallow breath, trying to regain composure. “You don’t understand, Andrei. The fight wasn’t stupid. Maxim came here to break up with me. He thought if he ended things, he could keep me safe. He’s so obsessed with my safety, he can’t think about anything else. For fuck’s sake, the DEA is investigating him, and he hasn’t even done anything about it.”

I pause, the weight of my own words sinking in. “I want to catch the person behind this too, probably more than any of you, but at what cost? His sanity? What happened to all his ambition? The dream of going legit? You said it yourself—he’s losing himself. It’s not because he’s a lovesick puppy. It’s because he’s obsessed with keeping me safe.”

I lower my head, picking at a loose string in my pants. “I understand why he’s acting like this. He’s controlling. It’s in his DNA. And after what happened with my kidnapping, when he couldn’t protect me or find me right away—it changed him. I can’t fully understand it because I’m not in his head. But it’s obvious it took a toll.”

I let out a shaky breath. “All I want is for him to stop obsessing over my safety. I want him to accept I can take care of myself. He did a great job training me, after all. I want him tofocus on his life again too.” I whisper the last part to myself more than to Andrei.

A realization hits me then, lifting a weight off my shoulders. I finally understand why I’ve been so adamant about not wanting Maxim to obsess over my safety. It’s not just that I want him to believe in my ability to take care of myself. It’s that I don’t want to be the reason his life falls apart. I don’t want him to regret me later on, when everything he has worked for starts crumbling because he’s been too distracted by me. He’s so focused on my safety that he’s losing sight of everything else.

How can I make Maxim, a man who’s so single-minded, understand what I’m feeling? He won’t truly get it. He’ll blame himself for my feelings, for not being able to fix everything. Maybe it’s better if I just keep my distance. There’s so much healing that needs to happen before we can ever make this work. I need to heal from my trauma, and in a way, Maxim needs to heal too. He needs to accept that none of this is his fault, that there is nothing he can do to change the outcome. And I need to stop resenting him for not saving me.

How can I beg him to stop worrying about my safety and, at the same time, be angry at him for not protecting me?

“Then you need to talk to him about all this,” Andrei says, and I can’t help but roll my eyes.

I lift my head and glare at him. “You don’t think I’ve already tried? This has been going on for some time. I thought it would stop when he started training me. But, as you can see, it didn’t.”

“Maxim is a bit hard-headed. He loves to live stuck in his ways.”

I snort a laugh. “A bit hard-headed? The man’s head is harder than a rock.”

We both burst into laughter, the tension between us easing with each chuckle.

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