Page 54 of Born into Darkness

My dad laughs and nods in agreement. “He’ll love that.”

“They just pulled up,” Niki says, walking over with his phone in his hand. “Timofey’s getting them into the elevator now.”

I don’t typically get nervous, but I am now. On one level, Talia and I have experienced a closeness that most people never do, but our relationship was born in the most unlikely of circumstances, and now a thousand worries are rushing through my head. It’s possible she latched onto me because she was scared and needed someone, and I was there to be that support for her. I wouldn’t blame her for it, and I’ll always be grateful I could be that comfort for her, but, fuck, I hope that’s not all this was to her, because I meant what I said in that basement. I love this woman, and I don’t plan on letting her go.

“Volodya and his sons are staying with your Uncle Lev, and Valeri and his son, god help us, are staying with your Uncle Vitaly,” my dad says. “We’ll be keeping Vasily and his family here for as long as they want to stay.”

Knowing I’m only seconds away from seeing her has my heart jumping in my chest. Forcing myself to get a fucking grip, I take a breath and wait, each second feeling like an hour. I’ve never been more nervous. I’m scared to death that when I see her, she won’t look at me the same way she looked at me in the basement. The thought of her putting distance between us sends a pain to my chest.

“Almost here,” Niki says, looking at the security footage on his phone.

Unable to resist, I look at the screen, and my heart both grows and crumbles at the sight of her. Like me, she’s had a shower and is in a fresh pair of clothes. Despite how dirty we’d both been, I’d thought she was gorgeous in that basement. I didn’t think it was possible for her to look even more beautiful, but with her freshly scrubbed face and high ponytail, she’s proven me wrong.

With my heart racing faster than it ever has, I turn towards the elevator and wait for the doors to open.

Chapter11

Talia

My stomach is in knots as we ride the elevator. I’m worried sick that the Max I’m about to see won’t be the same one I’ve grown to love in the basement.

Bran senses my nervousness and nudges my shoulder. I look up at him and sign,What if he doesn’t feel the same way now that we’re out?

He quickly signs,Then he’s a moron, and I’ll shoot him for you.

I grin, I can’t help it, and Bran gives me another gentle nudge before signing,Relax. Everything will be fine. The hard part is over.

I hope like hell he’s right. I’d wanted to stay with Max when we landed, but his parents had rushed him to the hospital, and I’d been taken to Dominic’s house so Tony could examine me. After convincing my dad that aside from needing to put on some weight and stay hydrated, I really am okay, I’d finally been allowed to shower and change. No one’s given me an update on Max, though, and I’m dying to know how his hand is and if he’s okay.

The soft ding of the elevator kicks my heart rate up a notch. The doors open, and I hear Dima give a soft laugh when I try to scoot around everyone so I can see Max. The penthouse is beautiful, and his family is standing and waiting for us, but I barely register any of it.

As soon as I can, I scoot around my brother and get my first glimpse of Max. My breath catches in my throat at the sight of him. I’d thought he was gorgeous caked in dirt and sweaty with fever, but the sight of him freshly showered, beard trimmed to nothing but a dark stubble, and a T-shirt that exposes all the tattoos and muscle his sweatshirt had hidden, I realize how wrong I’d been. He’s not just gorgeous—he’s mouthwateringly handsome in a way that immediately makes me feel like he’s way out of my league.

Part of me is too intimidated to run to him, but as soon as our eyes meet, my body moves like it has a mind of its own. A huge smile lights up his face, and as soon as I’m close enough, he’s wrapping his good arm around me and cupping the back of my head while he leans down closer so his mouth is near my ear.

“Svetik moy,” he whispers. “I’ve missed you.”

I nod my head and breathe in the clean scent of him. “I missed you, too,” I whisper back. It takes a second for me to remember anything beyond how good this moment feels, but when I do, I quickly take a step back and look at his arm. His forearm is in a sling that, thankfully, I’m not smooshing since I came at him from the side. Bandages cover his entire hand, so I can’t see how bad it is.

“What did the doctor say?” I ask.

“He numbed it and made it so my fingers are pointing in the right direction again,” he says with a small grin. “He and I will be seeing a lot of each other, and they’ll be bringing in a therapist at some point to start working with me.”

Seeing the worry on my face, he drags a finger along my jaw and says, “I’m fine. My hand will heal, and we’re alive and here because of you. I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to help you.”

I remember jamming the knife into Miguel’s neck and then immediately force the memory away. “It was fine,” I tell him. “We both know he deserved it.”

“He did,” Max agrees, “but I’m still sorry you had to be the one to do it. It’s not an easy thing to kill someone, no matter how evil that person might be.”

I nod, wanting to tell him so many things about that night, but a noise behind me reminds me that both our families are watching us. I quickly turn and face them, feeling my cheeks heat up. I recognize his dad and brother from last night, and they both return my smile, but it’s his mom who comes up and gives me a big hug.

“I’m so happy to meet you,” she whispers. “I’m Simona. Max and Niki’s mom.” Pulling back, she meets my eyes as hers quickly fill, tears spilling down her cheeks as she says, “Thank you for protecting our son.”

My own eyes grow wet at the emotion in her voice. I shake my head, because everyone keeps acting like I’m a hero when I’m anything but.

“It was Max who saved me,” I tell her. “If it weren’t for your son, I’d be dead.” I say the words, knowing in my heart they’re true. He’s been protecting me ever since I first saw him—telling me stories to cheer me up, sharing his food and water, holding my hand so I could sleep, and then subjecting himself to torture to keep them from touching me. He’s saved me in a million different ways, and I never would’ve survived that basement without him.

Max comes up behind me and wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side in a comforting hug. “We saved each other,” he says.

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