Page 16 of Bratva's Vow
Or maybe way too predictable.
I pressed my eyes shut for a second. “It’s decided, then. We’ll tell Jess.”
Darius and I rode the elevator up in silence. The dim light from the ceiling bulb did little to soften the growing tension between us. We both knew that telling Jess could make orbreak Wren’s safety, and it was a gamble we had no choice but to take.
When we reached the door, Darius knocked lightly. The door swung open almost immediately, revealing Jess, barefoot, wearing a short purple silk kimono wrap. Her face was fresh with not a hint of makeup—the first time I was seeing her without it. She looked way younger barefaced, and I felt a twinge of hesitation.
What if Darius was wrong about her ability to keep a secret from Wren? What if she didn’t keep it from Wren?
“Finally, you’re here.” She stepped aside to let me in, then cupped Darius’s face and kissed him. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. Just had a lot to do.”
She nodded. “Nik’s here in the kitchen. I got tea, or if you want something stronger, I have that too. Wren’s out cold.”
Her tone was light, but her eyes flicked between us like a scanner. She knew something was off. Maybe it was for the best that we’d decided to tell her the truth. She wasn’t as gullible as Wren. A simple lie wouldn’t work with her.
Nik was leaning against the kitchen counter, arms crossed like he and Jess had been waiting up for us. When we entered, he straightened slightly and gave a nod.
“Just a bottle of water,” I said. “Room temperature.”
We gathered around the kitchen table, the faint scent of chamomile tea hanging in the air. Nik handed me a bottle of water, his movements measured and calm. I thanked him with a brisk nod, took a long sip, and set it down on the table.
“How’s Sergei?” he asked.
“At home, resting. Not as bad as I’d feared.”
“Good. I tried calling him, but no one was answering.”
“Lost his phone in the whole mess. We’ve had the contents erased.”
Jess took a seat next to Darius, handing him a cup of tea.Nik stood behind them both, rubbing his thumb over a pressure point at the back of Jess’s neck.
“Was Sergei hurt that badly?” She glanced between Darius and me. “Here I thought it was a minor incident, but you two are back past midnight, looking like you lost a fight with the devil.”
Darius let out a tired laugh and pressed a kiss to her temple. Nik kissed the top of her head. “Let’s not pry, babe. I’m sure Maxim has a good explanation.”
His look said I better had one because Jess wouldn’t be so easily persuaded like Wren. I frowned. How to begin? It wasn’t every day I had to share with someone that I was a Pakhan. She probably wouldn’t even know what that meant.
Jess tilted her head at me. “Okay, enough with the suspense. You’re all killing me. Spill it. What’s going on? And I mean the real story. I can tell you’re hiding something from me.”
I hesitated. Only for a breath. “Sergei was shot while we were playing laser tag earlier. That’s why we had to get you and Wren out of there.”
The words hit the room like a dropped glass. Jess blinked. Slowly. “Wait, what? Who would want to shoot Sergei? Did the police catch them?”
“Not exactly. They’re not involved.”
“Not involved? Someone was shot. Why wouldn’t you want the police involved to find the culprit? What are you? In the mob? Are you going to handle it yourself?”
Silence closed around us. Jess’s face paled. She looked at each of us in turn.
“Oh my god, are you in the mob?”
“Yes.” My voice was steady. “And the chief of police is the person who ordered the hit.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“Maxim’s not only in the mob, babe.” Darius reachedacross and take Jess’s hand, squeezed. “He’s the Pakhan. That’s the leader of our Bratva.”
