Page 58 of Bound to the Bratva
“Yeah,” she starts off. “His marriage to you was the big thing our father wanted, and now he hasn’t started the transfer process. So, what is his game? What’s he playing at? There’s some sort of reason for it. I just can’t figure it out. He made it seem to the both of us like Maxim would be taking over sooner rather than later, and now he’s at a standstill.”
Lina, Maxim’s mother, comes over and throws an arm around Vera, smiling brightly. “What on Earth are you two chatting about over here? Come on, let’s sit.”
Lina leads us to a plush seating area, gesturing for us to make ourselves comfortable. The room is a dazzling display of wealth and sophistication. It reminds me of my father’s house. There are ornate chandeliers, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a grand piano in the corner.
Vera and I sit beside each other, sipping on our champagne as her mother chats with us. “Where did Maxim run off to? I just noticed he was gone a couple minutes ago.”
Licking my lips, I answer her quickly. “He had some business to tend to. Said he’d be about an hour and then he’d be back.” I notice his father is suddenly gone as well. Did they leave together? Did Maxim pull his father in to whatever the issue was? Who knows.
“Ah, I see. That’s something that will never get old.” Lina laughs, and for the next hour and a half the three of us women chat. We speak about trivial things and I get to know the women a bit better.
After a while, Maxim and his father walk back into the living room at the same time.
“Now where on Earth have the two of you been?” Lina asks, her brows furrowed. “We were told an hour, and it’s well past that now.”
I glance at Maxim, unsure of how to respond. He walks over to me and takes a seat beside me, running his hand over mine, he squeezes it. “Forgive me, Mother. There was a small matter I needed to attend to before coming back to enjoy the rest of the evening.”
Lina nods, though her expression remains slightly perplexed. “Well, at least you’re back now,” she pauses for a moment and looks at her husband. “I suppose you ran off after him?”
I’m just now remembering his father was speaking to Lina after Maxim had left, so he must have left the room at some point.
Maxim’s father chuckles, “No, I did some research and found out where he ran off to.”
Lina raises a brow, “Oh, and that was?”
Maxim’s hand grows firm on mine. “I caught wind Natalya’s father was in town, not too far from here, so I went and paid him a visit.”
I search his face, sensing the unspoken weight of his words. “Why would he be in New York?” I thought the Andreev family was in Chicago as well.
Maxim’s jaw tightens. “They come here around Christmas for a few weeks before heading back to Moscow to visit family. Only, this time he was alone so I pulled him aside to have a chat.”
Lina looks into her son’s eyes. “What kind of chat would that have been, dear?”
Maxim licks his lips, “The kind that warns him his daughter will die if she continues her antics. I already saw her a couple of weeks back and made her pay.”
This is the first I’m hearing about it. “What did you do?”
Maxim swallows hard, taking a few moments before answering. It’s almost like he doesn’t want to tell me. “She tried to take me from you, so I took something from her.”
The room grows eerily quiet as everyone waits for Maxim to fill us in. Vera’s the one to speak up, “What did you do, brother, take away her credit card? Everyone knows she’s a fashion freak.”
He swallows hard and locks his eyes on me. “No, I took away her ability to have children.”
“Jesus,” Vera comments, closing her eyes briefly. “Given the circumstances, I understand your choice. But, don’t you think that will only piss her off more?”
He shrugs, “It might, but it will also show others who doubt my cruelness that I am not the kind of man who fucks around. I need my enemies to know I will make them pay for any action taken against my family—by either taking something they desire, or their life.”
“Enough,” Maxim’s father smacks his hand down on an end table. “We can discuss business later, this night is for our family. Now, come into the dining area so we can eat.”
His father and mother leave the living area and walk off and as I rise, Maxim leans in and whispers, “They’re putting on a show for you. My mother is never this kind, Aria. Be careful what you tell her. She always has a hidden agenda.”
As he pulls away I give him a curt nod, understanding even more so now that deception is always lurking around us.
Twenty
Maxim
Our visit to New York went well. Aria figured out quickly how fast my parents’ tones and opinions can change. My mother was trying to act sweet, like she’d be a good ally and friend to her. I knew that wasn’t the case and told Aria about my childhood—how my mother was cold. She isn’t nearly as bad as Tatiana, but my mother isn’t perfect by any means.
