Page 99 of The Bratva's Captive

I glowered at him as I climbed inside.

“Keep going,” Nik advised dryly as he got in the driver’s seat.

Maxim got in the backseat with me, and Nik started to drive off.

“What are you doing?” I demanded, too cautious to just take his word for it that he wouldn’t kidnap my baby so he’d have an heir.

He gave me a look like it should be obvious. “I’m going to the doctor's appointment.”

“You are?” I kept a distance between us on the seat.

“Yes,” he replied, eyeing me closely like he wasn’t sure what to do with me.

“Why?”

“Because.” He didn’t pause his inventory of me. “How are you feeling?”

I laughed incredulously. “Okay, the joke’s over. What do you want?”

“To go to this appointment with you.”

“So you can verify that I’m not lying anymore? To hover over every detail ofyourchild?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Ourchild. And maybe if you never thought to lie to me in the first place, we could’ve avoided all of this.”

“Maybe if you asked me to come home with you instead of just taking me captive, we could’ve avoided?—”

“Enough,” Nik coached. “Enough. Maxim.” He shot his brother a look via the rearview mirror. “I thought you understood what I was saying earlier. Get your head out of your ass and fucking apologize.”

I bit my lip at his stern words. Not many could dare to talk to Maxim like that.

He exhaled a long breath and watched me. “In hindsight, I can see why you wouldn’t trust me.”

I crossed my arms. “That’san apology?”

Taking my hand and holding it, he stared at our fingers twined together on the seat.

“I’m sorry that you couldn’t trust me,” he tried again.

“That’s not an apology either!” Nik said as he turned toward the hospital that was nearer than I realized.

Maxim clenched his teeth and looked out the window. Then, facing me, he sobered up and looked me in the eye. “I’m sorry, Sloane.”

I dared to believe it. I wanted to believe him.

“I’m sorry that you felt like I didn’t value you for anything more than giving me a child. At first, that was why I took you. I have a duty to provide an heir, and with our father poisonedand someone threatening the family, it was more of an urgent matter.”

I blinked, suddenly more worried. “Poisoned? Is he okay?”

He chuckled. “You’re not concentrating on the matter at hand.”

“Seriously, is he okay?” I never had parents, but I had to imagine having one and losing them would be hell. And no matter how mad at him and hurt I was, I didn’t like the idea of Maxim suffering.

“He’s recovering,” Nik said from the front as he cruised into a parking lot.

“When I took you, that was what I had in mind,” Maxim admitted. “I knew I needed an heir, and you were the only woman I wanted after I saw you. I’ve never wanted to conform to the idea of committing to a girlfriend or marriage because of how our mother betrayed our father.”

I nodded, trying to stem the urge to smile widely as he explained.

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