Page 73 of Bratva's Vow
I pushed inside, shut the door, and leaned against it, chest heaving.
My mind raced. My dad had…chosen? No. No. That wasn’t possible. Maxim had somehow forced him to work for him. My dad wouldn’t have abandoned his family… wouldn’t have abandoned me.
I pressed my palms to my eyes, breathing hard. I didn’t know what to do. I splashed water on my face, collecting my thoughts. Once I composed myself, I slipped back into the room, still raw and shaken from Jess’s words.
“Jess, do?—”
The breath exploded from my lungs. Maxim stood next to Jess, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his gray slacks, and his face a mask of stone.
I swung my gaze to Jess, who stood awkwardly, not meeting my eyes. “Jess,” I whispered, betrayal thick and heavy in my throat. “What did you do?”
Her expression crumpled. “I’m sorry, Wren. I didn’t know what else to do. You aren’t safe here. I know you’re upset with Maxim right now, but he can protect you. You know he can.”
Disbelief crushed down on me. “How could you? I trusted you.”
Jess swallowed hard. “I know I broke your trust, Wren, but I can’t be sorry for it. Maxim explained to me the risk you were facing, being on your own like this. You’re in real danger. There are people after him, and they won’t hesitate to hurt you to get to him. Please, you have to understand I didn’t do this for him but for you to be safe. I don’t know the first thing about protecting someone, and you can’t survive on your own.”
“Who are you to tell me what I can or cannot accomplish on my own?” I snapped.
“You were gone for only one night and already you needed someone to bring you clothes and food. I did what I thought was right for you. All I want is for you to be safe, even if that means staying with him for now.”
I shook my head slowly, switching my gaze to Maxim. He had yet to speak. I expected him to rant and rave. I expected him to threaten me, but all I got was the most betrayed look in his eyes. Like I was the one in the wrong. Like I was the one who’d hurt him when he knew damn well he was responsible for all this pain.
“Are you happy now?” I wheezed. “The one person I couldrely on now answers to you too. Is there any other area of my life you don’t control?”
“Wren, that’s not fair. Don’t you understand the danger you are in?”
I refused to look at Jess, refused to acknowledge her. I held my hands out toward Maxim, my wrists together. “Go ahead. You might as well cuff me.”
Maxim still didn’t speak. Just turned his back on me and walked out of the room.
And like a fool, I followed him.
I had no desire to run again, and that scared me.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
MAXIM
Relief.
That came first.
Before the ache.
Before the quiet, seething anger.
Before the hollow sting of betrayal.
He was safe.
After hours of silence, after tearing the city apart, after threatening half the goddamn world, I had him again. I owed Jess big-time for calling me to let me know where Wren was. Since I turned her apartment upside down to find Wren this morning, I expected no help from her. She’d made it clear she resented me for making her betray Wren. But even if Wren didn’t, at least she understood the severity of the situation. She saw it for what it was.
Because, for the moment, Wren wasn’t just in danger. Hewasthe danger. To himself. To me.
The chief of police knew about him. Arkady knew. Thatmade two too many. Wren wasn’t an intern anymore. He was my weakness, and they had seen it, like I’d feared.
He sat beside me in the back of the car, as far away as the space allowed, spine stiff, jaw clenched, face turned toward the window like it could save him. Not once did he look at me. Not once since I’d found him.
