Page 120 of Bratva's Vow
At the door, I hesitated. It wasn’t fully shut, and his voice rose again. A string of curses followed. Russian—rough and raw. A thud. The sound of something hitting the desk, maybe his fist.
I pushed the door open gently. I still had no idea how Vova had died. Maxim had said the details weren’t important. Why then did I feel like he was taking responsibility for what happened? He’s been on edge since we arrived. Phone call after phone call, and they didn’t seem like the type you made to family.
Maxim stood behind his desk, one hand braced on the edge, the other gripping his phone like he might snap it in half. His laptop was open, but he wasn’t looking at it. Hiswhole body was taut, shoulders squared, jaw clenched. His suit jacket hung on the back of his chair, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.
He’s still wearing his work clothes.
I must have made a sound because he turned and paused when he saw me. His brow softened slightly, but the storm didn’t leave his eyes. He lowered his voice while finishing up his call, then threw his phone onto the desk.
“How’s everything going?” I crossed the room slowly.
He exhaled hard, ran a hand over his face. “I’m hoping a five-million-dollar reward will get me answers.” He dropped into his chair like his bones had finally given up holding him up.
I blinked. “Five million?”
He glanced at me sidelong, lips quirking faintly. “It has to be enough for someone to come forward. Someone must know who—what happened to Vova.”
“Is Vova in the mob, then?”
“No.” He let out a sigh. “But it doesn’t matter. He’s associated with me, so he might as well have been.”
“I hope you find who is responsible.”
“Do you?” His gaze drifted to where the sledgehammer remained. “That’s to crush every bone in his body. Do you still hope that I find him?”
I bridged the space between us, cupped his stubbled cheek. “I know it won’t bring Vova back, but if it means you’re able to sleep at night, then yes. I hope you find them.”
A wry smile twisted his lips. “Well, aren’t you becoming a Pakhan’s true lover?”
“I want you to be happy. Why don’t you leave all this for a while and come with me? I ran you a bath. I also have the soup the housekeeper left us warming up in the oven. She did a great job organizing everything. She even wrote our names on the dishes like I wouldn’t know your portion from mine.”
That coaxed a tired smile from him, faint but real. “You say you eat less, but then you eat from my plate too.”
“You make it taste better.”
He reached up and brushed his thumb against my cheek, like he needed to feel I was really here. “What would I do without you?” he murmured. “You’re all I have left now.”
My chest tightened. “That’s not true. You have Sergei. Darius. Nik, Archie… even Jess has made allegiance.”
His gaze dropped, a shadow passing through it. “I suppose.”
“You do.” I tugged gently at his hand. “Come on. I’ll wash your hair and back.”
Maxim didn’t fight me. Perhaps because he needed this more than he would admit. I led him upstairs to the bathroom, which was filled with steam. We undressed, and I got in first, then offered him my hand. He took it and eased down into the water with a tired sigh, letting his head rest against my shoulder.
“I’ll wash your hair.” I picked up the bottle on the tub’s edge.
He didn’t speak, just closed his eyes as I tipped warm water over his head. I worked the shampoo through his thick hair slowly, massaging his scalp, easing the tension from every strand. Then I took the sponge and started on his back, soft strokes that made him melt deeper into me.
After we drained the water and refilled the tub, Maxim settled between my legs, his back against my chest. I wrapped my arms around him, and he let himself be held. Slowly the tension eased from his body. The scent of soap and warm water enclosed us.
I squeezed his shoulders. “Talk to me,” I said quietly. “What are you thinking about?”
He tilted his head back a little. “Vova. When I first camehere, I had nothing. And he… he gave me a place to stay. No questions. Just… kindness.”
“How long ago was that?”
“I was twenty-two, so twenty years ago.”
