Page 94 of Bratva's Intern

Give me five minutes.

I dropped my head back against the headboard with a groan. Five minutes. I hated waiting. Hated the feeling of not being in control.

Any other man who made me wait like this? I’d have moved on without a second thought. Hell, I wouldn’t have called twice. Wouldn’t have called at all.

But this wasn’tanyman. This was Wren.MyWren, who’d stayed with me because I had a seizure. The same Wren, who didn’t think less of me because of everything he’d witnessed that night.

I watched the screen tick over.

Six minutes.

I sent the message before I could talk myself out of it.

Maxim

It’s been six.

The phone vibrated in my hand almost instantly. I answered without giving him the chance to hang up again.

“You’re impatient,” Wren said, a soft laugh in his voice.

“You don’t ever reject my calls, Wren. Ever.”

“I needed to get some privacy,” he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I’m in my bedroom now.”

That image settled like heat low in my gut. “Next time, just tell me. Don’t hang up.”

“Bossy,” he murmured. “I thought you’d be having an amazing time in Chicago and forgetting about me.”

I didn’t respond to that. What could I say that didn’t make me sound like a besotted fool? That I almost hopped on my jet and flew back home just to be with him? That I couldn’t even think of someone else in my bed but him?

“I was going to call you back,” he said softly. “Jess took me out to the gym because I had quite a day at the office.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.” He shifted. Sheets rustled on the other end of the line. “The chief of police came by the office again. Wanted to talk. He didn’t believe me when I told him you weren’t in, but I didn’t let him in.”

I smiled, even though he couldn’t see it. “I’m proud of you, baby.”

There was a pause like he hadn’t expected that. I might have sounded sappy, but I didn’t care. I felt relaxed talking to him.

“Maxim.”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t like to have all the power. I was shaking in the expensive new shoes you bought me.”

He’d done good. I’d watched it all on the hidden camera that Wren had no idea was facing his desk. I’d also seen the way the bastard cop had tried to manhandle him.

He would pay for it.

“But you did it. I’m proud of you. But I didn’t call to talk to you about work.”

“No?” I heard the grin in his voice. “I can’t think of asingle reason my boss would want to talk to me but about work.”

I hesitated. The words felt awkward in my throat. Not dangerous, just… unfamiliar. “I, uh…” I cleared my throat. “I miss you.”

Another pause. A quick intake of breath.

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