Page 7 of Bratva's Vow
“Don’t worry, sugar.” Jess patted his cheek, and I held my breath. For what? Sergei to chew her fingers off? “Iwillfind you a match. Someone tall and mean and broody, with rage issues and great legs.”
“Dear god, don’t even joke about that.” Sergei shuddered. “I am perfectly content without your matchmaking.”
She winked at him.
We finally made it out of the apartment and piled into the car. Jess climbed into the back seat with me and Maxim, while Nik took the wheel and Darius rode shotgun. Sergei, muttering something about needing to protect what little sanity he had left, drove separately. I was with Jess. Someone definitely needed to get laid. Stat.
Maxim settled beside me, his thigh brushing mine, and his arm across my shoulders like it belonged there. It was a simple touch, but every time he did, those little gestures melted my insides. Something about the way he always seemed aware of where I was, of needing that point of contact like a silent promise:I’ve got you.
Jess, of course, didn’t miss a beat. There was never a dull moment with her. “Remember when we first met?” She twisted and looked at me with a gleam in her eye. “You’re so different today from back then.”
“Yeah?” Maxim asked. “How so?”
“In so many ways. He was quite prudish. Didn’t even get his cherry popped until?—”
“Oh my god, Jess! No one needs to hear about that.”
She had the grace to look repentant. “Sorry, love. I’m just glad to see you’re more laid back and accepting the good things life is offering you. I mean, you once cried because you missed the deadline for an online coupon. Now you’re dripping in diamonds.”
Hardly likely. It was just one bracelet. An expensive bracelet. Jess had found the exact model online, and I’d almost passed out at the cost.
Maxim snorted beside me. “You cried over a coupon?”
“It was thirty percent off, and it was for a limited time. How else was I supposed to get that new pair of sneakers I wanted?” I leaned across Maxim to glare at her. “If you don’t can it, I’ll push you out of the car.”
Nik cackled from the front seat while Darius said, “Could we try to keep the murder to a minimum today? It’s supposed to be a fun day, and cleaning up blood stains and covering up a murder is exhausting.”
“And you would know that because?” I asked.
That seemed to set Nik off even more. He patted Darius’s thigh. “Didn’t you know, Wren? Darius here loves his crime shows.”
“Ah, well, one of you needs to put a gag on your girlfriend.” I leaned back against Maxim, and he nuzzled my hair.
“I’m the only family Wren’s got,” Jess said. “Do you have a big family, Maxim?”
Normally, I would reprimand her for prying, but I cockedmy ear, waiting for Maxim’s response. I didn’t know anything about his family. Why hadn’t I ever shown interest?
“No,” he said. No explanation.
Jess raised a brow but didn’t press.
My stomach flipped, nerves flaring out of nowhere. Did he not want me to meet them? Would they disapprove of me? Would I disapprove of them? Maybe they didn’t know he was out. I shook off the thoughts. Maxim had a way of keeping things close to the chest, but it didn’t always mean something bad.
The venue, TagX, came into view. A converted old warehouse turned into a neon-drenched entertainment space with games and food trucks. Definitely not Maxim’s usual scene.
As we pulled into the lot, I noticed his body shift. His eyes scanned the area, sharp and focused, and the slight downturn of his mouth made my stomach dip.
He didn’t want to be here.
I leaned in, voice low. “Hey… if you don’t want to do this, we don’t have to. We can go somewhere else.”
Maxim turned his head, eyes meeting mine. For a second, I thought he might take the out. But then his expression softened, and he smiled, thumb brushing my cheek.
“I want to be here. With you.”
The tightness in my chest eased instantly, and warmth flooded me. “You sure?”
“I’m always sure about you, Wren.”
