Page 28 of Bound Vows
“Thank you for a lovely evening,” I tell him.
The ride back to Andrei’s penthouse gives me time to process everything I’ve learned—about the families I’ve just betrayed, about my brother’s deteriorating mental state, and about the broken man who’s orchestrating all of it from his tower overlooking Central Park.
When I finally return to face him with stolen intelligence and borrowed guilt, I realize the most dangerous part of tonight wasn’t infiltrating enemy territory; it was discovering that I’m starting to understand the monster who’s made me his willing accomplice.
Chapter 12
Andrei
Maya works the table like she was born to manipulate powerful men.
And all I can think is that I want her to do it in my lap.
“Extraction complete,” Alexei announces as our driver picks her up outside the restaurant. “She gathered more information than I expected she would.”
“Excellent. Begin analysis of the intelligence she gathered while I conduct the debriefing.”
Alexei nods and organizes transcripts while I review footage of Maya’s performance. The woman has a natural talent for manipulation that rivals operatives with decades in the field. The way she projects softness while pulling intel is calculated. Most people never develop that kind of skill.
Maya returns to the penthouse forty minutes later, still wearing her Lucia Bellanti disguise but moving in a way that belongs onlyto Maya. She enters my study without knocking, drops into the chair across from my desk, and fixes me with a stare.
“Well?” I ask while closing the surveillance monitors. “How did our friends respond to Lucia Bellanti?”
“Like starving men at an open buffet.” Maya kicks off her heels and rubs her feet with obvious relief. “Frankie invited me to Tuscany, offered me employment opportunities, and practically drew me blueprints of his shipping operations.”
“And the other families?”
“Paranoid but cooperative. They’re pooling resources to mount coordinated resistance against Russian expansion.” She reaches into her purse and retrieves a small recording device. “Complete with detailed defensive strategies and contingency plans.”
I accept the device and note how her fingers brush mine during the transfer. Even after hours of playing someone else, Maya affects me with the slightest contact.
“Exceptional work. You’ve provided enough intelligence to dismantle their entire network within weeks.”
“About that network.” Maya leans forward and places her elbows on my desk. “I accessed your computer before leaving tonight.”
She should’ve triggered every security alarm in my head.
Instead, I’m impressed.
Most people don’t admit to hacking me while sitting across from the man known for punishing betrayal.
“Did you find anything interesting?”
“Your family’s massacre wasn’t just about territory, was it?” Maya’s voice drops to something softer than her usual combative tone. “Someone wanted to send a message that went beyond business.”
I set down my vodka glass and study her face, searching for signs of manipulation or pity. Instead, I find genuine curiosity mixed with something that might be understanding.
“What makes you think that?”
“The audio recordings. The systematic execution of every family member, including children who posed no threat.” Maya removes her platinum wig and runs her fingers through her natural dark curls. “That level of brutality requires personal motivation.”
“Perhaps you should focus on your family’s survival rather than analyzing ancient history.”
“Ancient history that’s driving current events.” She stands and walks around my desk until she’s close enough to touch. “Your parents were negotiating territorial agreements, not planning aggressive expansion. Someone used that meeting to eliminate more than just competition.”
The familiar rage that accompanies any discussion of that night builds in my chest, but Maya’s proximity makes it difficult to let it take hold. She smells like jasmine and danger, a combination that never fails to affect my judgment.
“Sixteen people died that night. My parents, my siblings, cousins, even household staff who had nothing to do with business operations.” I drain the rest of my vodka and reach for the bottle. “They executed everyone except one.”
