Page 23 of Bratva's Vow
“Hey—”
“Why didn’t you take your new phone with you? I gave you one simple instruction, Wren.” His voice was sharper than he’d ever spoken to me.
I stopped short of responding that he wasn’t my dad and to lay off being so dictatorial. Just because I was sucking his dick didn’t mean he got to control my every movement. But the feisty words wouldn’t come out. For one, I wouldn’t be surprised if he walked into my bedroom. I glared at the door.
“Relax, Maxim. I brought it with me. It’s in my bag.”
“But it’s not on, Wren. What’s the point of having it with you if it’s not on?”
“My old phone works fine. Didn’t you get through to me on it? Maxim, I told you I didn’t need the other phone when you bought it for me.”
“Turn it on, Wren,” he growled. “Do it now, or I swear you’ll not be leaving the house again without me.”
“Is this really necessary?” But I opened my bag on the bed and took out the new phone. “Why are you acting like this?”
“Because I can’t fucking trust you to do what you’re told.”
I ended the call.
I clenched the device, then dropped it facedown onto the bed. The nerve. Who did he think he was, barking orders at me like that?
One simple instruction, Wren.
Jesus Christ.
I wasn’t a servant. I was his boyfriend.
The phone buzzed again almost immediately.
I ignored it. If I let him talk to me like that, what kind of precedent would it set? Anger flared in my chest, hot and urgent. What happened to courtesy? What happened to using “please”? It rubbed me raw that he swore at me.
I stared at the phone until it stopped.
Knock knock.
The door creaked open, and Nik stepped inside, wrapped in nothing but a towel that did nothing to hide his erection. He raised a brow and tossed his phone at me.
“Talk to Maxim,” he said, not even pretending to be neutral.
“Seriously? He called you?” I caught the phone and flopped back onto the bed as Nik shut the door behind him.
With a heavy sigh, I pressed the phone to my ear. “Yes, Maxim?”
“What the fuck, Wren?” His voice was all fury and frustration. I held the phone away from my ear. “You hung up on me?”
Click.
I hung up on him. Again.
A second passed. Then another.
From down the hall came Jess’s distinct ringtone of “Milkshake.” I shook my head. He was calling her too?
“Wren!” Jess yelled through the walls. “Answer yourfucking phone before I have to start charging him per minute like a hotline. I’m trying to getmyhotline wired.”
My phone rang again. I inhaled deeply and gingerly picked up the phone. “Yes, Maxim? How may I assist you?” I answered in my most business-savvy voice.
There was a beat of silence.
