Page 62 of Bound Vows
Waking up in a hospital bed surrounded by enough armed guards to invade a small country makes me wonder if surviving assassination attempts comes with mandatory military escort services.
“Good morning, sunshine,” Andrei says from the chair beside my bed, and it looks like he hasn’t moved in days. Dark stubble covers his jaw, and his clothes are wrinkled beyond hope, but his eyes hold relief so profound it makes my throat close up. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been shot, dragged through a warehouse, and nearly drowned in the East River.” I try to sit up and regret the decision as fire spreads through my shoulder. “Though I suppose that’s accurate, considering recent events.”
“The doctor says you’re healing well, despite your best efforts to complicate the process.” He reaches for my uninjured hand andbrings it to his lips. “The hypothermia was more dangerous than the gunshot, but your core temperature has stabilized.”
“How long have I been unconscious?”
“Three days. You’ve drifted in and out, but this is the first time you’ve been coherent enough for conversation. Your brothers have taken shifts with my security team to ensure no unwelcome visitors disturb your recovery.”
“My brothers are working with your security team?” I blink at him in disbelief. “Did my near-death experience cause a miraculous personality transplant in the Mastroni family?”
Andrei leans forward and presses his forehead against mine. “When I dove into that river after you instead of letting you drown to save my family, it demonstrated commitment they weren’t expecting.”
“You told me you loved me.” The memory surfaces with startling clarity, and I watch his face for confirmation that the words weren’t fever dreams or drug-induced hallucinations. “You said it twice.”
To my shock, Andrei doesn’t flinch from the admission or try to downplay its significance. “I did, and I do. I love you, Maya. More than I ever thought possible.”
“Even though loving you nearly got me killed?”
“Anyone can love someone when it’s safe and easy. Loving someone enough to die for them, or kill for them, or choose them over promises made to the dead… that’s the kind of love that changes everything.”
Before I can respond to his declaration, the hospital room door opens to admit Max, who peeks his head in like he’s expectingtrouble. My brother looks exhausted beyond sleep deprivation, and when he sees me sitting up and coherent, his shoulders visibly sag with relief.
“Finally,” Max breathes as he approaches my bed. “Do you have any idea how terrifying it is to watch your little sister get hauled out of the East River unconscious and bleeding?”
“Probably about as terrifying as getting kidnapped, forced into marriage, and hunted by homicidal Russian women.” I manage a weak smile. “I appreciate the concern.”
Max glances at Andrei before settling into the chair on my opposite side. “We need to discuss what happens next, Maya. We couldn’t find her body. Katarina’s still out there.”
“That woman is going to be the death of me,” I groan and pinch the bridge of my nose before I look between the two men and note how they’re eyeing each other with grudging respect. “I assume you’ve had time to compare notes while I was unconscious?”
“Your brother and I have reached a certain understanding about our mutual interests,” Andrei confirms. “Primarily, our shared investment in keeping you alive and eliminating threats to your safety.”
Max snorts but without his usual venom when discussing Andrei. “I still think you’re a dangerous bastard who kidnapped my sister and forced her into marriage. But you’re also a dangerous bastard who jumped into a freezing river to save her life.”
“How romantic,” I comment. “Nothing says family bonding like grudging acknowledgment of heroic gestures.”
“Whether I like it or not, you married this man, and he proved he’ll die before letting you come to harm. That earns respect, even from someone who wants to punch his face.”
Andrei’s mouth twitches upward at my brother’s backhanded compliment. “High praise from someone who spent weeks building coalitions to eliminate me.”
“I spent weeks building coalitions to rescue my sister from someone I thought was holding her against her will.” Max looks directly at me. “Watching you fight beside him in that warehouse, seeing how you looked at him when you thought he might be dying… That changed my perspective on what kind of marriage this is.”
I cock my head and ask, “What kind of marriage do you think it is?”
“The kind where two people choose each other despite impossible circumstances and stay chosen even when it nearly kills them.” My brother reaches over and squeezes my good hand. “Where love matters more than logic or family loyalty or alliances.”
The admission from Max, who’s never been comfortable with emotional declarations, makes my eyes water with tears I blame on medication and blood loss. “You’re accepting him?”
“I’m accepting that you love him enough to take a bullet for him, and he loves you enough to dive into the East River in winter to pull you out.” Max stands and moves toward the door. “Vincent wants to see you when you’re up for visitors. He has things to say about alliance structures and territorial agreements that require your input.”
After Max leaves, Andrei and I sit in comfortable silence while I digest the fundamental change in family dynamics. The Mastroni organization and the Volkov empire, brought together by forced marriage and solidified by genuine love, represent a partnership that could reshape organized crime throughout the Northeast.
“Your brother respects strength above everything else,” Andrei observes. “Proving that our marriage serves your interests rather than just mine changed his approach to our relationship.”
“My brother respects loyalty above everything else. When you chose to save me over keeping promises to your late wife, you demonstrated the kind of loyalty he understands.” I adjust my position in the bed and wince as the movement pulls at my stitches. “I’m curious about what Vincent wants to discuss regarding alliance structures.”
