Page 62 of Captivated By the Bratva

Twenty minutes later, he pulled into the underground garage to a tall, commercial building that looked like it’d cost a fortune to build. Once more, as I saw more of Maxim’s world, I was slapped in the face by how much money they had.

All my life, my dad struggled with finances. He mishandled them and never knew how to hold on to any wealth. Mr. Avilov had always seemed like the big, bad rich guy at large, lurking out there on yachts and jet-setting around the world.

My norm was the frugal life. I doubted Maxim would flaunt his wealth, and I was spared the weird lifestyle of being a kept woman of an oligarch. With Maxim, though…

How do I fit in?

Maxim was again stuck on a call as he guided me up into the building. I scanned the space, my eyes wide. I was stunned by the building, and I wondered when and if I’d acclimate.

Will I even have the chance to, though?

I didn’t doubt that Maxim and his Bratva would fight to keep me from Lev Avilov, but I held on to a stubborn fear that theycouldfail.

It seemed too good to be true that I’d have a way out of my arranged marriage.

And if I did, I wasn’t yet sure if I would be able to stay with Maxim for good. I’d never met Alek to know if I could trust him. What if after Lev Avilov was “taken care of”, he decided his brother should be with someone else? All these politics counted in ways they never should.

While Maxim spoke on the phone, I walked around the spacious penthouse.

Out the window, I took in the sights of skyscrapers and the other structures of the city.

From Jersey, to London, then Cozumel and Chicago.

Next would be New York. With Maxim.

I hugged myself, looking out at the city below.

Behind me, Maxim spoke about hiding the evidence of something, and I knew it had to be something grisly and dark, whatever his men needed advice on. Still, I wasn’t frightened. I’d never felt safer than when I was with Maxim.

Yet, I didn’t want to rely on him too much. I told him that I wouldn’t cling. That I could entertain myself. In this limbo of waiting for my fiancé to be dealt with, I didn’t knowwhatto do. It was all happening so fast. My life was being shaken up so rapidly.

I guess it won’t matter if I don’t graduate now.

The thought depressed me. I would’ve been finishing up the last of exams by now with Zoe. Even though I didn’t know what my life would be like as Maxim’s girlfriend, I highly doubted that he’d want me to continue with school.

My studies would be a frivolous interest, nothing the lethal and all-important men in the Bratva would concern themselves with.

Will it really matter, though?

I focused on getting good grades in high school so I could get a scholarship. And I’d wanted that scholarship so I could move far from my dad’s house. It was all a means to get away from Lev Avilov.

Now that I would be free, I wondered if it even mattered. I considered the possibility that I might not have ever wanted my degree. I wanted independence, but I never truly enjoyed the university life.

All those years I’d been studying and refusing to reply to my dad’s messages, I’d been trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. The concept of my future was colored with the fear of being married to someone I didn’t want.

Now that I’d met Maxim and I had the blooming hope that I’d be rid of Mr. Avilov, I started to think thathewas what I’d been waiting for without knowing it. That I was in a suspension of anticipation until I crossed paths with him.

“I’m going to speak with the drivers.” Maxim strode toward me, shoving his phone in his pocket.

I’d found the master bedroom, and as he entered the room, I fell back onto the king-size bed and sighed.

“I want to personally speak with the newest supervisor in the garage about the security concerns here.” He leaned down on one knee to kiss me. Pressed into the mattress, I smiled against his kiss.

“Security concern?” I asked as he stood.

“Yes.” He raked his gaze over me. “You.You are my concern.”

God, this man…I’d be biting my lip to refrain from blurting out that I loved him if he kept this protectiveness up.

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